Ferry Townes – Side Effects of Happiness
Today, rising indie voice Ferry Townes releases her anticipated debut album Side Effects of Happiness via Licorice Pizza Records.
For singer-songwriter Julia Gargano, this debut project as Ferry Townes defines a new chapter of her artistry: “I had a huge catalog (of music) for everyone but me.” This record documents Julia’s acute awareness of young adulthood’s difficulties while exploring a new sound.
Hallmarked by emotive lyrics, Side Effects of Happiness includes a range encompassing rich, sultry proclamations of love and feathery, soft whisperings of guarded insecurities. She effortlessly pulls you into her world, fervently searching for what it means to be young and in your twenties.
The album includes singles “Times Two” a propulsive exploration of heartache’s intensity, “T.G.F.K” (Thank God For Kyle) an ode to her best friend, and the healing and meditative “Be Here”. Alongside the release, comes a video for “Times Two” – Ferry Townes’ party-of-one. She looks and feels her best without the burden of her past relationship.
The sounds of Ferry Townes is an eclectic blend of acoustic and electronic elements, reminiscent of bands like HAIM and boygenius, yet with a distinct melodic narrative and alternative pop flair. She shares “Every page of lyrics tries to be closure to a tumultuous day, trying to compost the hard shit and turn it into energy, heartbreak into audacity, anxiousness into meditation. Nothing about life right now is normal and we are all off-roading emotionally and these songs should feel like a 4×4 for listeners.”
Born and raised in Staten Island, the name Ferry Townes pays homage to The Staten Island Ferry, a symbol of Julia’s teen years commuting to LaGuardia High School, family days, dates, and watching the Statue of Liberty pass by. She shares, “Staten Island, often underestimated, grows more irreplaceable to me every time I’m on the road.”
From her deep Staten Island roots, grows a vivid musical exploration of feminine identity and growing pains, sprinkled with anxious flashes and flirty obsessions. She shares, “I can literally see my growth as a person when I look at these songs. They were written over the span of the past 3 years, which were a rollercoaster. Mid twenties are such a weird age. Ferry Townes was born out of a need to say things we should but don’t. Our songs are like those intense, never-sent letters, filled with raw overshares that one might only say with brave thumbs, but not their mouths.”
#ferrytownes