By Charlie Maybee
Indie pop musician, Jay Della Valle, is back with an inspirational message in his new single, “Keep Livin.’” Accompanied by a music video that explodes with brightly colored smoke, this is a song that’s perfect for laying back and letting the good times wash over.
Throughout the video, we see Della Valle standing alone with an acoustic guitar against a black background, making it feel placeless – but as we hear the opening strums of the guitar, there’s a nostalgia that permeates and colors the space, personified by the explosions of color that imitate the feel of fireworks.
There’s a certain sense of American rock and roll lineage that feels kin to acts like Bruce Springsteen. There’s even a direct reference to the famous line by The Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want / but if you try sometimes, you can get what you need.”
And the music seems to follow suit in this kind of introspective, singer-songwriter ballad. It’s not overly assertive, leaving space for longer sustained notes that you can float inside of. Plus, it feels classic, which as Della Valle notes, is part of the songs DNA.
“The original spark for the lyrical concept came from this sudden appreciation for common clichés,” he said. “As much as clichés can sometimes get a bad rap, it occurred to me that ‘the right cliché’ at ‘the right time’ could really just hit the nail on the head in a way no other words or phrases could.”
With the referential approach this song takes, it is natural that it samples lyrical content from older songs almost like a citation. It’s recognizable, and it feels good. Who could ask for anything more?
“Keep Livin’” is available on major steaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The accompanying music video is also available on YouTube. Follow our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Winchester, Virginia who currently teaches in the Dance Division of the Shenandoah Conservatory. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression. He also currently fronts local hard rock band, The Aftershakes, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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