DINNER TIME has leveled up on their upcoming LP ‘Halfway Down’. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, DINNER TIME is a 5 piece band fusing genres of indie pop, nu-funk, slacker garage rock, and psychedelic music. Founded by lifelong friends, Alejandro, Andrew, London, Ian, and Chan, DINNER TIME offers a haven from the monotony in life with appetizing moods of the surf, sand, and sun, all in a coincident echo and chorus. In a leisurely, yet rowdy essence, DINNER TIME transports you into a mood only satiated by backyard hangs, chilled beverages, and mellowing out to a sunset with your best friends. Trademark uber-chorus guitars plunk and quack over tight soul meets pseudo-jazz breaks and grooves, all creating an atmosphere for short vignette-style vocals that paint with broad strokes and allow you to enter a new world of aesthetics with each track.
‘Halfway Down‘, the new record from DINNER TIME presents a darker contrast to the group’s previous work, a small departure from their established sound, and growth as a result of collaborative spirit and experimentation. Having received internet praise for their debut self-titled record (featuring the single ‘Walden Park’), DINNER TIME is in no mood to slow down or get distracted by the attention, and ‘Halfway Down‘ is a testament to that focus and their inevitable staying power.
“Although we’ve received attention from the past record it doesn’t phase us too much. It honestly just feels the same, working most of the time and trying to write songs better than the last, to write songs that we feel proud about and want to show to others.”
Fueled by inquisition, curiosity, and entertaining new ideas, DINNER TIME has redefined their methods and means for songwriting and recording with their latest work. In a warble of intuition, effort, and the occasional hangover, ‘Halfway Down‘ was conceived.
“This next record will have the same “DINNER TIME” charm but it may get a little strange at times, a good kind of strange. It’s been a lot of fun making these new songs as a collective more so than individually. We haven’t felt any pressure to write another “Walden Park”, or anything like that. Almost the opposite, we feel pretty well encouraged to experiment a bit and have fun.”
DINNER TIME traces a new direction steeped in nostalgia, mysteries of the unknown, and perspective-evoking material. Originally starting as an inside joke about “leveling up” with their new work, the band has actually accomplished just that; a record that pushes creative boundaries without losing what makes the band so unique in the first place.
“Halfway Down is definitely a little darker than our previous work, and a little less straight-forward. We would joke a lot about “leveling up” – striving to get better at our instruments, one-up each other a bit, write better lyrics, etc., and that had a huge effect on how this new album developed.”
In a confluent pushback and acceptance to routine loneliness, anxiety, and disillusionment, ‘Halfway Down’ is sure to be thought-provoking, open to interpretation, and intrigue. Look for DINNER TIME to break out from the underground into more concrete industry circles as the pandemic winds to a close and the band hits stages across the country once again.
