Friday Finds: New music to check out -- March 15, 2019

New tracks to kick off the weekend

DETROIT – Happy Friday!

After a week of unpredictable Michigan weather, here's some new music to check out as you head into this St. Patrick's Day weekend.

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5 songs we have on repeat this week:

Go Easy -- Matt Maeson

Ahead of his debut album, Matt Maeson released "Go Easy." It's a song that he described as his "boppiest yet" and it definitely has me dancing along to the beat. Don't let the boppiness fool you though, there's some serious depth to the lyrics and vocals.

Maeson said, on Twitter, that the song was written "at a point in my life where I was trying to fix a lot of mistakes I'd made and that took a lot longer than I thought it would."

The lyric that resonates most with me is, "I can't keep living for the damage." To me, the song is a reflection of a dark place and that struggle it takes to admit that things need to change and that it's OK to work to crawl out of that place and find solace.

Maeson said the song was written not long after he wrote "Cringe," which -- while not as boppy -- holds a similar sentiment. The lyrics seem to carry a feeling of resentment toward oneself, but with Go Easy there seems to be a little bit more hope for a brighter future than in "Cringe."

"You can't change overnight and there has to be a sense of forgiveness and understanding when someone you love is trying to better themselves or else they'll just isolate themselves until those mistakes seem attractive again."

Matt Maeson's Bank On The Funeral tour has already sold out.

If you like "Go Easy" here are some other songs by Matt Maeson worth checking out:

The Mask | Cringe | Tribulation (remix) | Unconditional (live) | Cringe (stripped) |

REVIEW: Matt Maeson sets stage for NEEDTOBREATHE with soulful set on Grand Rapids stop

A Song For Everything -- Maren Morris

Maren Morris reflects on how songs align with life in "A Song For Everything." From heartbreak to love and everything in between, she gives a nod to Coldplay when she says her "first lighter up was back when Coldplay still played clubs."

A friend sent me this song last week, and it was something I immediately related to. I had to play it several times to really appreciate it.

The track is off Morris' album "GIRL," which dropped March 8. While Morris has been categorized as a country artist, the record has pop and rock vibes.

Morris will bring her GIRL: The World Tour to The Fillmore in Detroit on May 11.

If you like "A Song For Everything" here are some other songs by Maren Morris worth checking out:

To Hell & Back | Common | The Middle | My Church | Dear Hate |

Halfway There (GRL PWR) -- ROZES ft. Samantha Gongol, Mandy Lee, Chelsea Lee

ROZES released "Halfway There (GRL PWR)" on International Women's Day last week. The original track debuted in January and was the anthem for the Women's March on NYC.

Marian Hill's Samantha Gongol, MisterWives'  Mandy Lee and SHAED's Chelsea Lee join Elizabeth Mencel on the positive and uplifting track, where they sing about how "the fight ain't fair."

"I don't wanna be that story where the ending goes missing because we couldn't go the distance," ROZES sings.

It's an anthem, for sure.

If you like "Halfway There" here are some other songs by ROZES worth checking out:

Where Would We Be | Roses | Famous | Canyons | Hangin' On

Someone Losing -- Better Off

Nashville rock band Better Off released their first album since 2015 earlier this month. "Someone Losing" is one of the slower songs off the 10-track "Reap What You Sow." The melodic tune provides a nice balance to the album.

The group's original members parted ways in 2015, leaving vocalist Luke Granered to find new members. After sexual assault allegations were brought against one of the band's touring members in 2016, the group dropped out of shows with Mayday Parade and The Maine and went on a hiatus.

Drummer Charles Miller and Granered began playing music again in 2017. That lead to the new album, which was released March 4, 2019.

In a note posted to their website, Better Off said they're back to where they started, '"an independent band playing music with no real expectations -- just making art for the sake of making art and having fun doing it."

If you like "Someone Losing" here are some other songs by Better Off worth checking out:

Reap What You Sow | Bad Habit | Gig Love | You're Alright | I Was Better 10 Years Ago

Running Scared (Desert Song) -- The Strumbellas

The indie rock band from Canada released "Running Scared (Desert Song)," an energetic song, which appears to be about a romantic love that just wasn't meant to be, at least in this lifetime.

The personal lyrics and lively chorus make it easy for me to lose myself in the uplifting tune. A continuous beat carries the listener through the song without it feeling too repetitive. The song stays true to the band's folksy roots while accentuating their fresher vibes.

The lyric video is a colorful and fascinating expression of the songs deeper meaning.

"Cause I'm borderline, mentally unstable / Sweep it under the table, yeah / And these bedroom eyes / We were meant to be in a different time / Everything is a warning sign / 'Cause we can all live a better life if we want / We can all live a better life if we want, come on"

The band's new album, "Rattlesnake," will be released on March 29. The album was recorded in Kingston and Toronto, Ontario. According to the band's website, the album aimed to push the band toward a more "upbeat, fast, exciting, heart racing" sound and that feeling really shines through in "Desert Song" and "Salvation."

The Strumbellas will be in Detroit at the Majestic Theatre on June 4.

If you like "Running Scared (Desert Song)" here are some other songs by The Strumbellas worth checking out:

Spirits | Sailing | Young & Wild | We Don't Know | Salvation

Other songs to check out:

Upcoming shows:


Friday Finds: March 8, 2019 -- March 22, 2019


Email us with local music suggestions and events at aainsworth@wdiv.com or kclarke@wdiv.com


About the Authors:

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.