UNOFFICIAL VERTICAL MUSIC VIDEO
PRESS RELEASE NARRATION VIDEO
VIDEO GAME DEMO
September 16, 2020 (Washington, DC) -
"The bright red cup evokes a party culture and yet turned upside down, it resembles an alarm siren...The cup reflects a consumer culture defined by optimism and abundance. It is convenient, low cost and tossed after one use." - Paula Crown
A crushed, red plastic cup tumbles aimlessly down the sidewalk on a desolate sullen Saturday morning. Only 12 hours prior, the cup was the center of its own universe. It gave many the courage to make the first move. It was held to the sky and sung its favorite song with the local band. It blocked the shot of the unaware asshole who claimed to be the beer pong champ. Now it is just a collegiate tumbleweed with no direction, waiting to be swept up and recycled. This small red cup, overlooked by many, is one of the most influential heroes of college towns, bringing people together night after night. It’s a portal that sparks memories of confidence, community, and chaos all at once.
When reminiscing on the “good ol’ days” we forget the work that was put into convincing our lazy asses to stop binging Netflix and go out. We forget managing the spins that occur at the bar, not from dancing like a jackass, but most likely the wise decision of mixing tequila and whiskey shots after pregaming for three hours. We forget the lonely walks home and us leaning our heads against the cold window of an awkward carpool Uber ride, as we reflect on our questionable actions. The memory loss isn’t just a side effect from getting blackout, but a defense mechanism in a new environment where we’re learning to survive. “Wasted” isn’t about getting stupid drunk, it’s about the sheer exhaustion from a night out and feeling drained and used up the next day. This isn’t another “sad boy” story, however. Instead it’s a story of accomplishment. It’s about finding the motivation to take action when your mind and body are chaining you to the bed. It’s an art that forces us to be more innovative than we care to admit.
Creativity is at its best when a ‘want’ transforms into a ‘need’. We’re taught this in college when we want a good grade on a project but struggle to do so. Yet we find ways to smoke out of various objects when “water pipes” are nowhere around, or shove handles of Burnett's into guitar cases when the freshman dorm supply has run dry. “Wasted,” is another instance of innovation. Not because it’s a new song that was created, but because new technology was used to create it. The 5:55 was in the middle of recording an album with legendary producer, Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco, Ariana Grande, Underoath, etc…) back in March when the world was at the beginning of its end. Luckily the conversations in the studio between Squire and the band consisted of wild theories involving quantum physics, aliens, and music technology. So when the two parties were locked down in their houses, miles apart, they decided not to pause on recording the album, but to get back to work. This led to endless nights discovering applications and software that were close to getting the job done, but not good enough. Developing original software seemed to be the only answer, so the band learned to code.
With guidance from Squire and his endless curiosity mixed with knowhow, the band was able to piece together an application to record remotely, online. This new tool was used to accomplish something that seemed impossible. The process was strange at times but the thrill and interest evolved into a company in the end. The rush generated from a new recording atmosphere inspired The 5:55 and Squire to create something for “Wasted” and its release. Usually music videos and shows are lined up as promotional avenues for the single and album. The band and Squire assumed that world had changed, which meant it was time the way we listened to music changed too.
The 5:55 will debut a new listening format called LPS (Long Player Stream) with their release of “Wasted”. LPS is an application where fans can engage with their favorite artist’s song, instead of passively listening to playlists on Spotify or Apple Music while running, driving or sleeping. This new platform allows the fan to change the genre of a song while their setting changes as well. The different listening settings include games that artists create for their fans. Please check the following link for a demonstration of LPS. https://www.entangledaudio.com/game
BACKGROUNDER:
The 5:55 (pronounced THE-FIVE-FIFTY-FIVE) was born out of the dark basements of fraternity houses along the I81 corridor. A lack of local music venues meant fraternity and sorority parties were the ideal space for the band to perform. They quickly realized this was a blessing in disguise. One party later, The 5:55 was booked for nearby college shows nearly every weekend. After that first year, word poured out faster than cheap beers at happy hour, and soon the band was playing colleges from Pennsylvania all the way to Alabama.
After realizing that the real world sucks, the band agreed to continue this wild ride, and moved back to their hometown near Washington D.C. They captured the high energy from their live performances and their love for catchy choruses, and got in the studio with Producer Austin Bello (Forever The Sickest Kids) to record their debut EP, "The Five Fifty Five”, which won “Best Rock Album” by the Wammies. Their single “Slow Down” received over 1 million streams on Spotify thanks to their ridiculous music video.
The rush from playing colleges all across the country kept the band motivated so they got back into the studio with Bello and tagged in legendary producer Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco, Ariana Grande, Underoath, and many more) for their first full length album. “Wasted” is their first single with Squire. The band consists of Collin Steves (singer/guitar), Kevin Goldman (lead guitarist) and Ryan Steves (drummer/singer).