“Stuck In The Middle” with Fast River

Fast River is a genre bending singer/songwriting duo consisting of Corey Durkin and Canyon Sharits that swings between eras and styles of music from one verse to the hooks. Connecticut based, this band formed during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, and launched their first series of singles throughout the course of the year.

“It’s a different experience to try to approximate the pre-pandemic feeling of hanging out in the studio, and instead we’re doing it on Facetime or on Zoom,” says Durkin.

Corey, who is also a survivor of a boxing match lost to Orlando Bloom, pulls his musical inspiration from all types of music and songwriting. Fast River’s song “Stuck In the Middle” was a stand-out for me with its initial Killers-meets-Mumford-and-Sons sound that quickly melds into a 60s throwback hook. There’s a harpsichord in the interlude, and a pipe organ that rounds out the bridge; In just one song there are lots of curve balls that keep you on your aural toes. Also, rhyming ‘rock-n-roller’ with ‘Sedona’ was a surprise lyrical acrobatic that made me smile, but paled in comparison to “Been reading Norman Mailer, but I got no mail that I want inside my mailbox just got more bills to pay.” Fun and clever.

“Stuck In the Middle” reminds me of that moment in an indie film where the lead and protagonist become friends, against all odds, and we see their relationship grow over the course of 60 seconds. This is the song playing as they move through life in that montage.

Check out the newly official music video for “Stuck In The Middle” from Fast River’s 2020 EP Fox Trot at the Rock and Roll Show, Pt.1 below.