By Cynthia Gross
On October 29, Chelmsford, Massachusetts-based artist Seth Balestrieri released “No Good Company” ft. Mikeysomething, a fun, spooky, Latin-influenced track that’s primed and ready for Halloween season – ghosts, ghouls, and all. The track is the sixth single from Balestrieri’s upcoming album, The Lover and The Fighter.
Balestrieri notes that he chose to work with producer Alex Anders, a Salisbury, Maryland native, for his album. “I actually met Alex at a singer-songwriter event in Cape May, New Jersey,” he shares. “The funny thing is I played a gig that night in the same bar as Alex but in separate rooms.” Anders is currently based in California.
The serendipitous alignment led Balestrieri to purchase Anders’ latest album – co-created with his sister Shiloh, another alumni of the DMV scene. Balestrieri’s listened to Alex & Shiloh’s album during his 8-hour drive back to Chelmsford and was blown away by the production. The rest is history.
“It’s just crazy to think how far apart people can be, but the right musical appetite can bring them together,” Balestrieri adds.
“Every day, there is a fading sun / And I’m always alone at night,” he sings in the song, against the backdrop of dark, theatrical vocalizations that symbolically mock his growing loneliness and trepidation.
Featured rapper Mikeysomething enters mid-way through the song in an attempt to lift the protagonist out of his abyss. “Now take a second, reflect” he sings. And later, “It ain’t as bad as it could be / I’m focused on growing / I mean not physically / I know I’m done with that shit / I mean spiritually.”
Mikeysomething’s empowering words of wisdom have little effect on the protagonist who immediately returns to wallow in his melancholy: “So I’m back / Back at one / I don’t know why I even try.”
Ironically, despite the subject matter, “No Good Company” leaves listeners feeling energized and ready to ward off any evil spirits that lurk in their atmosphere. Balestrieri notes the song was originally written to be brooding, but the full band and expert production added a “fun house” vibe that allows just the right balance of creepy and merry to shine through.
Fans of Bruno Mars and Jason Mraz will identify with Seth Balestrieri’s fresh, nuanced pop-influenced sound that recognizes the power lies in the details.
In 2018, Balestrieri won the Megastar global talent competition, which featured celebrity guest judge Usher. Balestrieri’s second album, “The Lover and The Fighter,” will be fully funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign.
In addition to managing his music career, Balestrieri is an internationally certified Tae Kwon Do Master. He owns and operates a martial arts school in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The tenets of self-improvement, perseverance, honesty, and respect that guide Balestrieri’s life as a martial artist add a depth of perspective to his music that’s especially compelling and noteworthy.
Follow our Alchemical Weekly Spotify Playlist for this and more great music featured on the site.
Cynthia Gross is a freelance writer and award-winning spiritual pop artist based in Maryland. With more than a decade of experience as an executive ghostwriter, she understands the power of each individual’s voice to create positive, meaningful change.
Allie Goertz is back with a brand new, mature, raw, and honest version of herself with “Peeled Back”: a tribute to Nine Inch Nails.
On June 21, D.C.-based pop-rock artist LJR released “You”, the fifth single from his forthcoming album “When the Sky Began to Fall”.
The D.C.-based band released their sophomore album, “The Renewal”, on June 30th.
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.
