Hot Mondy could use a little emotional reassurance in their latest single and video Tell Me I’m Good — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
“Tell Me I’m Good is a self-examination of how our upbringing impacts how we see ourselves as adults,” the Halifax country-rockers proclaim. “The idea that how we see ourselves reflects the messaging we receive from parents, teachers, coaches as adolescents, for better or worse.”
Tell Me I’m Good transforms from a touching acoustic ballad with sweet fiddle fills to a rollicking two-four shuffle that breaks down to a revival-style rouser. It’s an attention-grabbing ride that begins with a grown up’s reflection on what’s missing to the discovery that it’s all gonna be alright, ending with the joyful exclamation of “My time’s here! Let’s dance right through the fear!” A thread of hope weaves its way through Tell Me I’m Good, assuring us that being a little broken can ultimately give way to beauty.
Troy Arsenault, Matthew Brannon, Matt Budreski, Travis Flint and Matt Rhind are Hot Mondy’s core five but, supporting this song’s ambitious effort to travel from self-exploration to full-on celebration are featured artists Kendel Carson on fiddle, Rob Preuss on keys and Loel Campbell on drums.
Tell Me I’m Good is the group’s fourth single in just six, months marking another milestone in the momentum-building reveal of Hot Mondy’s upcoming six-song debut EP Pale Embers; a new single and video have dropped every six to eight weeks since July 2021.
The video for Tell Me I’m Good takes a flashback, family-video approach, which the band says goes hand in hand with the tone of the song. “The song evokes a strong nostalgic feeling,” they say. “So, using vintage footage to capture the innocence of youth and how, over time, kids are still just kids with the world in front of them seems to tie together very nicely.”
Juno-winning producer Michael Philip Wojewoda (Barenaked Ladies, Rheostatics, Great Big Sea) partnered with the quintet to produce the EP. The band and Wojewoda came together at Toronto’s Revolution Recording in early 2020 to capture the initial tracks, then worked remotely to finish the recording. “It was both fun and challenging figuring out how to finish the EP during COVID, but it informed many of our choices in a really interesting way,” they say.
Watch Tell Me I’m Good above, hear more from Hot Mondy below, and tell them they’re good at their website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
