The Losing Score has put everything they have into their new EP, Closed for Season. Their English hearts contain a drive that only musicians with a true passion can achieve. But what makes this EP so intriguing and worth the time of any modern punk fan? It is the rawness of it.
The sheer energy injection into every verse and chorus is excellent and the identity behind it comes from the age-old question of what came first? The music or misery?
Vocalist Brodie Normandin comments on how he has used lyricism for self-expression and to reveal his true self through the band's music.
“The lyrics on this next EP are a lot more honest than I ever expected to write. I wasn't expecting to ever be writing lyrics that are so honest. I was worried about my friends and family listening to them. But I think when you're covering topics such as depression, death, mental health and illness, suicide, etc., it's going to be quite blatant.
"I was a big fan of the Wonder Years growing up, who are nothing but expressive with their lyrics and oversharing details of their lows and highs, and I think now being big fans of bands like Prince Daddy & The Hyena, who wear their hearts on their sleeves, it's something I'm not so afraid of doing anymore. Growing up and hearing that my musical heroes are human too was important to me and I wanted to do the same thing.
"Furthermore, presenting yourself in this manner to the world can be daunting. Stepping out from the shadows and then being almost exposed in the brightest of exposures is not an easy move and especially with no smooth transition, once the music is released this whole new version of yourself is exposed to the world. But being a punk band they are now also competing amongst many bands who have a similar view."
The vocalist comments on the state of the punk scene in the modern age and how apprehensive he is for the music to be finally released. “As a collective, we've definitely passed the point of listening to much typical pop-punk. We listen to and write music that features elements of pop and punk, but I probably wouldn't label the scene we feel part of as being pop-punk anymore.
"From what we've heard in the last few years, it feels like it's getting somewhat stale and repetitive which is probably why our influences are becoming more diverse as the years go on, although that's natural progression too I suppose.
"This new EP took so much time, effort, and emotional energy to be creative and I'm definitely nervous about releasing it. I'm always wondering 'what if no one cares' or 'what if it's not as good as the first EP' despite getting great feedback from those who have heard it already. Most days, I love these new songs and can't wait for people to hear them, but some days I'm so pessimistic. The modern digital age also makes it harder than ever to stand out."
Normandin leaves his final words giving his opinion on what it takes to stand out in the modern age and the constant debate of whether technology and masses of music being readily available has deteriorated people's attention span.
“Having music and content so readily at your fingertips has definitely changed the way people consume it and their attention span. We're guilty of it too and because of this, we've definitely had to take people's lack of commitment to new music into consideration when writing.
"I think if we gain more of a following and people start thinking 'maybe this band is worth listening to,' that's when we can do a 'Bomb the Music Industry!' and write a super long intro like "Campaign for a Better Weekend,' but for now it feels like, with singles at least, we have to cut to the chase and have songs kick in before a new listener loses interest.
"Standing out in this modern digital age can be both easy or painfully difficult compared to how the industry used to be, or so I'm told. It is so easy to connect to people all around the world but it's so oversaturated that you've really got to make an impression to stand out. We don't take ourselves too seriously, despite some of the themes in our music, and so I think that comedic edge might help us catch someone's eye.
"But when you can see 20 new bands trying to get you to listen to them every day on social media, it's difficult and I think we're all guilty of scrolling past. It's made new bands easier to discover but so much harder at the same time because of the oversaturation - it's a real catch 22”
Closed for Season is out now and available on Bandcamp.
The Losing Score on social media: Facebook | Instagram
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