The Hails Refuse To "Pack It Up" Inside A Modern Machine
Written By: Big C
When the machine says your time is up, The Hails answer by refusing to leave quietly. Pack It Up is the darker, older sibling of their early music, carrying disillusionment without letting it drain the song of personality. Lead singer Robbie Kingsley traces part of its melody back to the pull of Julian Casablancas and Instant Crush, but the band does not stay inside that influence. The outro bends away from the expected path, giving the record its own last word. That mix of recognition and resistance fits an album concerned with the future people were promised and the reality they received. Kingsley laughs about the familiar shadow that helped shape the melody:
'Pack It Up' feels like an ode to Julian Casablancas’ melodic capabilities – so much so that I was scared we were blatantly ripping off something from his discography. It carries the same vibe and feeling ‘Instant Crush’ gives me, but then it ventures off into an outro that doesn't feel like anything he would even touch, which I do find a bit funny.
Its videos follow The Hails as 1930s bowling pinsetters fighting automation and holding onto their work. Directed by Steven Konnovitch and Cultivision, the new visual moves that story into New York while keeping the perspective slightly off-center. Stream and watch "Pack It Up" before Duckpond arrives October 23 through ONErpm. Produced by Brandon Shoop, the sophomore album came together after the band reunited in a South Florida house to write in the same room again. The Duckpond Tour begins in October after seven dates supporting Ax & The Hatchetmen, with headline stops stretching from Atlanta and Brooklyn to Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tampa. Stay connected with The Hails on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok.
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