by Tessa Lillis

It is no secret that we are currently living in a time that is ultra-connected and, due to our prolonged time at home with only our devices as glimpses of the outside world, we remain especially connected at the moment. It is at this time that new t.v. shows, songs and other forms of media lend us a refreshing release from our seemingly repetitive, day-to-day lives. Usher in Pan Arcadia, an independent New York City rock band formed in 2017 comprised of Eamon Rush on vocals, Dylan Kelly on guitar/keys, Gabe Gonzalez on guitar and Henry McGrath on bass.

Formed by downtown natives, Pan Arcadia is an manifestation of the New York City club scene that relishes in the grungy, chaotic yet invigorating sense that one gets through live shows. Their debut single, ‘After the Flood’, was released only this last week, their first distribution of music since their last demos’ release in the summer of 2018. Of course, due to the global circumstances that have hit New York particularly hard, Pan Arcadia and other groups have had to put their performances on hold. It is because of this that an independent group releasing a track right now is particularly significant, giving audiences and the band members an opportunity to connect through music in this moment of separation.

After reaching out to Pan Arcadia’s manager, Alec Segalman, about ‘After the Flood’, he explains its significance as follows:

It’s a meditation on growing up in the existential shadow of climate change. While on the surface jadedly mocking conventional “thoughts-and-prayers” politics in lines like “the captains say we’ll make it if we pray”, the verses read Rush’s earnest confession on the guilt of humanity destroying planet Earth, though hidden between rhymes and tongue twisters. Dualities between sincerity and sarcasm, truth and subversion, spirituality and nihilism offer a window into the anxious experience of 2020. “We’ll go through limbo”, the chorus echoes; “Bon Voyage”.

The deep, haunting vocals along with the Strokes-esque accompaniment forces one to stare climate change square in the eye, a seemingly hopeless topic that makes one hesitant to properly address it. The connection that this global pandemic has as a direct repercussion of climate change makes the single all the more relevant, as we humans are bulldozing the homes of animals and, therefore, coming into contact with diseases we have never been previously exposed to. It is through imposing the listener to reflect on this that Pan Arcadia has reminded us of our responsibility. We are dealing with the repercussions of climate change first-hand right now and, with music coming to our aid as instruments of reminder, we must ensure this will never happen again.

Check out Pan Arcadia’s single ‘After the Flood’ here:

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