Modern Original is the next alt rock meets pop band that you definitely want to add to your playlists. You may already recognize the duo, consisting of singer and guitarist Josh Hogan and drummer Andy Warren, from their former days in the popular band The Mowgli’s. Now both musicians are on their way to forging a bright new path with all fresh sounds, by way of Modern Original. According the press release, the new band was inspired and conceived after months of introspection during the lockdown of 2020.
Modern Original’s debut single “Turn it Around” is an anthem all about breaking out of isolation and climbing out of the mental prisons that we build for ourselves “Over the last year we faced so many different obstacles and were confronted with many things that we could not control. Everything really opened up for us when we stopped going against the current. We decided to flow with that current and turn it around. As a young kid in soccer camp, coaches always told me to “play the way you’re facing. I’ve always tried to attach this mantra to everything in life. In 2020, we realized that we were heading in the wrong direction so we are making an effort to change and be the best we can be,” says Josh Hogan.
Opening with pounding drums and 60s inspired distorted guitar effects, the track has a groovy psychedelic surf-rock vibe that starts out just like a wild trip. Soon it transforms into a catchy, high-energy pop rock jam layered with warm vocals over an explosive dance-floor beat. The accompanying video for “Turn it Around” adds yet another layer to their trippy concept, with the visual shots showing the band under a variety of funky, off-beat themed lenses with colorful visual effects.
Drawing inspiration from artists such as Tame Impala, Bleachers, and Glass Animals, Modern Original stands outside the lines of influence drawn by any genre, carrying with them a motto “to make music they love” whether that be surfer rock or psych pop. Their music is “reflective, positive, unfettered and honest – a response to a bleak time and a hope for a brighter future.”
Check out Modern Original’s debut single “Turn it Around” here and cheers to a brighter year ahead.
