Like An Origami Angel

This week is a bit different here, Finetuners. The US is heavy. The lives of women in the US just changed dramatically, and not in a good way. When life gets hard and when everything surrounding you is pressure - societal, relationally, personal identity - where do you turn? I think that in times like now the true resolve we need is the resolve we already know. There is power in community, there is power in togetherness. Moving forward will be hard, but we have to be together. I hope that our community here is one that you feel you can turn to and be present with! Given that, I hope Finetuned can give you at least a smile and a moment of respite this week. If any of you need someone, reach out and be present as best you can. 💟 

This week we are talking about an absolute gem of a band, Origami Angel. Let’s chat⤵️ 

Origami Angel - A Brief History

Origami Angel was started by singer/guitarist Ryland Heagy and drummer Pat Doherty back in 2016-ish. These lads were in a group together previously, but that band broke up for a variety of reasons that we won’t get into. Their goal with starting OA was to be a two-piece emo band that would shock the world. And with their earlier releases, like Doing The Most, you can feel the emo influences heavily. I’m talking from rugged production to guitar tuning, to drum ambiance.

From these early super emo-centric EPs, they released Somewhere City in 2019, which was also coincidentally the year of their first national tour. Something of note is the confidence development from Ryland in his voice which is super noticeable from Doing The Most through to the most recent release. And then of course - production got better! I would highly recommend walking through their prior releases and learn more on their history, especially if you enjoy this album rec from Finetuned here.

How To Approach Their Music Sonically

On a musical and lyrical level, Origami Angel uses a blend in their approach to producing these tunes. This blend is comprised of earnestness, humor, and raw honesty, blending pop-punk and emo sensibilities with math-rock influences to underline the emotional weight of topics and themes. The album genuinely feels like a journey through mental and emotional turbulence, with moments of hopeful resilience peeking through the introspective haze. And I truly think this is what makes this record solid - and their tunes in general, my friends!

Let’s Find The Feelings ⤵️ 

Pop punk AND emo AND math rock? Sign me up, sign us all up. These are tunes from a group that I am definitely a big fan of (fave album is Somewhere City - it’s very midwest emo adjacent). Somewhere City was a little more rough around the edges on production, but with Feeling Not Found they tightened the bolts, and delivered a cleaner-sounding record. Click the image, jam the tunes, and enjoy your time.

Thanks for reading here, Finetuners! I do hope you all have enjoyed this week’s Finetuned. I’d appreciate any insights, admiration, or otherwise. You can reply to the newsletter directly or DM me on Twitter. (or email me here: [email protected])

Please do share Finetuned with your friends & fam & whoever else! I believe great music should be shared, cherished, and understood from all sorts of perspectives.

See you all in the next one! 🙌