Sweetbreads – “Open Mic”

Photo provided by artist

New York City-based Sweetbreads return to us with “Open Mic,” an Americana-kissed spoonful of indie folk from the forthcoming LP Punisher of Love.

A few quick strums of acoustic guitar set “Open Mic” in motion, shortly followed by a vintage-tinged rhythm section that transports listeners to the heart of the story. With the song’s raw, acute attention to detail, it’s not at all difficult to imagine it being performed on a Monday night stage of a dimly lit bar in Everytown, USA. Amid an era of endless, easy access to digital production, “Open Mic” grasps tightly to the idea that analog will always win when it comes to folk music.

For just over four and a half minutes, vocalist Melody Stolpp delivers line after line of a story that adds artistic weight to quiet suffering, addiction, and the ways people desperately try to escape pain, with the open mic serving as a parallel for the struggle to be seen and heard. And even though the track leans into folksy storytelling, it feeds us lines of immeasurable wisdom, including “You’ll never know all the pain another person feels” and “Why is dying easier than being born?”

About the track, Stolpp adds: “I was sitting in this dingy dive bar waiting hours for my turn to play one song amongst a sea of people who were there for the same reason… I felt kind of pathetic and self-involved chasing what seemed like a dying dream. Watching my friend struggle made me think about my own obsessions and addictions, and the things we all cling to in order to escape reality.”

From its gentle sway to its seemingly effortless display of vocal harmonies, “Open Mic” is a tune designed to keep you company on those nights when the rain prevents you from doing anything but looking inward. The song is now available everywhere. Connect with Sweetbreads here: Spotify | Bandcamp | Instagram

-TM