An Honest and Vivacious Pop-Rock Blend from Packing

If you are looking for a record that blends some of the best elements of indie pop, rock, hints of mathy approaches, a vivacious sort of brightness, and loads of personality, then I have just the thing for you.

The new record from Packing is oozing with character from the first track all the way through to the last. This is a record that brings together elements of colorful guitar work, vast undertones, cinematic backbone, and loads of pop sensibility attached to just about every aspect of it.

The record is called Loves Me, and it certainly doesn't waste a lot of time getting to the point with its first track "Let Ourselves Be", which is loaded with rich vocals that are super lush and fill any kind of space with more of that colorful texture, rolling guitar work that feels widespread and vibrant, along with sentiment that speaks volumes for that addictive persona the record gives off.

The single is a bright, pop rock track, but brings in all these other elements that let the song feel like it's flowing naturally.

Aside from robust and also more delicate vocals that float through the track, it features some unique time signatures coming from the drums that really blend in some of that mathy undertone I mentioned earlier.

This is a great track to introduce the record with because you are getting some of the best staples that the full EP boasts all rolled into one great track; however, having said that, I must suggest that you listen to this record all the way through from start to finish, in one shot.

There are loads of surprises around the corners of this release, and no two songs are really alike. They have ways of branching out into different approaches while still holding on to the root of its soundscape throughout. There is a great confluence and consistency from start to finish, but it's experimental and endlessly fun.

Songs like this one are quite danceable.

"Sunset" filters through with another really energetic pop overtone, and again, the drumming is just absolutely outstanding.

The drums on this record don't just drive the music; they add a liveliness to things. You can feel how the drumming really sets certain kinds of tones and how the rest of the instrumentation sort of pushes off of that.

This one also has some surprise halftime parts that get a little bit edgier but still boast that spaciousness and very full-bodied set of layers coming from guitars and vocals.

"How's Life" most certainly gives off one of the more expanded experimental approaches, but only in terms of its rhythm and how it's put together. This track, to me, feels a bit theatrical. The vocals get really intense at certain points, which really showcases how the band can build songs towards a certain direction and hit those pinnacles perfectly.

You can definitely hear a lot of soul coming from those vocals. Whether they're being performed softly or they're robust and boisterous, you're definitely getting loads of that soul, and that's mostly because the vocalist has a lot of heart, which goes right into the performance, even on the record.

There are elements about this release that make you think of a live performance. It's all about the energy. You feel like there's a synergy happening between the players here.

Perhaps a lot of this was recorded live in one room. I'm not sure because obviously, I wasn't there. However, listening to the record makes you want to go see it all performed live, right in your face.

If they're able to capture this kind of aesthetic and energy so well on record, then seeing them live must be awesome.

The production is really pristine as well. There's a lot of thought that went into the little details of how the songs would come through, and whoever mixed the record was absolutely on the same page as everyone else.

Some of these songs get bouncy, flavorful, and memorable, as they tackle real-life elements based on emotion, relationships, and more.

There are layers to this record that are also lyrical, not just instrumental.

A lot of it is based on what feels like genuine life experience, and I think that's why some of the performances feel so emotional at times.

"Just As Bros" is a fun and sort of personal track, but it really bounces as well. This is probably the most pop-rock, catchy, radio-friendly style release on the EP, in my opinion.

This is mainly because it's more straightforward than some of the other songs. The other tracks can be more experimental, while this one showcases how they can write a bit of a pop single.

The record technically ends with a track called "How Deep Is Your Freak", which is a sort of light-hearted but also super honest song, and this one has a totally different vibe to it.

It also bears that filmic sort of feel, but it's got great guitar work; it's more widespread, slower-paced, still showcasing some of the theatrical overtones that a lot of the record has, but in a different manner.

This is one of the surprises I was talking about when listening to the full release.

The record is packed with these. It's an EP that gives you a lot to chew on, and listening to the entire thing, in one shot, gives you the right kind of experience.

I can't say it's exactly a concept record, but it feels like the songs interconnect in that way.

There is one more track on the record, which is a remix of "Sunset" called "Sunset ReSeT Remix", which is done with ReSeT Ryan Tram, and it gives much more of an electronic pulse.

Still very much so in the realm of an electronic indie-pop kind of aesthetic, and it captures a lot of the brightness the original had, but it's a really cool remix that brings different textures to the record that I feel like worked amazingly.

So, after listening to this release, I wanted to chat with the band to find out where it all actually came from, what inspired it, and what might be coming up next for them.

So, while you listen to this EP, have a read through of our interview with Packing below.

Remember where you heard it first.

Hello and thanks for taking some time!! Let's get into Loves Me! 

Where did this record come from and what is it about?

Matt: Loves me is our first batch of songs we’ve collected over the span of a decade, but more so recent additions- gotta keep it fresh, evolve the sound and styles. I think Loves Me became a concept that helped us curate this overarching theme that dives into the concept of Love from all sorts of aspects in life. They’re personal experience songs, I feel like a lot of these songs don’t generalize a whole lot, so they’re not extremely relatable but they’re poetic in that sense. The album kinda becomes an external perspective of our inner reflections. 

Carlos: We chose the songs we were most excited about recording and picked a name from that point; we noticed a lot of our songs center around rumination, be that of yearning, regret, despair, limerence, identity crisis, etc. The name and art of this EP is a reference to the old Mario 64 DS remake minigame of Yoshi playing Loves Me/Loves Me Not, plucking petals off a daisy while sitting on a bridge watching the sunset, encapsulating the essence of rumination for the sake of it. I have always loved the aesthetic of a sunset and landscape and thought it would be fun to have the EP be a video game reference, like one of our favorite bands—Origami Angel—did with their Pokémon trilogy EPs. All songs except for "How's Life?" are inspired by pivotal life events during and after the pandemic. We made these songs to cope, to fulfill us, and to return to what made life worth living after taking break from music.

I am hearing several approaches to this! What are your biggest musical influences?

Matt: I think it varies, but I think a lot of the modern 5th wave emo bands, but it doesn’t really wear it on its sleeve- but the overarching style is embedded in the songs cores. For Matt personally, I’m influenced by a lot of anime theme songs, trying to always strive for that epicness. I mean, it’s also taking inspiration from like electronic music- whatever crack they put in the Rocket League soundtrack.

Carlos: I would say they vary depending on what you're referring to! When it comes to singing I'm most notably influence by emo/scene adjacent singers like Brendan Urie, Patrick Stump and Claudio Sanchez, Josh Ramsey. I think I've also picked up some pop/R&B singer tendencies-I'm a huge fan of Charlie Burg and I can't help it having grown up with hits from Usher, Justin Bieber, Neyo and Jason Derulo. I can say for sure that I have been explicitly influenced by my band mate Matt over the years in my song writing; Sunset, especially the chorus of it, was my attempt at writing a song that's more like something he would write. I love the way my guitar parts would turn out when I tried to write them in standard tuning while Matt's playing in a whole bunch of different open tunings. I tried to do that a bit in Sunset, since one guitar in standard with the capo on the 8th fret, and the other one is just standard. When I'm writing I pick up on the influence after-the-fact, it comes at me like 'oh that's where I got that from!' I'll name a few interesting ones I've found on the record: Let Ourselves Be's vibe is very Hotel California-esque, especially the ending. In the bridge I was going for more of simulating an electronic song with guitars in terms of layering; I had actually discovered the band Foals, who does a lot of that style of guitar work, after I had written that part, so it's interesting how we converged on that (even though they've been doing it for years of course). In Sunset, that dirty guitar part that's staccato accompanying the verse riff, that's totally inspired by the Foo Fighters' song Everlong. I hadn't picked up on it initially either but that main sunset riff is the same rhythm as the chords in the solo for My Sharona, which happens my first favorite guitar solo, that is, I thought it was the bee's knees when I was like 7. I tend to write songs that have many layers and different sections, they end up quite long as well and I have to actively try to tone it down. This probably reflects my love for modern progressive rock/metal, I had a huge phase for that stuff in my late high school and early college years... that and my dad raised me Rush, Queen, Green day, I gravitated towards those longer and everchanging songs like La Villa Strangiato, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Jesus of Suburbia of those that were available on his iPod Nano. I would say my guitar writing and leads are also influenced a lot by progressive and instrumental bands such as Chon, Polyphia, and Coheed and Cambria. Great players like Ian Thornley of Big Wreck and Guthrie Govan inspire me heavily in my leads/solos as well. I wrote 'How's Life' when I was getting out of that technical era and listening to more Pop, electronic, indie stuff, think John Mayer, Future Bass, Passion Pit, Vampire Weekend, late 2010s lofi vibes, the 1975. The rest of the songs were my return to technicality after exploring my tastes. 

How did it all start for you guys as a band?

Carlos: Matt and I have been playing together since 2014 when we were both sophomores in high school. I had only been playing guitar for a year and a few months at that point, but I had a great teacher and really put the hours in to learn a few of my favorite songs. Matt and I met at a local music store. I was kind of a dick; he started playing snow (heyo) by the red hot chili peppers and then I started one-up-ing him, playing it cleaner and faster. My stepbrother who went to the same school as Matt introduced us there and we later met up on March break of that year and jammed in my dad's basement. My dad has always been in bands since he was a kid so he had a bit of equipment: a PA, some mics, he also got me a multi-fx pedal for my birthday that I plugged straight into a powered speaker ( I didn't know it at the time, but it sounded terrible). Matt would ride the bus and bring both his cheap chunky modeler combo amp and his guitar in a hard case, honestly, what a trooper. We started with Green Day and Blink 182 covers, like everyone. Then we each brought in songs that we wrote separately to do the band for adaptation. 

Matt: It’s a bit of a long journey, Carlos and I had been making music before in another band, and then eventually after some time away, not really feeling interested in it and thought it was just a closer chapter. Carlos and I would hang out anyways, but music was something I mentally retired from at the time. But then Carlos got into a cover band with his dad, and then I joined in- eventually that warmed me up so then one day we jammed with that band some original stuff, and that gave me this feeling that filled a void. Carlos had been in a few other projects at the time already, but I think it sealed the deal for me. And i think from there, Carlos had already recorded Sunset with Emmett and Myke when they lived together. I think I jammed once or twice with them too but I think it kinda snowballed from there slowly

Did you produce this yourselves, or did you work with an outside producer?

Matt: It’s all from home made, but Emmett who plays bass with us and lives with us lives in a recording studio like I think his bed is made of acoustic foam panels probably.

Carlos: For the songs I wrote on this album, I made a demo for each, just for fun, but also to communicate to Emmett what I was trying to go for. They were full band demos with bass parts and drum programming, but I am not drummer or bassist, or engineer/producer really so I highly valued the input and adaptations of my band members. I was toying with the idea of just getting to mix everything from these demos and release that (this is actually what we did for How's Life), but Emmett convinced me to get live drums on there and rerecord the whole thing, and I have zero regrets with taking the record in that direction. Emmett also coached Matt and I during our vocal sessions, and would help arrange a lot harmonies and extra instrumentation on parts like the bridge of Sunset or all the ear candy of How Deep is Your Freak? On that last one, Matt also adopted a similar strategy as I would as he would ask for a bounce of the song and then write harmony parts or extra instrumentation parts to communicate what he was going for. The final product on that song is an amalgamation what all our separate vision for it, and in the best way possible, I don't think it turned out how any of us expected. The demo matt and I had of Just as Bros was just a midi guitar tab mp3 bounce along with programmed drums, so hearing that song was come to life from its primordial state was definitely the most dramatic; it was also the song that got Matt and I writing together again after a break from music around the pandemic, so watching it grow was extremely cathartic.

Was this recorded and a bigger studio, or a home DAW setup?

Matt: Non GMO. All home made organic.

Carlos: Technically it's home DAW setup, but Emmett uses professional gear such as high-quality microphones, namely these U87 clones from Stam audio, and pairing them with a UA tube preamp on things that benefit that warmth, such as vocals. He's been mixing for years before he shadowed an engineer at a bigger commercial studio, so he knows his stuff. I'm fairly picky about mixes and own some HiFi myself and can safely say I'm quite satisfied with what Emmett's made for us; of course, this is after going back and forth a quite a few times with mix revisions.

Are you guys performing live right now?

Matt: Uhhh we’re trying! I think it’s harder to manage when you’re adults with careers. Schedules and other music priorities, like Emmett is often on tour or is booked off for recording other project, I work 9-5 in IT, Carlos has works in healthcare and Dillon, our drummer, is living life and is a hard working tradesman, so it can get pretty tricky. But we’ve done only 2 shows and got a few in the works. But I think that makes it more significant than bands that do shows often- it’s an event, or spectacle to see us crawled out of our caves and shells on the odd occasion.

Carlos: Yes! We performed our first live full band gig this May. We also performed a little full band unplugged gig on a local radio station, playing the ep front to back. We are actively looking for gigs and will likely organize a formal release show for our next record. There's music curator who lives in our hometown, he goes by Bird Daniels, and he uploads these extremely useful playlists on Spotify (the only reason I keep a subscription really) that has most if not music release month by month in our home province of Ontario, Canada. I keep a record of the stuff I like, and the stuff that our music would go well with and plan to hit these bands up to see if they'd want to do a show with us. Matt and I also have some contacts from when we were in a previous band pre-pandemic. 

What's next for you guys now that this is out?

Carlos: We'll be on the promo grind for a bit, looking for shows, in the meantime starting to record songs for the next record. Writing new songs when the inspiration strikes, but we have plenty of songs in the backlog that we can pull out, probably about 20 between Matt and I, more if we can convince Emmett to record some of his songs with us.

Matt: I think Loves Me Not, the sister album, part 2, to Loves Me, will expand on everything coming up- but definitely trying to get our name more out there. Whether that’s trying to get a few more shows before the end of 2026, I think that would be nice. But I’m also down to release one offs or even trying to collaborate on a split with artists band or two. That’s my vision at least.

What would you say people can expect from this record?

Carlos: Loves me is a like a tasting menu at a fusion resteraunt, you'll go from bossa nova one second to screamo the other, and you won't even think it sounds weird! You might find some out there and unique combinations you didn't think you would enjoy. Nonetheless there are still a smattering more straightforward ditties with catchy hooks and bouncy riffs.

Matt: I think there’s a lot you can’t expect from this album than what you can. It’s a bit inconsistent because we all share a vibe but we don’t express it the same- so I think anyone can find something from this album they’d like because of the slight versatility. Maybe people can expect to look inwards on their life, or the people around them, learn from the lessons of Loves Me. Whether that’s to not write a love song- or really just wearing your heart on your sleeve and embracing it.

What would you want to say to fans of the music?

Carlos: You're welcome. But seriously, thank you so much for listening, we recognize the songs are all over the place and strangely long, so we're so glad you can sit and enjoy our ADHD-ass record as much as we do. You can expect more to come, we'll eventually hone in on more of a sound but by the looks of what's in the song bank, you can still expect some fun surprises with respect to experimentation with styles and fusions of genres.

Matt: We are sorry. Just kidding, but seriously, I think it’s so cool that people can like something we’ve created. Expect more to come, maybe darker and faster. If Loves Me is Sonic the Hedgehog, then the next album Loves Me Not is Shadow the Hedgehog. Cooler, different, but share similar core traits. Right? They made shadow to be this villain but he’s a pretty chill guy by the end of it, and they’re sorta allies. So i guess, that’s what i want to say is that whatever you liked about Loves Me, you’ll find something just as cool in the next one. We also have cool merch now, which is so cool to see people we don’t know embracing it and sharing that with us.

Thanks so much again for taking the time to talk with us!

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