The Hill, a Philadelphia based folk artist, follows up their 2025 LP Noble Station with a new single about a dog entitled “Catch.” The song is a tribute to the artist’s mixed breed dog that passed away last year. “I normally don’t like to direct the listener on the story behind my songs, but this one is in memoriam, so I think it may make sense here,” says Jon Kowit the singer/songwriter behind The Hill. The single follows his relationship with Valerie, a mixed breed basset hound and is the second song about dogs by Kowit. “Dogs impact our lives in so many ways, how can they not be written about?” asks Kowit. Kowit had been behind the scenes with Ascend Records and had never released his own music until The Hill’s debut album in 2024. The debut LP Get In Line and follow up, Noble Station have received radio play in North America and overseas. A following developed in places like South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. “It’s such a gratifying experience to see Shazam results coming from places like Johannesburg and Brisbane. To know the music has traveled thousands of miles to a cafe and someone wanting […]
‘Limerence’: Serag Baddar Transforms a 15-Year-Old Idea Into a Post-Rock Journey
Limerence began with a guitar riff written by Serag Baddar when he was 15 or 16. He loved the idea behind it, but at the time he felt he wasn’t yet good enough at songwriting or guitar to turn it into the song he imagined. He therefore put it aside until he could do it justice. More than a decade later, Baddar finally returned to the idea. Originally called “Lotus,” the track has a small connection to Buckethead’s Padmasana, whose rhythm guitar influenced one section of the song. “Padmasana” means lotus pose, which inspired the original title. Over time, “Lotus” evolved into “Limerence.” Musically, the song grew from Baddar’s love of the clean sections found in heavier bands, particularly groups such as Opeth and Tool. Rather than treating those sections as a break from the heavier material, he wanted to explore what would happen if that cleaner, atmospheric side became the foundation of an entire song. One of Baddar’s favourite aspects of “Limerence” is that the instruments aren’t simply following one another. Each part is doing something different, yet together they form a cohesive piece. At the end of the song, Baddar demonstrates this concept by playing the three riffs […]