Amid the darkness and negative spaces of thought that often lead to the question, “What does it all mean?” existentialism can help you find the light. That’s one of the messages buried within the echo-y waves of The South Hill Experiment’s ongoing experimental endeavor.
“The cymbals sizzle, the synths whirl and the mantra goes, ‘I think I’m getting older, I think I’m getting over it,’” brothers and musical duo Baird and Gabe Acheson said about their new single “Silver Bullet.”
“The song exists because sometimes when you stare into the void, the void smiles back.”
Its release on Nov. 1 will kick off the band’s “Silver Bullet Tour.” The South Hill Experiment is set to grace the stage of downtown San Luis Obispo at the Aviary on Nov. 2, before heading south to Los Angeles and San Diego. With Baird on guitar and Gabe on keys, the brothers will be joined by their accompanying band, as well as local band Big Sierra.
Audience members will soon hear this new single live, which is the first taste of the band’s forthcoming record “EARTHBREAKS,” planned for release in 2025. Thrown into the mix are bossa nova-inspired rhythms, synth-infused choruses and melodically crunchy guitar riffs, seen within previous tracks: “Chameleons,” “Gabo’s Last Resort” and “Alright, Ok.”
The smoother melodies will provide an interesting contrast to “Silver Bullet,” with its crescendo of layered sounds and vocals woven through the piece’s progression. A more rocky tone with a head-bopping chorus, “Silver Bullet” is expected to kick off movement in listeners.
Baird and Gabe grew up in Baltimore surrounded by guitars, cover bands and piano keys — the creative environment that foreshadowed the art they would go on to create.
“We wanted to recapture the childhood chemistry of jamming in the basement just to make noise,” Baird said, as he and Gabe discussed their reunion in Los Angeles after a few years spent working apart on respective solo projects.
Weaving together skills of digital illustration, production and new ways of collaboration, the yearning to create tugged at the brothers’ musical inclinations.
“There’s a mystique to amazing music,” Gabe said. “The idea is there somewhere, you have to just pull it down and channel it. You’re the vessel for this idea. We took that very seriously in South Hill.”
Taping up piano strings, smothering their guitar frets with plastic and coming to embrace the bellowing echoes found within a stairwell, the Acheson brothers have welcomed unorthodox ideas into their musical process, having found them useful in conveying their sonic ideas.
The musical pair touched on their collaborative process, speaking of their brotherly connection and ability to cover each other’s blind spots within their work.
“The beauty of collaboration is you can push past those blocks and I think [“Silver Bullet”] is a testament to our collaboration,” Gabe said.
Gearing up for the tour, the two invite audiences to experience their live music in a new way. As Gabe said, chuckling with a smile stretched across his face, one can expect “a little bit more audience participation than you might get at a normal show.”
Baird and Gabe recommend that listeners tune into “Silver Bullet” on full volume to fully immerse themselves in the sounds, feelings and lyrics.
“We want to inspire,” Gabe said. “We hope you leave the show with newfound enthusiasm for pursuing whatever the hell you’re trying to pursue.”
