In support of The Point Foundation — an organization designed to help LGBTQ students achieve their full academic and leadership potential, despite obstacles put before them — both indie folk rockers Holopaw and Sleeping States have contributed songs to a split 12″ for Gay Pride month. And though we’re well past June at this point, great music is still great music, especially when it’s released for a very worthy cause. As both Holopaw and Sleeping States have openly gay frontmen, their music resonates with more distinct and relevant emotional associations. From the recognizable pink triangle on the cover to its otherwise minimal appearance, the album is meant to resemble the unmarked “physique” journals of the mid-twentieth century.
While Sleeping States run through five songs in just ten minutes, Holopaw find themselves being reworked by producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine), who condenses their recent Academy Songs, Volume I into a single reassembled slice of folk pop vignettes. Combining both bands’ penchant for honest and emotional narratives, this split 12″ showcases both Sleeping States’ singer Markland Starkie’s graceful voice and Holopaw’s folktronic leanings. Listen to Holopaw’s “Through ‘Til the Morning” and Sleeping States’ “Planning My Escape” below. And then head over to Misra Records to order your copy of this remarkable release.
