Budding Dutch band TESSEL are a young quartet from the province of Utrecht with their own take on modern indie-pop. With only a few releases the group has gained a substantial following, performing alongside indie bands like Ten Fé and Waltzburg. Following their recent signing with record label [PIAS] Recordings, the band has released a new single “Family Time,” the title track off their upcoming EP.
As heard from the airy chords and calming vocals, TESSEL takes major inspiration from modern indie trailblazers like Mac Demarco, Beach Fossils, and even boy pablo. However, “Family Time” isn’t entirely happy-go-lucky. In reality, the beachy guitar riffs and blissful, carefree mood masquerade the track’s themes of dissatisfaction and regret.
The band weighed in on the paradoxical nature of the song, explaining “Even though the sound is light and cheerful, the themes of the lyrics carry the opposite message. The song tells a story of a person who has become entangled in the image of ‘the perfect life.’ Just when everything seems to be right: a family, a beautiful car in the driveway, a dinner with the family, the person decides to flee, because ‘All I ever know, great moments will pass’.”
The lyrics definitely reveal these feelings of doubt and internal debate. “Then I bought a new house, scripted reality / No new friends, we’re stuck in the same thing.” These lines appear to challenge the mundane lives of the adult world, implying a desire for the youthful days of uncertainty and innocence. Perhaps this also explains the use of pastel colors and increasingly chaotic imagery seen throughout the music video.
Check out the video for TESSEL’s new single “Family Time” above or stream the track on Spotify here. Also, be on the lookout for their debut EP, releasing soon.
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