Indie art-rock band, All Poets & Heroes, have just released their brand new single called ‘Tinderbox’, and it’s a rocky, rich, and layered tune that was inspired by a poem Rob McCall (lead singer/guitarist) had written. Focusing on the sacrifices one makes as an artist, or sometimes, just as a person, ‘Tinderbox’ is a beautiful example of the band’s songwriting and storytelling prowess. “Time defines us in the end”. Sings McCall. “And I’ve been spreading mine too thin”.
The Syracuse-based act is one of many that has kept itself very busy this year. In May, they released the first part of their upcoming double EP, Colorful Lungs, Pt. 1, and they’ve already unleashed two singles from Pt. 2. If ‘Tinderbox’ is anything to go by, the rest of the album should be something rather special, and we at Indie Top 39 wait with bated breath to hear it!
Richly layered, deeply introspective, and hauntingly brilliant. Everything about ‘Tinderbox’ is perfect!
INDIE TOP 39
What does the song mean to you?
‘Tinderbox’ is about accepting (or possibly not accepting) that life is hard – at any stage of life. When you’re an artist, people aren’t always going to understand why you forge ahead and continue to chase this dream. At a certain point, they expect you to give it up and follow the traditional path. However, even on the traditional path, life can feel like a burden and how we cope with it may not be healthy at times – i.e. the drinking referenced in the song.
Sometimes we feel like we’re missing out on life, and we thought it was going to get easy at some point – as if we’d finally arrive and be settled. We were told it “gets better when you’re older,” and sometimes we’re left asking “does it?”
What inspired you to share the song with the world?
‘Tinderbox’ was one of those songs that just felt right from its inception, and with every layer added, and with every part getting finalized it never lost that magic for us. None of the other members who came in to add their touch needed notes – they all just knew what this song was. Those moments are hard to come by and solidified in our minds that we were on to something.
What do you hope to achieve with this song?
The ultimate goal is to connect with people. We hope that the people who are feeling like they are missing out on life find some solace knowing that they’re not the only ones – especially those who are chasing their dreams. Their friends may be off getting married and having kids, and their parents may be retiring and questioning their decisions, but hopefully, they keep going. Not everyone is going to understand. Maybe you don’t even always understand, but it’s alright.
Please finish the sentence – Music to us is…
The perfect art form, because music evokes so much emotion. Even if it’s just the flutteringly light and sparse compositions of Nils Frahm or the more lush and cinematic music of Bill Evans, music alone connects so deeply with the soul. If you add lyrics, vocals and vocal melodies to bring to light more concrete storytelling, those songs allow us to check in with the world and feel less alone. We play songs on repeat. We share our favourite songs with our close friends and significant others because we want them to know that this moves us, and we hope it moves them too. We rediscover music in different seasons of our life and it brings us comfort.
We go to watch songs performed live because we want that shared experience with others, and we crave to connect with the artist that put their heart on display so we could open our own. Yes, other art forms are consumed over and over – a TV show, a movie or even a video game, but they too rely heavily on music to convey more than what’s on screen. What would Peaky Blinders be without the perfectly placed Radiohead song, or what would any of Christopher Nolan’s films be without the musical genius that is Hans Zimmer?
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Now you can listen to all the 39 songs in one place, right here on Spotify!
