VIDEO: Soft Punch Releases New Music Video for 'Astering'

Soft Punch is sharing their brand new single and music video "Astering." The official video which was created by the band debuted today.

"Astering" and its b-side "Strange Light" will be available this Friday digitally and on limited edition cassette via Bad Friend Records. Both singles will be also be available on all streaming platforms to add to your favorite playlists.

On "Astering" Soft Punch's Ryan Little says, "'Astering' was an accident. When chronic health problems made playing instruments difficult, I spent a lot of time playing with samples on my laptop. In this case, I was toying with different rhythmic patterns in Ableton, just to see how they would line up. It was only supposed to be a little instrumental experiment, but to my surprise, a melody blossomed on top of it all. I happened to be reading about a Franciscan Friar who excitedly discovered new star formations with just a pair of binoculars, and that sense of wonder led to lyrics about relationships that somehow cross great chasms of time and space."

Life has a funny way of dashing even the best laid plans to pieces. Ryan Little was supposed to be touring in rock bands and writing for newspapers. With a new job at The Washington Post in 2013, a noisy, guitar-and-drums duo with his boyfriend, and a young record label formed to foster the messy and lovely artists that felt like kin, it seemed as though his course was set.

But just as the coaster car was about to cross the summit, it slipped backward instead. Ryan's focus got fuzzy, he had trouble climbing the stairs, and he found himself utterly exhausted. Top-notch specialists just shrugged as his health tumbled further and further down, until he was homebound, then bedbound, and eventually unable to tolerate any light or sound at all. After five years of confusion and loss, Ryan was finally diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and he began a long, slow crawl out of the darkness.

Even at his worst, when he could barely stand up, he continued recording. Whether plucking at a guitar or plunking at a keyboard, music has been his constant throughline. As his most extreme symptoms began to ease up, he began using a tape machine, then an iPad, and now a laptop. In late 2019, he managed to put out a single ("Brother, Sister"). Though still severely ill, he's crafted some of his finest hooks yet, with more always on the horizon.
In 2020, Ryan began sharing music regularly through a Patreon where fans can stay updated via his newsletter and receive exclusive new music or rarites. Fans will also get a glimpse of the creative process in action, along with musings on music and Ryan's health and the intersection of the two. Ryan also has information on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and resources on his website.

Equally comfortable behind acoustic guitars and vintage synths, his airy voice ties together otherwise divergent palettes. He makes sly beats, and he makes melodies stick. An array of classic drum machines support his latest single, "Astering," yet his vocals flow smoothly above the complex, intersecting rhythms. The song climbs into the cosmos, as long-distance lovers connect below. The more intimate B-side, "Strange Light," tenderly explores young desire, drenched in hazy harmonies. Vocals eventually yield to a cascade of Casio keyboards, providing a dreamy conclusion to a warm, queer escape.

Watch the music video here:

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