In a span of five years, Paper Satellites have been churning out tropical-infused indie rock songs that certainly had its rickety charms, most prominent of the bunch is “Golden Age”—a brash, unapologetic anthem that calls back to the days when Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and Two Door Cinema Club’s Tourist History were the jam.
Fast forward to 2021, the promising quartet from East Manila continues to ride the familiar train with a dancier, more groove-oriented approach. “Towns,” their latest single under Lilystars Records, balances pop’s pleasure principle with their penchant for guitar-driven hooks, synth-noodling pipes, and big, ecstatic choruses. Sound-wise, the eclectic band takes inspiration from “various guitar-based artists such as Bombay Bicycle Club, Two Door Cinema Club, and a bunch of other bands with ‘Club’ in their names,” pushing the song’s festive vibe with percussive and synth elements.
“Towns” started as a demo helmed by Jyle Macalintal (vocalist/guitarist), whose love for tropical house beats and electronic pop music clearly operates within the track’s sonic spectrum. From a production standpoint, it also has a lot of percussive and synth elements that pushes the song’s festive vibe forward to achieve a more contemporary-sounding appeal.
Lyrically, the song deals with childhood nostalgia and outgrowing certain relationships in the past despite the fond memories that it left behind. , Penned at a time when Jyle was still living in Angono, Rizal witnessing childhood friends move out of town for work, and move on with their respective lives. According to him, “it’s a sad reality that some of us had to endure, but it’s part of growing up. We just have to accept it for what it is: a piece of nostalgia, a living memory, an inspiring chapter that’s fun to reminisce from time to time.”
“Towns,” is the first material that Paper Satellites wrote, recorded, and produced during the pandemic. Now under Lilystars, the indie quartet is currently on the preliminary phase of their first full-length album, which they described as “intimate musings from the lens of a young adult trying to navigate a world that’s completely untapped and unfamiliar.
Paper Satellites’ “Towns” is out now on various streaming platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records.