Skip to main content

Maverick Ad

Home

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Cover Stories
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Legacy Awards
  • Past Covers
  • Weekly Archive
Toronto Pop-Punkers LST IN HLYWD Unleash Supercharged Single & Video in "Bittersweet"

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • Toronto Pop-Punkers LST IN HLYWD Unleash Supercharged Single & Video in "Bittersweet"
LST IN HLYWD
Fri Nov 05, 2021
Cashbox Canada

Check out "Bittersweet" on YouTube here:

This Toronto-area supercharged indie group of 17-20-somethings are laying down tracks that could easily slide into soundtracks for the summer of ‘96 — and that’s precisely what they set out to do.

While most teens were sequestered to their bedrooms, their parents’ living rooms — the mundane and mediocrity of less to do, and even little to see due to the global pandemic of 2020 — James Marrin decided to get creative, and LST IN HLYWD was born. By the fall of that same year, the little-band-that-could grew to a four-piece, and finally rounding up to a five by spring 2021. And now the group has nowhere to go but up into a stratosphere built on the shoulders of their idols: Fall Out Boy, MGK, Chase Atlantic, among others.

What this group of resilient and resourceful youths were able to achieve during a two year full-stop on social interaction was utilize their Gen Z know-how and find ways to communicate and practice — mainly on Zoom calls. This stroke of genius allowed the newly-found band a chance to write, record, collaborate, and even play even before they’d ever stepped into the same room together. Alongside Marrin (vox/rhythm guitar), Catherine Carter (rhythm guitar/keys), Chris King (percussion), Yanko Mladenovic (lead guitar), and Calvin Thistle (bass) make up the totality of the group. Their first performance live, and together, finally happened in March of this year, months after their first online interaction.

Of their writing session, “Bittersweet” became their first fully developed song, completely brainstormed and fleshed out over Zoom. “The inspiration for the song came from a painting that Jamie’s girlfriend created with the word ‘Bittersweet’ in the background of it,” the band explains. “‘Bittersweet’ is a fun and upbeat song with a bittersweet twist at the end. It's perfect for parties, hanging and cruising with friends.”

The premiere of “Bittersweet”’s visual counterpart was specifically designed to appear as a homemade video, the essence of a fun and carefree teenage summer. “Most of the film came from real parties and get-togethers the band had all summer 2021,” LST IN HLYWD say, adding, “We wanted to create a fun video everyone can relate to especially as for the past two years teens have not been able to act like teens and go out and have fun due to the global pandemic. So we wanted to bring the good feeling of getting together with friends and having the ‘summer of your lives’ directly to our audience through the music video.”

Their upbeat bop rests neatly in the pop/punk/alternative soundscape formatively dominated by a variety of Canadian-turned-cross-over-big-leagues. From Sum 41, to Simple Plan, Billy Talent and even a smackerel of good ole Treble Charger vibes, LST IN HLYWD becomes both a nod to the past as they do an arrow to the future forward. And if “Bittersweet”, in all its good vibration summer-time anthem ways, is any indication what a group of youth can accomplish through the complexities and restrictiveness of Zoom meetings — imagine what happens when we unleash them unto the world.

For LST IN HLYWD, planning to drop their debut album in January of 2022 is their short-term goal. But one could easily predict global dominance as the one they should shoot for next.

For more on LST IN HLYWD check out:
lstinhlywd.com/
tiktok.com/@lstinhlywd?
instagram.com/lstinhlywd/
facebook.com/LSTINHLYWD/
twitter.com/lstinhlywd
open.spotify.com/track/4YLKXAWgbHUttsEq2TtMu2?si=02fafc826819433a&nd=1

Reviews
Album
LST IN HLYWD
Month: Jul 2023
I Want Poetry I Want Poetry
Matt Zaddy Matt Zaddy's Captivating Blend of Folk-Rock and Modern Soul Takes Fans on…
Mike Bern Mike Bern's Thunderous 'Reverberation' Showcases The Healing…
Ryan Wayne Photo Credit Brent Orr Photography Americana/roots-rock Singer-Songwriter Ryan Wayne “Overheard in an All Night…
Shale Alt. Rockers SHALE Captures Raw Anxiety In "Shake" And Announce B.C. Tour
Suzanne Cook British Singer-Songwriter Suzanne Cook Tells the Stormy, Cinematic Story of a…
The Nolas Montreal-Based Alt. Rock Band The Nolas Capture The Latin Spirit In "Mexico"
Mindbender Supreme Mindbender Supreme’s 13th Project, The King Of Queen Street, Features…
Altered By Mom Canada’s Rock’N’Roll Power Couple ALTERED BY MOM Unleashes Their Explosive EP “AHEM…
André Bisson Canadian Blues Guitarist André Bisson Releases 'Dusty Albums': A…
Chin Injeti Renowned Songwriter and Producer Chin Injeti Makes Triumphant Return With…
Gideon Foster Gideon Foster's Haunting Single 'Prophecy' Takes Listeners On A…
Beck Norman and James Keith Norman Toronto-Based Beck Norman and James Keith Norman Build Neo-Classical…
Jeff Eager Vintage Pop Soulster Jeff Eager Releases Song For The Ages – Literally – In “…
Jessica Chaz Jessica Chaz Releases Hopeful, Wistful Acoustic Version of Her Single…

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • …
  • Page 100
  • Page 101
  • Page 102
  • Page 103
  • Current page 104
  • Page 105
  • Page 106
  • Page 107
  • Page 108
  • …
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

CEO/PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF
SANDY GRAHAM

email:sandygrahamemg@gmail.com 

Canadian Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Don Graham
email: dongrahamwriter@gmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Lisa Hartt
email: lisahartt87@hotmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada 
Michael Williams
email: greydread@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

International Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Malin Osth
email: malin@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Jonas Tancred
email: jonas@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - USA
Rob Durkee 
email: rockster2746@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web Developer/Technical Support
Chris Wardman

email: info@chriswardman.com
website: chriswardman.com

Cashbox Cover Design and Graphic Artist
Jain McMillan

email: jainmcmillan@gmail.com

Contributing Photographer 
Tracey Savein - South Paw Productions
southpawproductions@rogers.com

 

 

 

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Archive
  • Issue Archive
  • Past Covers