![[PREMIERE] TOLMAN – “Chaperone”](https://thesightsandsounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-11-at-1.07.06-PM-e1476216508899.png)
[PREMIERE] TOLMAN – “Chaperone”
Last year, a good friend of mine gave me some great advice. Riffing off an old proverb she told me,
“Sometimes the most selfless thing you can do is be selfish. You see, how can you give back your best self to the world when your cup is empty? There’s nothing to share. Your cup needs to be first full before you are able to share fully.”
…or something like that. The point is, saying no and standing for what you believe is difficult and more often than not most of us would rather please those around us than stir up drama. We’ll quash those feelings of inadequacy, doubt, and fear for comfort in the moment – only to allow those feelings to continue to fester for later. I get it, I’m a people pleaser, too. But the amount of energy it takes to keep everyone around you happy, both physically and mentally, takes it’s toll. First and foremost, you need to make sure you do what’s best for you, and in that way you will be in a space to do what’s best for others. Not only will your cup be overflowing, you’ll be able to spread that soaring feeling of empowerment into everything you do.
“’Chaperone’ is about being independent and recognizing your own worth, even when somebody else can’t,” says Brittany Tolman, one half of TOLMAN. “One afternoon, we had an intense conference call and I stuck up for myself and it felt really empowering. We were both fired up and needed a way to express our frustration so we immediately went to our Moog synthesizer and wrote the song’s bass line and chorus vocals. It was very cathartic.”
The sky high synths on ‘Chaperone’ are as confidant as the actions that inspired them. With a slight tinge of frustration that births great melodies, TOLMAN does what indie pop does best: transcending the challenging moments and turning them into bouncy, happy occasions worthy of celebration.
Stream the premiere of ‘Chaperone’ below and head over to TOLMAN’s official site for more.
Brittany and Andrew Tolman first met as college students who quickly fell in love and formed a jazz band. After marriage, they became full-time members of the chart-topping, pop rock act Imagine Dragons (Andrew on drums, Brittany on keys/backing vocals). After moving to L.A. and performing in various bands (The Moth & The Flame, Mount Saint), they finally decided to create a project featuring just the two of them. Using their surname, TOLMAN, as their new moniker, they create soaring alt-pop with a gritty edge via layered retro synths, danceable drums, and lush vocals.
“Chaperone” was co-produced by D. Wayne Sermon (of Imagine Dragons), co-engineered by Patrick Tetreault (Priory, The Features), and mixed by Greg Giorgio (The National, The Head and the Heart, Kurt Vile).
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