From Breakups to a Car Accident, Kid Hastings Translate It All Into "Off Guard"

SpotlightMusic

Apr 21

☆ By Sahar Ghadirian ☆

Kid Hastings returns with a track and story you’re never gonna believe. The LA-based, UK-born artist, producer and songwriter paints his world in a vulnerable and blisteringly honest way. After his last release “Backwards”, which is an embodiment of bedroom pop (written/ recorded/ produced in his room), his next single “Off Guard” follows a similar indie pop soundscape but has moments of mellowness when intertwined with the upbeat melody. The vocals are meltingly warm and the softness of the song, both sonically and lyrically, matches the context in which it was written.

After being thrown off guard by two consecutive break-ups and in the more literal and physical sense, being taken aback by being hit by a car, the singer’s time in hospital with physical injuries and his prior heartache led him to create “Off Guard”. The instrumental is calming as the singer uses the song as catharsis to make sense of the situation and all the things that were thrown at him in that period of his life.

The track is catchy and has you humming or singing along after just a few listens and this lighthearted feel, despite its context, is emphasised in the liveliness of the accompanying music video. The short movie is bursting with vibrancy and saturated colours. Like the singer himself, caught off guard by the obstacles that were thrown in his direction, watching the music video has a similar effect. We are caught off guard by the absurd uniqueness of it all, which heightens excitement in its unpredictability. It’s a playful video which contrasts with the seriousness of how the track was conceptualized.

“Off Guard” is the title track of Kid Hasting’s forthcoming album, out now via Ourros.

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Our fav Kid Hastings is back with a track & story you’re never gonna believe ✨ “Off Guard” follows his indie pop soundscape but has moments of mellowness when intertwined with the upbeat melody & soft vocals. After being thrown off guard by two consecutive break-ups & in the more literal & physical sense, being taken aback by being hit by a car, the singer’s time in hospital led him to create “Off Guard” as a catharsis to make sense of the situation. 💘Check out our full thoughts on “Off Guard” on our site + tune into our story today for a take over from Kid Hastings 🤩

“We’ve been having a lot more fun in the experimentation stage of the creative process. Usually when we make a record it’s similar to a Jackson Pollock painting - we just chuck tones of stuff at a canvas and hope it comes out alright. With this next project we’re spending a little longer exploring influences & sounds before putting anything down properly. I think it’s easy to get caught up in what comes the quickest & not necessarily what feels the most exciting.” - Alex Headford of Jadu Heart in Issue 14 💘 🌟Print copies of Issue 14 are currently sold out on our site but you can still cop a digital copy as a Monday treat for yourself ✨

Submission opportunity 🗣 Sure has been a year that’s allowed us to think about what really matters & get back to our roots. As always, we look forward to your submissions 🥳💘🌟✨