Denver-based indie rock band Mainland Break has a particular interest in reclaiming and interpreting the sounds of the past into something wholly unique and free from the burdens of its past histories. Consisting of singer-guitarist Evan Oliver, guitarist Travis Rice, bassist Kevin Kohl, and drummer Alex Arseneau, their work pays homage to 80’s rock while also channeling the jangling structures of Flying Nun-associated acts like The Clean and The Chills. Oliver’s expressive voice is the perfect balance to the band’s freewheeling musical overtures, developing a symbiotic relationship that results in something inherently inclusive and familiar without being hampered by its affection for its influences.
They released their debut album, One Way Ticket to Midnight, back in July of 2023, and it found them digging deep into the gossamer reflectivity of bands like The Feelies and REM, crafting a nuanced and unexpectedly tender portrait of lost love, wasted opportunities, and strained emotional bonds. It was nostalgic at times but didn’t wallow in faded memory; instead, it used these hypnogogic moments to further its divination of personal connection and how our experiences shift our perspective in unintended and complicated ways.
On their new standalone single, “I Give in”, the band delivers an exploration of the paradoxical nature of our wild emotions – while also understanding how those same emotions can mire us within an individual moment or push us to explore a limitless chronology. Sometimes we can direct the current of the river, and sometimes the river carries us along to some distant, unknown destination. The band captures this emotive turbulence through a tenacious and freewheeling indie rock artistry, with guitars gleaming and churning in the wake of Oliver’s crystalline vocal insight. Bridging the gap between Guided by Voices more polished offerings and the spirited movements of bands like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Alvvays, the song allows Mainland Break the opportunity to put their own unique stamp on these classic indie rock aesthetics.
“‘I Give In’ is about experiencing warring emotions and feeling unable to change the process or eventual outcome,” Kohl explains. “It’s about taking the path of least resistance and losing an internal struggle. The wave crashes over you but also propels you. You love, but you hold yourself back from loving. Tension builds, but tension fades. You’re emotionally nimble, but emotionally shackled. You feel mobile, but you are stuck.“
Listen to the song below.
