Born and raised in a small rural town in northeastern Indiana, singer-songwriter Atticus Sorrell makes music that feels like it could have been pulled straight from 1970s radio.
Sorrell brings an eclectic blend of soul, rock, jazz, and psychedelia, heavily inspired by 70s pop; an influence that comes through clearly on their single “Paper Crane.”
Sonically, the track bursts with fast-paced strumming and bright keys that lock into a mesmerizing, nostalgic chord progression, with Sorrell’s vocals channeling a folk-rock–tinged ‘70s star presence.
Lyrically, the track mourns a failed romance and explores the emotional weight of holding onto objects tied to a past relationship. The instrumentation complements the simplicity of the topline melody, with a cohesive mix that blurs the line between vocal and instrumentation, placing them in the same sonic space so neither feels distinctly foregrounded or separate.
On the meaning behind the song, Sorrell explains: “‘Paper Crane’ is about mourning a failed romance and holding onto objects that remind us of them. It’s about how that attachment can often prolong suffering and make it a struggle to let go of the past and move on.”
“Paper Crane” serves as a reminder that no piece of art is ever truly forgotten, instead acting as a catalyst for revisiting and rekindling old musical pastimes. The track feels like a revival of that sensibility, with Sorrell’s performance firmly rooted in the spirit of the 1970s, as though that era is still very much alive within the song.
Sorrell’s new album Ram and the Bull, largely recorded live to tape with core sessions captured by Jacob Terhune at Be Home Studios in summer 2024, was later brought to Jason Davis at Off the Cuff Sound for overdubs, arrangement, and mixing, with the pair reimagining the material through expanded arrangements and layered instrumentation. The album arrives June 26 via The Core Recordings.
