Bailey Tomlinson & The Locals drop captivating new single ‘Moonshine’
Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals, a folk-rock band hailing from Cornwall, recently released their single ‘Moonshine’ on November 22nd, enchanting listeners with their captivating melodies and heartfelt lyricism.
Coastal cowgirl Bailey Tomkinson is a modern practitioner of the 70’s soft-rock sound that is finally having a resurgence. Reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell, sonically and lyrically this band is perfect for yesterday’s child who’s searching for something new.
Tomkinson describes Moonshine as ‘a tale about love, longing, and the ache of waiting for someone to come back.’ The delicate strum of a folky guitar immerses listeners in that 70’s whimsigoth aesthetic that’s been taking both the fashion and music scene by storm. Moonshine belongs on the soundtrack of Practical Magic, laced with a love spell that is sure to keep listeners coming back for more.
With soft vocals, Tomkinson sings about having ‘a hangover on you’ conveying how she will always be drunk on her love for this person. She will climb into bottles at coastal bars and sing on small stages for surfers in Malibu even though he left her alone her infatuation will not die, she looks for him in every booth and in every audience, she yearns for his return, but it is just her and the moon.
The single picks up in the pre-chorus with a steady drumbeat before bursting into the chorus with a resilient bass and an addictive electric guitar to accompany an organ that sounds like pure magic. Tomkinson belts, ‘God only knows it would take you and moonshine to wash these blues away’ with powerhouse vocals entwined with a folky air. This electric moment presents how she’s addicted to him. Her lungs are filling with the intoxicating ocean of unrequited love and heartbreak that he left her alone to drown in. Moonshine has a dramatic tone, although the lyrics are painstaking, the vocals hold the power of anger. Melodically Moonshine sounds like when everything is just beginning with that west coast feeling Lana Del Rey sings about, the feeling that feeds the nostalgic hearts of old souls.
Standout lyrics, ‘only you know what I look like without these burdens’ convey how the burden is truly his. He met her when she was untouched by a man’s cruelty, then left her alone to pick up the pieces after he’d shattered her heart and soul. Moonshine ends with a satisfying country slide guitar riff and siren-like vocals, a crescendo of 70’s magic and heartache.
Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals scream big sunglasses and retro tour buses with tapestries hanging from the ceiling. Tomkinson is an artist who skilfully transforms her image: whether it be that of Penny Lane in a fur coat or Daisy Jones with a much less toxic Six, Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals have you covered. So go and check out Moonshine and their other releases to escape to the sun-kissed freedom land of the 70’s.
Written by Reb Jordin