LA based Indie Pop trio Koyal’s sophomore record, breathe in. breathe out comprising of Pooja Prabakaran on vocals, guitarist/producer Noah Weinstein and Henry Wallace on drums. Co-produced by Noah Weinstein and Philadelphia based musician, Jeff Luci ( Mo Lowda & the Humble). Forming in a college basement in the midst of earning engineering degrees, Koyal seeks to build upon their knack for relatable lyricism and dance pop sensibilities. The band plans to celebrate their sophomore record with a release show at The Virgil in Los Angeles on April 25th, tickets available here.
breathe in. breathe out, as the title suggests takes you on a journey starting with the opening track, “we’re alive” with its simmering guitars and pounding percussion along with vocal delivery that suggests a coronation of a band confident in their sound. Tracks such as gasoline and gravity let loose a dance pop lucidity with hooks that call for repeat listening. Glittering guitar passages that push the best kind of bedroom pop lyricism track 4 bummer song exudes.
The final track on the record, "half alive", serves as the central point of the record as the longest song on the record and where the album name stems from, builds around swelling strings and guitar passages in line with Prabakaran soaring vocals, ultimately culminating in a cathartic end to a record that celebrates unity through comfort and unforgettable dance cuts.
Prabakaran comments on half alive "They even had me sing into guitar pickups for my doubles. It is dramatic, cinematic and long, but the slow burn is worth the wait. The animations exemplify the slow burn of half alive and explode at the end when the drums and guitars are wailing 'set me free!'"
Koyal’s sophomore record, breathe in. breathe out is out now on all streaming platforms, along with the lyric video of "half alive" directed by vocalist Pooja Prabakaran. Catch their electrifying live performance at The Virgil in Los Angeles on April 25th, to celebrate the release of “breathe in, breathe out”.
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Koyal on Spotify & YouTube.