Parts Per Million cover ‘Me And Your Mama’ (live at Revelry Studios)
New England hard rock band drops blistering live cover of Childish Gambino’s 2016 modern classic
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BOSTON, MA. [June 18, 2021] -- Fresh off the release of their critically acclaimed single and video “Find The Light,” New England melodic hard rock band Parts Per Million are back with a rousing live cover of Childish Gambino’s 2016 modern classic classic “Me And Your Mama.”
Recorded and filmed at New Hampshire’s Revelry Studios, complete with a cellist and choir vocals from Boston’s Divas with a Twist, the latest aural and visual offering from Parts Per Million arrives Friday, June 18 on all streaming platforms and with a live performance video hosted on YouTube.
“We worked our asses off on this one, and walked away with something that was as good as we could have hoped,” says Parts Per Million vocalist and guitarist Paul McSweeney.
And like all great covers, this one began with a bit of new musical discovery among music obsessives.
“We were all sitting around talking about music, different bands and musicians we were crushing on, and [bassist] Alex [Marks] asked if we had heard this Childish Gambino record, Awaken My Love,” admits McSweeney. “Both myself and [guitarist] Brian [Bailey] never had, and with “Me and Your Mama” being the first track, I was instantly blown away. ‘How can this song not be on everyone's radar?’ was all I kept thinking. I immediately made the suggestion we should cover it, thinking we could find a way to pull it off, and having an exceptional amount of time on our hands with Covid.”
What transpired was a musical journey that matches the intensity of Parts Per Million’s own creative vision, which was acknowledged last year with a Video of the Year nomination (“2020 Vision”) at the 2020 Boston Music Awards. With the band engulfed in the extended process of crafting a new EP titled The Cycle, Parts Per Million took a quick break from their originals to delve into the musical and cultural genius of Donald Glover.
Though McSweeney describes, with a laugh, the process of taking on “Me And Your Mama” as “difficult,” the end result ended up being as satisfying as anything in the band’s burgeoning catalog. And it gave each member a new appreciation for Glover’s insane talent.
“We spent a good few months mapping the song, and chasing some of the sounds that are on it,” McSweeney adds. “It took a while to figure out how to play the moving parts between the three of us. The song deserves so much credit, it's really amazing. There's a tuning change in the middle of the song when the song transitions. It drops basically a half of a step, or to 432 hertz. We like to ponder why, but there's some neat fodder out there for anyone who wants to dive down that rabbit hole. We decided to drop an entire key to be able to not kill ourselves singing the choir parts. Some of the notes Glover hits himself are insane. I spent a few months trying to learn whistle technique, but just couldn't quite get there. His register is nuts. There's that one note at the end of the first verse I still can't fathom how he hits it.”
The element of collaboration also helped fuel the results of both the audio recording and the video. Parts Per Million enlisted Boston’s Divas With a Twist to bring in some added vocal firepower, allowing the band member’s to focus on their own parts, and cellist Stephen Ambra brought another new dimension to the cover. Their efforts with Revelry marked their fifth live session video together, just months after Parts Per Million and Revelry teamed up on the cinematic “Find The Light” video.
“I can't really say enough about Revelry; it's a fun environment, and I feel at home there,” says McSweeney. “When you're surrounded by amazing people, amazing things happen. And finding Divas with a Twist was huge. We sent them the stems of us singing all the parts, and never ran through the song with them until that night. We had worked with Stephen Ambra, the cellist, before on another live session at Revelry called ‘South and Down’ and just like the first time, we didn't even give him anything. We just asked him to listen and throw in his ideas the night of. He was amazing, and always exceeds expectations. Jake Wertman was our session drummer, and he was no different. Just showed up and slayed, just like he did in the studio.”
“Me And Your Mama” might be a quick sonic detour for Parts Per Million as they continue to churn out their ambitious originals. But it rests comfortably in the pantheon of the band’s growing catalog of covers, which already includes Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality" and "Gasoline" by Audioslave.
“The next big Parts Per Million project for a live video will take an equal amount of time, and is on the complete other end of the spectrum,” McSweeney admits. “We just like taking on songs that are scary. We haven't really decided if we will play this one live just yet, it doesn't really fit the rest of what we do. But if the time is right, we'll definitely do it.”
Please direct all press inquiries to Parts Per Million at partspermillion106@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.
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Parts Per Million is:
Paul McSweeney: Vocals and guitar
S. Brian Bailey: Guitar and vocals
Alex Marks: Bass and vocals
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Parts Per Million short bio:
Parts Per Million is an independent rock band from the New England area founded by singer/songwriter Paul McSweeney and guitarist Brian Bailey. The band rounded out its line up with bassist Alex Marks and drummer David MacCaulay.
The band uses each member’s abilities and different influences as the catalyst to form a sound surpassing something to be listened to and become something to be experienced. Parts Per Million intertwines ‘90s-era heavy rock and grunge while incorporating something that is rarely heard in rock music with four-part singing harmonies, soaring guitar solos, and a chemistry between them that generates a sound that's unlike anything in today's rock scene.
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Media praise for Parts Per Million:
“While hard to pinpoint in terms of genre, they are definitely a rock band – chock full of anthemic choruses, melodies, and guitar riffs.” _The New Fury
“Parts Per Million’s influences stem from ‘90s hard rock and grunge, which can be heard in their harmonies and scorching guitar solos.” _Don’t Forget To Rock
“Parts Per Million has its special magic around their music and their writing style. It stems from a genuine and gentle place and as they continue to grow as a band, we fall more in love with their magic and their presence.” _Keep Walking Music
“If there’s one thing that is certain in this time of uncertainty, it’s that these guys rock. With powerful vocals over pounding drums and riffs aplenty, ‘2020 Vision’ is as big as any rock track to come out this year… If you need something new to help the beers go down then give this a go. It’s sure to get you rocking. _Hard Beat UK
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Press contact: Paul McSweeney at partspermillion106@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.
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