For over a decade, Air Traffic Controller has gifted us great tracks and albums, one right after the next, and “20” is the band’s latest creation, off of their upcoming fifth studio album, Dash.
“20” is authentic and heartfelt, and carries on their classic indie-folk-pop sound. It is relatable in detailing the naive optimism that we once possessed at the age of 20. The band taps into the human experience of learning about heartbreak and the world’s cruelty.
Its groovy instrumentation makes you want to dance immediately, like if you are a fan of Saint Motel or Portugal. The Man. The band is now led by drummer Adam Salameh, bassist Joe Campbell, guitarist Bobby Borenstein, vocalist/keytarist Emi McSwain, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Scott.
Perhaps “20”’s meaning could even extend to the year 2020. During the pandemic, ATC faced several delays and hardships, but they continued to collaborate, remotely at times, to bring the next chapter of Air Traffic Controller to their over 300 thousand monthly Spotify listeners and the world – Dash. “On the new album you will hear the band together in Dimension Sound Studios with Boston producer/engineer Dan Cardinal (Darlingside, Henry Jamison, Josh Ritter, Ballroom Thieves) along with longtime ATC collaborators Seth Kasper and Adrian Aiello. The goal was not to match up with past ATC albums, or to meet some expectation, in fact, ATC’s formulas were often set aside in an effort to search from within each member.”
Find this and more exciting new music on our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist on Spotify.
Emma Page, a recent Journalism graduate of The George Washington University, possesses a passion for music journalism and storytelling in all its forms. Originally from Baltimore, MD, when she is not writing, she can be found at a local concert or making music of her own.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
