Canadian artist Ethan Flynn cuts to the heart of existentialism and love with the unveiling of his single, “Somebody To Love” and his recently released sophomore album, The Pumpkin Club — available now.
The genre-bending feel-good ditty either leaves you desiring someone for yourself, or remembering the beauty of what it was like to be in want. “People tend to think love songs are cliche, but I think love is the most powerful, honest, raw, and healing thing in the world,” Flynn offers. “And there are so many kinds of it!
“I tend to long for beauty in life, in general, so that’s just how I usually think,” he continues. “It’s beautiful to have somebody to love. It’s beautiful to want love.
“I think some of the most unsatisfied people in the world are upset because they don’t have love; or the will to seek it. Maybe they married someone they weren’t truly in love with; maybe they missed their shot at what felt like ‘true love’; maybe they were once in love with their partner, but the magic faded as they realized something inevitable: that it wasn’t going to last forever. Maybe this is why people stay in the same unsatisfying relationships for as long as they do, all the while longing for real love.
“And who doesn’t?” the Maple, Ontario-based rocker considers. “But the more you think about it, the scarier it gets. This is why I find love so compelling.”
The magic in Flynn’s lyricism is the simple message he borrows from experience, and lends to a dreamy pop rock sound inflecting nods towards the 60s and 70s. From the first riff, Flynn invites you to the prom, daring his dance partners to sway in that youthful yearning for what other couples on the dance floor euphorically float away in.
And that’s just the one peek at this new 12-track LP.
“Yes Pumpkin,” “Another Day With You,” and “Keep From The Memory” join “Somebody To Love” as the collective lead singles from The Pumpkin Club — released this Spring. A fascinating foray into the masterful songwriting craftsmanship Flynn extols as he expertly slides between genres, the album is as eclectic as the themes he experiments with exploring. No rock is left unturned. No truth is left hidden. And no indoor thoughts are left unspoken.
The Pumpkin Club lands just two years following his debut, Happy Valley, in 2019. As a veteran singer/songwriter, with kudos and creds to lead vox and rhythm guitar for indie group King Catalyst, Flynn’s solo project — a collection of thoughts, prose, memories, and journal entries — is a legacy of love he laboriously pours his leisure time over.
“The Pumpkin Club focuses mainly on songs I have finished in the most complete sense, and does not include any instrumental tracks,” Flynn explains. “I believe the album showcases my improvement both as a singer-songwriter and as a producer.”
Flynn also utilized the pandemic’s lockdown to create the subsequent music video for “Somebody To Love.” “The pandemic hit, and I was stuck inside my house all day every day, so, I decided to create a music video for my single; shot and edited on my own,” he reveals. “Unlike other music videos I’ve been involved in, this video was created completely by myself, as was the song. I produced, recorded, and wrote the song myself during lockdown. The video includes more than 50 different shots of me in my house and is the music video and recording that I am most proud of.”
On the topic of videos, Ethan Flynn’s YouTube is a glimpse into the man behind the curtain, hosting a variety of self-produced music videos, and reflective insights to life as an artist.
And The Pumpkin Club is a testimony to his commitment to enchanting listeners and fans along the liner notes.
Simply put, Ethan Flynn is “Somebody To Love.”
“Somebody To Love” and The Pumpkin Club are available now.
