Canadian rock band GreenWing has unveiled their latest single, “Enough,” providing a glimpse into the sonic landscape of their upcoming sophomore album, “Eatin’ It,” slated for release on March 15th.
Exploring the nuanced emotions that accompany the sophomore release territory, “Enough” delves into themes of uncertainty and apprehension. Lead singer Matt Stinn’s introspective lyrics navigate through the maze of self-doubt, framed by the ambient verses crafted by drummer Kolt Kimbley and bassist Travis Williams. As the tension mounts, the verses crescendo into a chorus propelled by the dynamic interplay of Stinn and lead guitarist Anthony Allegretto’s hammering guitars.
Listen below:
Formed in 2021, GreenWing swiftly garnered attention with an extensive Canadian tour circuit, characterized by their infectious melodies, pulsating rhythms, and dynamic stage presence. Following the debut of their inaugural album, “Late Bloomer,” in 2022, the band secured coveted opening slots for esteemed acts like Three Days Grace, Mom Jeans, One Bad Son, and Reinwolf. Their magnetic performances earned them a dedicated following within the Canadian live music scene, culminating in the release of their acclaimed single “Dark” in 2023. This achievement led to multiple industry accolades, including the prestigious title of Sask Music’s 2023 “Rock Artist of The Year.”
We caught up with Matt and Anthony from the band to find out more about the band’s new music, their journey, and inspirations.
Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind ‘Enough’ and its message?
Matt: When I was working on the lyrical content of “Enough,” I tried to focus on the feelings surrounding writing a second record with GreenWing. We’ve been incredibly lucky to have people respond so positively to our first album that we put out in 2022, but with that comes the fear of letting people down. For me, “Enough” tackles all those worries and doubts I felt when trying to push new boundaries and not just repeat the blue print that worked last time around.
Anthony: This one is definitely one of the sonically heavier tracks on the record. A lot of our songs feed off a feeling that no matter how emotionally challenging or hard life gets, there’s always a sense of hope that’s worth fighting for, and “Enough” is one of our more direct sentiments of hope
The lyrics of ‘Enough’ touch on themes of fear and self-doubt. How does the songwriting process unfold within the band, particularly when exploring such personal topics?
Matt: Every song starts in a different way for GreenWing! Sometimes I’ll show up with a mostly fleshed-out idea that the band mutates and arranges until it becomes a true GW song. Overtimes, it’s just short musical ideas or a chorus that everyone gets hands on with and adds their touch to. I feel incredibly lucky to play and create with a group of people who are willing to allow songs to unfold in numerous different ways and also stand behind each other. As friends, we’re the type of people who don’t tend to shy away from discussing hard topics, so singing about them just feels natural.
Anthony: We usually explore the concepts together of the song itself and make sure that the song serves itself and that each part is impactful and means something, and we tie that story in with the lyrics so it feels impactful and hits the way we want it to. There’s definitely a lot of feelings in the songs and how we translate that into the music is really important to us.
Your debut album, ‘Late Bloomer’ garnered significant attention. How has your sound evolved since then, and what can fans expect from ‘Eatin’ It’?
Matt: “Late Bloomer” felt like capturing a spark early on in a band that was finding themselves! I look back on those songs fondly, very proud of what we created and how people responded to songs that meant a lot to us! When I compare those songs to the tracks on our upcoming record “Eatin’ It” I would best describe the change as a natural evolution. On our upcoming record I feel like we’ve achieved a much more consistent sound with a stream-line pop inspired writing style but also each song still manages to have its own identity and breath on its own. I credit the big change in the additions of Kolt (drums) and Anthony (guitar) to the band. Both of those guys really added their own touch and texture to this new record and helped elevate something that we were already very proud of!
Anthony: We’re blown away and really grateful for the amount of interest and support we’ve had with Late Bloomer. With this second record, as a four piece this time, we all gel together musically very well and inspire eachother creatively, and we surprised ourselves a bit I think with what this record turned out to be. All I can say is that this record means a lot to us and we hope other people feel the same way!
As a band, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced during the production of ‘Eatin’ It,’ and how have you overcome them?
Matt: “Eatin’ It” was a record created in a very short and concise blast of energy. I think the short time frame (6 weeks) that we completed this record really helped in it having a consistent and full sound. To achieve that, however, we had to work around the Christmas holiday season, band members being in other cities for tour dates and also remote travelling. This meant that at any given time, only a few of us were in the studio working on tracks. Between proofing tracks via a shared Google Drive folder and giving vocal production feedback over Skype from airports, we banged out a record we’re super proud of and excited to share!
Anthony: One of our main challenges actually ended up showing us how much we trust each other to make creative decisions on the fly. With our individual work situations, sometimes we all weren’t able to be in the studio all at once, and we’d Skype in or whatever it took. But being able to have that trust in each other and run over everything as we go along recording was really cool to know we can do that if ever needed.
Being named Sask Music’s 2023 ‘Rock Artist of The Year’ must have been a thrilling achievement. How has this recognition impacted the band’s approach to your sophomore album?
Matt: We are incredibly grateful for how listeners and the industry in Canada have been responding to our debut album! If I can be honest, though, I don’t think winning the SMA has impacted our songwriting approach at all. We’ve always governed ourselves with the mission statement of “do it better than last time” – so for us, the simple goal of this album was to do better than “Late Bloomer.”. We wanted to write songs that impacted harder, were more dynamic, and had catchier hooks.
Anthony: That’s another thing we were also blown away by. That meant something to us and it just showed that people were listening and that someone cares you know? We wanna make something that we’re really proud of and that also means something to the people listening that helps them feel good in their lives too and forget about stuff for a while and just have fun.
Can you share any specific musical influences or inspirations that have contributed to the evolution of GreenWing’s sound?
Matt: For me personally, I was listening to alot of Microwave and Slow Pulp when I was working on the songs for this new record. I really love the angular guitar progressions that Microwave inject into their songs. In terms of dynamic content and also vocal production, I’m a huge fan of Slow Pulp’s rockier tunes and was trying to channel some of those vibes.
Anthony: We all have our own individual niches of music that we each lean towards. Mine being a lot of metal and hard rock music like Ozzy Osbourne, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age or Dirty Nil. But GreenWing gives an opportunity for all of us to add those different elements to create something we’d like to think is unique to us.
How has the Canadian music scene influenced GreenWing’s sound and style?
Matt: Western Canada has been hugely supportive in our development as a band! Early on in the career of GreenWing, we were pushing hard with a lot of regional touring into Alberta and the feedback and listener interactions we were receiving really validated that we were pushing in the right direction. As the band grew, we got the opportunity to share the stage with some bands that were super influential to us (Three Days Grace, One Bad Son, Mom Jeans, Dirty Nil, Daniel Romano) and it really galvanized us in our approach towards songwriting, listener interactions and professional focus.
Anthony: For me personally, Dirty Nil has had a massive impact on me this last year. They’ve definitely influenced how I approach adding parts to songs or elements of guitar layering that serve a song, laid back at times to help lift something, or just full-on and go for it.
Looking back on your journey from the release of ‘Late Bloomer’ to now, what have been some of the most significant lessons you’ve learned as a band?
Matt: Be kind to each other. It’s easy to get caught up in every deadline, jumping at every opportunity and trying to make everything work but at the end of it all – if you aren’t looking after each other, it’s easy to stop having fun and lose the main reason you started writing music together in the first place.
Anthony: Definitely how to handle our own personal lives in relation to how we balance things with the band. I’m really grateful that we’re all quite good at communicating properly with each other and giving that space for kindness and understanding. We all want to see how far we can develop as a band and we all wanna play amazing shows, meet cool people, and tour/travel – and as cheesy as it may sound, in order to make those goals happen, true friendship is the glue that holds it all together.
“Enough” is out now.
Share this :
