Toronto, ON-based four-piece rock and pop-punk band, Call It Out! have released their fiery new single, “Dead Ends (Shadows)” from their five-song EP, …Anywhere But Here.
Beginning with a minor-keyed guitar strum and bright lead, “Dead Ends (Shadows)” quickly morphs into an energetic pop-punk anthem about the crippling tendencies of a relationship built on gaslighting.
“It’s about getting out of a narcissistic situation in which someone is constantly making you think something is wrong with you when it’s really something wrong with them,” lead singer Onicka Waithe says.
The song’s chorus is so damn catchy with its ringing distortion, angelic vocals, lively drumbeats, and steady bassline. Actually, the bass and the drums really shine on “Dead Ends (Shadows),” two instruments that are too often outshined in the mix when it comes to pop-punk. And the brief, yet incendiary guitar solo is really the cherry on top of the cake.
The track also is paired with a killer music video where Onicka cleans out the memories of the person—who is now nothing but a shadow—eventually setting them ablaze.
Against a black backdrop, Onicka and the rest of the band don flickering lights against their outfits and instruments. The pageantry in the video keeps the viewer’s attention but lets them focus on the powerful lyrics and dynamic instrumentation.
Check out the video below, and find out more about Call It Out! via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey! We’re a pop-punk/ alternative band based out of Toronto, ON.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
Our music has definitely been a way to express ourselves. We want our listeners to feel an emotion or even be transported to where we were when writing the music. Lyrically we want our songs to be something anyone can sing along to while musically taking them on a roller-coaster ride through all the ups and downs of our lives.
What have you been doing to keep yourself creative during the pandemic?
During the pandemic, we were able to use a lot of our free time to record this EP and film the music video for Dead Ends (Shadows). It was a really interesting ordeal because we had to find ways to do everything while socially distancing ourselves. Apart from that, we’ve been playing covers, writing new songs, and learning new instruments.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
It depends on which one of us you ask, but if we all had to decide on one song it would probably be Dead Ends (Shadows). This song is very near and dear to our hearts.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
Right now we’re really into; Like Pacific, Story Untold, Bearings, and Seaway.