Music
AP Tobler’s Debut EP ‘Alternate Vision’ Is A Melancholic Grunge Masterpiece
Teenage Grunge poet AP Tobler released her debut EP Alternate Vision on July 14th, just after her 16th birthday. The talented multi-instrumentalist takes a dive into raw, honest songwriting influenced by grunge and alternative rock, and while most people shy away from what scares them, AP Tobler faces her fears in writing about it. The result? A catharsis for both her and her listener.
At its core, Alternate Vision is a project that screams honesty, transparency, and relatability. Through the five song EP, AP dives deep into overwhelming emotions from anger and betrayal to disillusionment and depression. “[The EP] is a collection of my strongest feelings and emotions when I wrote it,” AP says, “so each track is a little piece of my soul encapsulated into a song.” As a result, the listener can feel the emotions as if it were their own. This is a skill that most songwriters strive for throughout their career, but AP’s honest lyricism paired with rock drums and gritty guitars has helped her grasp the skill early.
Alternate Vision is available for streaming now.
AP previously teased the EP with her single “Eye for an Eye,” released on June 23rd. The track utilizes dirty electric guitar, intense drums, and an emotive vocal delivery to describe AP’s experience of being in a toxic friendship. The single is a bold track that demonstrates seething anger, and it is a standalone example of AP’s emotive music. The EP then moves into tracks like “Solemn Farewell” and “Vacant” which epitomize AP’s eloquent lyricism and painfully honest depictions of the darkness so many of us can find ourselves lost in. In “Solemn Farewell”, a song that, at its core, is a suicide note, AP sings, “And I don’t have a choice//Something has to die to feel free//Choking, lost my voice//Who am I supposed to be?” The power in AP’s music is her complete and utter transparency of the intense emotions she describes. There is no downplaying or simplifying; instead, it is incredibly honest in the way AP bears her feelings on topics that many of us shy away from or fail to talk about.
As her debut EP, Alternate Vision is setting the bar high, and as a young teenager, AP has her whole career ahead of her. As she nurtures her obvious talent and continues to create boldly, AP Tobler could play a major role in the rediscovery of grunge and alternative rock.
Connect with AP Tobler: Instagram | Facebook | Website | YouTube | Spotify
Artist Spotlight
“Hell has frozen over” finds Sarina choosing peace over being understood
Sarina’s new track, “Hell has frozen over,” explores the less dramatic, more complicated moment of reaching the end of the road, being gaslit, ignored, rejected, and painfully lonely. It translates the emotional burnout into a rock-pop context that’s easy to understand.
“Hell has frozen over” focuses on the decision to step away, instead of explaining, defending, or seeking understanding from people who refuse to listen. The rock foundation gives it the right weight, the pop influence makes it accessible, and the focus stays on the emotional message.
Sarina’s art is the struggle of loss and being strong in yourself. It’s about understanding that protecting your peace is more important than being understood. And that’s the emotional balance that gives the release its character so that the subject matter has relevance beyond a particular circumstance.
“Hell has frozen over“ is a relief from the burden of carrying on a debate that will never be resolved. Sarina turns an experience of isolation into a statement about boundaries, resilience, and the choice not to get caught in the same cycle. The result is a record that’s at its best when it’s being true to what it feels like to finally be free from whatever has been holding you down.
Photo Credit: Andrea Hunter
Artist Spotlight
Girlhood finds summer warmth and quiet freedom on “Lemon Aid”
“Lemon Aid“ is a warm indie-pop ballad from Girlhood that finds comfort in the ordinary and weaves in a sense of release. This song is about surrendering to the moment, finding space to breathe, and letting a little lightness back in. This reflective core is surprising, given the warm summer-night feel of the track, hinting at a moment of emotional rebalancing.
Singer-songwriter Natalie Holmes has a tender personality and fronts the slow-burning “Lemon Aid.” The production supports that softness, keeping the song’s gentle mood and intimate direction front and center. Beneath the comfort is a thoughtful examination of pressure, transition, and the need to pause.
The song’s link to the streets of Stroud offers yet another layer of art to the work. Familiar places can mean something when life feels uncertain, and the emotional scene involves storefronts, parks, cafes, and leafy, winding streets. “Lemon Aid“ searches for beauty in everyday places and rituals, finding still moments that mean something without getting carried away.
The track is the first release of Girlhood’s forthcoming album, “This Will Make Sense In The End,” a more reflective chapter with hope at its heart. “Lemon Aid” is about softness, conjuring a space where dancing, wandering, and just existing can feel like a cure. It’s an unleashing of small observations and soft emotional movement and a clear indication of the thoughtful direction that Girlhood is heading next.
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