They’ve already exposed what could have been, and now Sydney rockers Down For Tomorrow are about to show us even more with the release of their brand new single “Thanks To You”.
The title track of their upcoming sophomore EP, due on June 7, “Thanks To You” is a vastly different song to what we’ve heard from the quartet before. It feels grittier, angrier and more frustrated, with the production to match, and overall a strong offering from a band quickly picking up steam.
The song begins solemnly, with frontman Cody Stebbings recounting word for word a text message that he received signalling the end of a close friendship. Gentle strums of a guitar hum over the sombre vocals, painting a portrait of self-deprecation and discouragement towards the loss of a companion. If you’re not staring out your bedroom window reminiscing on heartbreak while listening to this one, you’re doing something wrong.
As the song continues, the solemnity is joined by earnest instrumentals in an intense eardrum assault. As intense guitars and fierce drums join the fray, Stebbings’ vocals take on a different sound, as the song transcends bitter recollection and moves into exasperated agony. From this point “Thanks To You” is relentlessly sad, with every second of the song dripping in pain.
A song about “one-way friendships and the effect it can have in someone who invests a lot of time into someone who couldn’t return it”, the song feels consistent with the experiences that Stebbings outlaid on previous single “What Could Have Been”. However, the approach to these feelings and consequentially the way they manifest into a song shows that Down For Tomorrow aren’t just a one trick pony. Not only can they write dynamic and diverse songs, but they can do it damn well too.
Whether you’re about to put your head through a window, cry yourself to sleep, or you just want to rock out for a moment, “Thanks To You” might just be the song for you. It’s an honest and rough offering, filled to the brim with heartfelt moments of hurt that culminate into one belter of a single.
