LISTEN TO “NORMAN ROCKWELL”: HERE
California alt. rockers The Mowgli’s have released “Norman Rockwell,” the third single from their forthcoming EP American Feelings out March 1. The song, along with the album art were both inspired by Norman Rockwell’s painting Painting The Little House and the idea of painting yourself into a better life.
“I was like, I feel like this kid,'” Colin Dieden told Billboard. “I thought this kid was trying to paint himself a new life; He was stuck in this thing, and I imagined he was trying to create a new world for himself. So I put ‘Norman Rockwell’ in this list of titles in my phone and started to think, how am I gonna write a song called Norman Rockwell?”
According to Billboard, “the song is also a foray into melancholy territory for a band that’s known for its upbeat, anthemic anthems.” The more maudlin tone of the song mirrors the themes of isolation and insecurity woven throughout the EP. The song tells the story of a young person feeling trapped and unhappy in their surroundings. The feelings of hopelessness drive the individual to paint themselves into a new world to escape the monotonous days that seem never-ending. This idea of being stuck is very relatable, especially to the young people that make up the Mowgli’s fan base. In a culture with VR and social media, painting a new life is something that can now happen outside of our imaginations. In a sense, we can paint our own perceived, synthetic reality.
“NORMAN ROCKWELL”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG1848lu5OE
The Mowgli’s hit the road with Jukebox the Ghost on their co-headlining “Making Friends” tour the end of the month. See the full list of tour dates HERE.
