Chicago's PUSH PUPPETS present 'This Whole Endeavor', previewing their fourth album
Chicago's Push Puppets presents 'This Whole Endeavor', previewing their fourth album
FOR FANS OF: Death Cab for Cutie, Crowded House, XTC, Matthew Sweet, Squeeze, Wilco, Elvis Costello, The Who
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'Tethered Together' album CD order www.pushpuppets.net/product/tethered-together-2025-cd
Album pre-save https://bit.ly/3Cxaza9
'The Whole Endeavor' https://bit.ly/41ETsNb
Bandcamp https://pushpuppets.bandcamp.com/track/this-whole-endeavor-2
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/5iKBEzkUMRgrxOLr1R9INj
YouTube https://youtu.be/j8PXHbprUys
'All Together on 3' https://bit.ly/3CnCTvH
Bandcamp https://pushpuppets.bandcamp.com/track/all-together-on-3-2
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/115B28dfCmtjYDze6mvLQq
YouTube https://youtu.be/fJa1K9PUgiY
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/user-521672203
Tickets for May 30 album release show https://link.dice.fm/Ea70b8e06c96
"Push Puppets know how to make music that is vaguely familiar and brilliantly original; in short, they create songs that already feel like classics... the honest and relatable lyrics makes you think of the best of Difford or Tilbrook’s post-Squeeze creations. The subtle and subtle strings gently evoke ELO at their most understated, and there is certainly something of an Elvis Costello vibe" ~ Big Takeover Magazine
"Melodic rock with a philosophical, optimistic message... a warm, radio-friendly sound... the string quartet contributes an extra dimension to the song’s dramatic effect" ~ Skylight Webzine
Melodic indie pop-rock outfit Push Puppets presents 'This Whole Endeavor', the second single from their new long-play album 'Tethered Together', set to release on May 16 via Flowering Tree Music.
Based in Chicago, Push Puppets is the creative outlet for singer-songwriter and guitarist Erich Specht. The five-piece band creates songs with earworm melodies and shiny production that belie the often bittersweet sentiments in the songwriting.
'This Whole Endeavor', a rocker about a relationship that has ended, draws you in with an instantly memorable piano hook. This song describes the ebb and flow of a relationship in a flowing lyric style that comes across as sincere yet engaging. After a reflective bridge and breakdown, the song powers on with a driving finale.
The first verse tells of love at first sight at a bar in a way that foretells that the relationship is doomed. The story takes a turn in the second verse where "things realigned as fate changed her mind and departed / Leaving behind a vapor trail across the auburn sky." The dynamic halftime bridge confirms that the relationship ended "in disarray", and the final verse, inspired by his bed-hogging basset hound, finds Specht in bed with his dog and wishing she was with him.
"I get a kick out of referring to love at first sight as ‘a trainwreck just about to happen’. My Pete Townshend fandom might be apparent in this one between the 70s synth phrases and guitar smacks,” says Erich Specht. “As much as I hate to admit it, after reflecting on the lyrics, it seems clear that this song is somewhat about the relationship with my ex-wife".
Push Puppets is fronted by Specht on lead vocals and guitar, and rounded out by Kyle Magnusson (keyboards), John William Lauler (bass) and Greg Essig (drums), as well as Tommi Zender (backup vocals and guitar) for this track. On this particular album, they are joined with a string quartet on most songs and a horn section on one.
This beauty arrives on the trail of the cinematic 'All Together On 3' with its timeless quality, tinged with a touch of melancholic reflection, taking us on a sonic trip that is as stimulating as it is emotionally resonant. A moody and musically progressive song about how we’re stronger when we work together, it builds to a cathartic reprise of live strings and harpsichord with a desperate vocal crying for a helping hand as violins punctuate the lines with elegance.
Their fourth album, 'Tethered Together' is graced with impeccable songwriting that shines with lush harmonies, angular guitars, dramatic keyboards and strings backed by a rhythm section to ensure a continually high groove factor.
Frontman Erich Specht muses on relationships and loss, as well as the weight and joy of life, in a manner that is poetic and seems effortless, his lyrics fitting to the melody like pieces of a puzzle. Wearing his vulnerabilities like a badge of honor, this music takes us on a journey to unexpected places.
"This album offers a nod to the artistic excesses of the 70s, whether it's a wall of phased vocals or a moment where guitars and strings rip a quick line together between phrases. The tracks are widely varied yet cohesive - and within a given song, you're likely to be taken elsewhere" says Erich Specht.
The first single 'All Together On 3' put listeners on notice that this album will be pushing musical boundaries. This second single, 'This Whole Endeavor', assures that the album will rock.
'The Whole Endeavor' is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The 'Tethered Together' album, now available for pre-order, will be released digitally and on CD on May 16. Push Puppets will hold their album release show at Robert's Westside in Forest Park, IL on May 30.
SINGLE CREDITS
Lyrics and music by Erich Specht (ASCAP)
Produced by Doug McBride and Erich Specht
Mixed and mastered by Doug McBride at Gravity Studios
Erich Specht – Lead vocals and guitars
Kyle Magnusson – Keyboards
John William Lauler – Bass
Greg Essig - Drums
Tommi Zender – Backup vocals and guitar
Album cover artwork by Crow Prints
Released & published by Flowering Tree Music (ASCAP)
Artist studio photos by Gintas Zaranka
Artist live photos by Gabi Bucataru
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
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