Overdosing Never Felt So Good
By Taylor Van Arsdale
Research Assist by Matt Bates & Amy Sommer
Photos Courtesy of Maudlin Strangers
You’ll dig this track “Overdose (Bass Science Remix)” from the first note played. Trust us. Billed as “dark indie rock” Jake Hays’ solo project Maudlin Strangers is already creating a strong buzz on its own; with the remix yielding over 13,000 hits on the project’s Soundcloud account in less than two weeks.
Hays—a multifaceted musician—orchestrates, composes, sings and plays all instruments himself…and all from his Agoura Hills bedroom. His melodically haunting vocals (think Arctic Monkeys meets Saint Motel) are layered in a landscape of electronic bliss and his tunes call to mind the phenomenal artistry akin to alternative artist Anthony Polcino’s Soft Pipes debut.
For Hays, (the offspring of the Runaways icon Cherie Currie and film star Robert Hays) you could say music and creativity is in his blood. He’s driven to make music. Period. Hays said, “It started the moment I realized I was making my music for other people. Maudlin Strangers is the first project where I felt I was genuinely making music for myself. Any aesthetic the music creates is purely a side effect of what’s churning in my head.” The EP Overdose (Mastered by Steve Corrao (www.sageaudio.com) was released in February and Hays has been busy ever since.
“Overdose” is entrancing and lyrical and highlights Hays’ deft technical abilities. “Penny,” a slower cut, emphasizes Hays’ heartfelt alto rather than his synthesizer skills and is a nice compliment to the other tracks.