2022 was an incredibly creative year for Griffen Handshake, with the releases of the powerful and thought-provoking single, All My Friends Wanna Be Doctors, and the freedom anthem, CANCEL, so when we heard that they topped the year off with the release of Emergency Exit, we were curious to experience it.
Immersing us off the bat with a mic check and a crisp drum roll, followed by the luscious and dynamic guitar soundscape that we have come to love from the band, Griffen Handshake open Emergency Exit with situational prose as they sing, “I got a big date it’s Friday night, candle lit dinner for two big price, designer clothes decked out you’re feeling nice…”
Although we are off to a cute start, the opus expands into a tale of a date gone wrong! We can always count on Griffen Handshake for their evocative brand of storytelling, and Emergency Exit is no exception.
An awesome alternative rock soundscape, which holds both a sense of nostalgia in design and futurism in the mix, accompanies the narrative as Griffen Handshake take us on a journey with their experience.
Speaking on the message of the song, the band recount, “Can you remember the worst date that you ever went on? Emergency Exit is a story about a romantic date gone horribly wrong. It’s a song that captures the anticipation of going out to dinner with someone you’re excited about to only find out they had a second date lined up after yours all along.”
The guitar solos are gripping, keeping us on our toes, showcasing not only the instrumental attention to detail, but explaining why Griffen Handshake are blowing up on the Pittsburgh music scene. The live experience of their art must be awe inspiring.
Griffen Handshake have played at Millvale Music Festival, Three Rivers Arts Festival, New Castle Music Festival, Hard Rock Café, Black Forge Coffeehouse II, and more!
Their most recent show was their biggest show to date at Mr. Smalls Theatre over Halloween. They have performed at the radio station, WYEP, and Millen has performed at the college radio station, WQHS, in Philadelphia.
We love what the sibling duo are creating, and have added Emergency Exit to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream their wider discography, and anticipate 2023 releases from the powerhouse pair!