Paul Savage has always done things his own way, and ‘Miles Away’ is no different. The Irish alternative artist, known to audiences as Whozyerman? and formerly of Choice Music Prize-winning Waterford-via-Cork act O Emperor, releases his reflective new single today, a carefree, alt-rock drift through the hazy boredom of teenage summers. Bopping along with the loose, unhurried energy of Pavement or Lambchop, the track is warm, idiosyncratic, and immediately his own.
The song carries a double lens. On one level it’s pure nostalgia, days spent swaying in the breeze and doodling away the summer malaise. On another it’s a quiet reckoning with where the older self now finds itself, “falling again and again through those smudged screens, waiting for life to begin.” Savage describes it as “a call back to a much loved and missed pursuit, a need to play music and collaborate with fellow musicians in a shared space.” That need gave the song its band: Matthew Houston on guitar, Michael Liffey on bass, and Daniel Nestor on drums, the core of his forthcoming album lineup.
‘Miles Away’ won’t be found on Spotify. Savage has pulled his music from the platform entirely, citing exploitative royalty structures, AI-generated music concerns, and the platform’s broader ethical record. “The best way to support new music right now is to buy it directly from the artist on Bandcamp,” he says. It’s a principled stand from an artist who earned four stars in The Irish Times for his 2022 debut album ‘Blink,’ and whose work under the Whozyerman? moniker has drawn comparisons to Air, Stereolab, and Broadcast.
The single is available now on Bandcamp and all other streaming services. Whozyerman? supports Pádraig Cooney and Bedtime Now at Curveball, Dublin this Saturday, April 11.
Upcoming Show:
April 11 – Curveball, Dublin (supporting Pádraig Cooney & Bedtime Now)