Joey Miceli Explores the Duality of Identity and Playing Pretend With His Pretenders Album
Rising singer-songwriter Joey Miceli is an artist who's made a name for himself pairing detailed and evocative storytelling with a dreamy and otherworldly sound. If you're not already familiar with his work, we think his powerful new sophomore album, Pretenders, is the perfect place to start.
Pretenders is out today, July 25, featuring 14 theatrical and high-energy tracks. They feel diaristic yet universal as he explores the dichotomies of the human condition and the push and pull of being a "pretender," particularly as it pertains to his career as a musician making his way in the world.
(Pretender via Mercury Lake)
Joey released the album's first single, "Remedy," on June 18, teasing Pretenders in the form of a yearning duet with pop artist LEXXE. Inspired by real events, the track has a richly grandiose feel courtesy of epic synths and guitars as the two reflect on the death of a one-sided relationship, and the pain it leaves in its wake.
(Image courtesy of Joey Miceli)
"Sometimes that pain can be so massive," Joey explained in a press release. "I was more invested in people who couldn't reciprocate. I wrote it with my friend Abigayle Oakley, and as soon as I reimagined it with Santino [producer], I knew I heard LEXXE on it."
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And last week on July 18, seven days before today's album release, Joey shared the final single, "Heavy Hand." With a fast-paced retro rock vibe that feels perfect for a heroic montage, the song paints a captivating story about an artist selling his soul in exchange for the fame he seeks.
"With how oversaturated the industry is, I think virtually anyone would sell their soul for their dream," Joey said. "This song is this angry and evil fantasy of storming into the label's conference room and demanding to sign my contract in blood."
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Together with the other 12 tracks on the album, they weave a compelling narrative around the ideas of what it means to be a "pretender," and how the masks we wear can prevent us from figuring out who we truly are. The music can't be narrowly confined to a single genre, but the songs always feel raw and true, with a enchantingly theatrical air as he plays within the delicate balance between self-esteem and valuing ourselves and the importance that the world places on wealth and fame. In the end, he realizes there's a unique power in allowing ourselves to exist and thrive as we really are.
"Everyone is pretending," Joey shared. "We all seek to feel special, but what happens when you surrender to inferiority? What are we willing to lose, and who are we willing to hurt?"
(Image courtesy of Joey Miceli)
Click HERE to listen to the album in its entirety on Spotify.
For more on great new music out this week, click HERE to learn about Junaco and their new single, "Boston."