Indie duo TOLEDO is comprised of Dan Álvarez de Toledo and Jordan Dunn-Pilz. The Brooklyn-based pair recently arrived with their latest single “Flake.” The emotionally fueled effort is plucked from their forthcoming debut LP How It Ends out September 23rd via Grand Jury Music.
Veering between folk and 90s adult contemporary influences, “Flake” floats on a bed of delicate melodies and leans on the softer side of indie rock. Laced with snappy lyrics such as “and i could take the hand that you’re reaching out / but you’d only disappoint / you did it then / you’ll do it now,” the narrative behind “Flake” alludes to a fractured, seemingly unrepairable relationship with a deadbeat parent. With this challenging lyric “I fucking hate your guts right now” behind a heavy storyline, TOLEDO still finds ways to console listeners through arresting sonic arrangements and reflective yet piercing storytelling.
“It’s one step forward, two steps back. Sometimes when you feel like you’re heading in the right direction, you slip up and fall back into old habits. You only have yourself to blame, but aren’t your parents to blame for how you end up?,” expresses TOLEDO over email. “It’s really a fuck you to myself and my dad. Our legacy of shit. Sonically it’s Barenaked Ladies meets Fleetwood Mac. And that’s Twitch live streamer Dakotaz in the opening of the song! Accidentally caught in the recording crossfire.”
The release of “Flake” was accompanied by the b-side single “What Happened To The Menorah?,” an instrumental ode to Hanukkah. These two new tracks along with the previous singles “Climber,” “Leopard Skin,” and “L-Train” will be found on their debut LP How It Ends out next month.
