GreenWing is a band.
GreenWing is a band that I listen to.
GreenWing is a band from Saskatchewan.
GreenWing is a band that I blogged about in October of last year, October 3, 2022. https://weatheredmusic.ca/2022/10/03/greenwing/
GreenWing has a new single that is bound to get some traction on the internet of all things musical. That single is Dark.
Yeah, really. The song’s name is Dark, and they spell their band name as one word GreenWing, not Green Wing.
Here is how I recommend that you listen to Dark the first time.
I recommend finding a nice chill track and making a folder with that chill track as the opener. And without listening to it, add Dark as the second track. And then add the debut album from GreenWing, Late Bloomer. Now, sit back in a comfortable chair/sofa/whatever, and put on your earbuds. I prefer over-ear headphones, but whatever you have will work just fine. And prepare for launch. Hit play for the chill track and allow yourself to drift away with the music.
GreenWing is announcing the release of their new single, “Dark.” It seems like just yesterday that I listened to GreenWings’ debut album, Late Bloomer, when it was actually this morning with my cup of joe.
I liked Late Bloomer. It felt very organic. Homegrown. Let’s sit on the deck out back and strum a guitar feel to it. That’s kind of how it sounded to me. GreenWing came across as a genuine, honest, down-to-earth bunch of guys. That long and winding preamble leads us to some new music from the boys of Saskatchewan—the single Dark.
Dark still sounds like Late Bloomer, but it is not a cut-and-paste track. Drummer Kolt Kimbley describes the band’s sound as “energetic with a dark but hopeful feeling.” Guitarist Anthony Allegretto aptly sums up Dark as being a song about “feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders and pushing through with a hopeful desperation.”
I know everyone hears different things in the lyrics of a song. What I hear is a person staring down the temptations of this world. These are temptations that the lyricist has given into in the past, “so we meet again.” There’s no one guilty other than the lyricist who fights against their “intrusive thoughts.” The mind is a dangerous place to be alone in.
so we meet again
intrusive thoughts
friend of a friend
and you keep whispering
I can make it stop
if I just jump in
It would be easy to avoid the struggle and give in to the whispers that lure and tempt us. It would be oh-so-easy to make the whispers stop. We just have to jump in. Give in to the whispers. Give in to the temptations. Give in to the sirens’ song. Just jump in. You’ve been there before. You know you can make it stop.
yeah you’re calling
come to the Dark with me
I don’t want to die
but I long to be free
come to the Dark with me
I don’t want to die
but I long to be free
There is a tug-of-war going on within us. The call to come to the Dark is pitted against the desire to live and be free. The following two verses are a litany of reasons that make going Dark a temptation.
Pop music, which is why I listen to GreenWing; intelligent lyrics and good music.
TV. I love the Groucho Marx quote: “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” The economy, the rich and richer and the rest of us get cable tv. “My friend shot dead.” Ouch, that is one strong reason to lean into the Dark, but the short-lived benefit could lead us down the same road, which is not cool.
I long to be free
from all the stress and anxiety
is that too much to ask
for me
to see a future, that’s not so goddamn bleak
just give me a chance
to catch my breath and breath
The song ends with a glimmer of hope, “I long to be free.”There you have it: intelligent lyrics, great music, and a song that leaves me longing to hear the album and to hear them live; we only live a 6 hour’s drive apart. GreenWing is a band with a commanding knowledge of building a great piece of music that quickly becomes an earworm.
“Dark” was self-produced by the band at Rainy Day Recording Co, recorded and mixed by Matt Stinn and mastered by Trevor Case (Jon Batiste, Rita Ora, Orgy)
“GreenWing started its musical journey in 2021. GreenWing’s early days saw them living through Covid lockdowns and the harsh Saskatchewan winter while finding sanity through collaborating on a collection of songs and hoping to return to stages and touring one day. The band’s debut album “Late Bloomer,” leans heavily on driving rhythms and pop-laden hooks. Reminiscent of the punk and post-rock they grew up listening to, the band interweaves themes of self-reflection, grief, and a newfound sense of self into a crushing wall of sound.” – from the PR sheet.
Look for GreenWing on tour across Canada in 2023 to support “Late Bloomer” and their subsequent single, “Dark.”
As a late add-on, Joel and I went to see GreenWing live in a local coffee bar, Kaffa Roaster and Studio. Joel took some photos, and I got my groove going with the songs. It felt good to be listening live. The openers were ok, and some local bands were getting into the live music scene; Lauriers, Gratuitous Platypus, and No Such Thing As Ghost. I missed the first band, and I thought Lauriers was good. The lead singer had the energy to spare, and the rest of the band was tight.
Greenwing rocked the house and pumped up the energy. I found myself singing along; it’s a good thing I listened to them as often as I did. We met after the show for some friendly banter, and we left after buying some merch and getting the boys in the band to sign a setlist for us. Nice fellas.
Weathered Music 