American businesswoman Dylan Lauren once proudly stated, “Believe in yourself, listen to your gut, and do what you love.” For singer-songwriter Jonah P Nimoy, this sort of sagely advice transcends far into the depths of his musical career under the moniker Furiosa- particularly into the project’s new album Look Don’t Listen. ‘Furiosa-‘ modeled after the release of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is a title of utmost aptitude, with Nimoy showcasing his multi-influential multi-instrumental technique alongside some serious spitfire angst, all of which are wrapped deliciously and delicately in one comprehensive, experimental hard-rock blanket. Sonically, one can hear the influences of sweeping grandeur akin to Megadeth, Bowie, and Queen, tinged wondrously with seething punk directionality of The Misfits and Black Sabbath. What pitfalls of rage and emotional upheaval that lay beneath the surface are left unspoken, waiting for an unwitting listener’s ears to be left to their own devices fo interpretation.

Today, we have the pleasure of presenting the exclusive track-by-track breakdown/commentary of Furiosa’s debut album Look, Don’t Listen, penned by the project’s mastermind, Jonah Nimoy. As per usual, the entirety of Look Don’t Listen is embedded for streaming below, courtesy of Spotify. Enjoy!

 

“The Dead Song”

“The Dead Song” is somewhat of an homage to two of my favorite bands, The Misfits and Oingo Boingo. I just wanted to write something upbeat and with a killer melody, but with wacky turnarounds and long sustaining vocal melodies.

“2 High 2 Party”

“2 High [2 Party]” is one of the first Furiosa songs I wrote. It’s about the pain of getting out of uncomfortable situations, and wanting to be nowhere but home and on your own. I compare it to getting too stoned because we’ve all been “too high to party” at one time or another.

“Lovers And Haters”

This is an oldie for me. I wrote this back in 2014 with my first solo project and I’ve recorded it about four different times, none of which ever saw the light of day. Eventually, I finally recorded a version I was happy with and it made it on the album. The song is about the ups and downs of social media, and how people confide in the internet for an ego boost, though it usually goes in the opposite direction. We made a music video for it, in which I compare the need for internet attention, or getting “likes” to doing hard drugs. In the moment, it feels great. But at the end of the day, it sucks and it’s not real.

“A Dark Night”

This was the newest song to make it on the album. So much so that I didn’t really have a solid ending for it until I started recording it. The song is about a past relationship- one of which was my worst, but also my best. It didn’t end well, but it was one of those relationships that shaped me and helped me become a better person. The lessons learned from it were tough and required a lot of reflection and reconstruction, but in the end, I’m glad it happened.

“Sleep”

“Sleep” is a song I’ve had for some time now. I wrote this when I was on a three-day streak of no sleep. Maybe it was because of guilt, maybe it was my anxiety, maybe it was nothing… But, for the life of me, I couldn’t close my eyes, and it sucked.

“Believe To See (Mulder, It’s Me)”

This is my tribute to one of my favorite tv shows, The X-Files. Mulder and Scully got me through music school and I watched that show backwards and forwards when I began writing my first songs.

“Retro Addict”

This is probably my favorite Furiosa song I’ve written. Honestly,  I’d be happy if everything I wrote from here on out sounded like this. This song’s about the weird and annoying obsession everyone has with this “throw-back” phase and style. Bands nowadays are trying to sound and look like they’re straight out of the 1960s, 70s, or really any other decade besides now, and it’s getting out of hand. I’m not saying you can’t be influenced by the multitude of amazing bands from the past, but I ‘d prefer to sound like something from today.

“Mazel Tov Cocktail”

I was watching the news right when Trump was elected, and a reporter said an angry group of protesters were throwing “Mazel Tov Cocktails” and it cracked me up. The song, ultimately, is about giving up your fears and finding solitude in doing so. The name and the meaning of the song may not have much to do with each other, but I thought they made a good fit either way.

“Wired Mind”

“Wired Mind” was one of the first few [songs] I wrote when starting the band back in 2015. The song is about the dichotomy between being you, but also not being you for the sake of “fitting in”. I always bounce between the two, ‘cause you can’t be an asshole, but you also can’t be a doormat.