We all deal with grief in different ways. For Hideout — the solo project of New York-based musician Gabe Rodriguez — despair gets flipped into simple, striking indie pop hooks; it’s helped him make sense of a difficult two years since releasing his debut album, Rookie. Rodriguez lost his brother during that time, alongside work as a touring guitarist with Cults and returning to Brooklyn to record Hideout’s So Many Hoops / So Little Time, due Feb. 3 on Small Plates Records. Billboard is excited to premiere “I Got Your Message,” a standout cut from it.
“This is the principle track on the record,” Rodriguez tells Billboard. “It was a musical focal point while writing the rest of the songs. The lyrics are about when I was touring in Europe and received terrible news from back home — the disconnect from reality while traveling with friends.”
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“I don’t believe it / I must be dreaming,” goes the chorus, as Rodriguez deals with the initial denial that came along with the message on his phone. But in such sobering times, Hideout’s music shines through the clouds. “I Got Your Message” is a gorgeous little homemade pop song, clicking jaunty hooks and overlapping vocals together with comforting ease.
Premiering exclusively via Billboard, take a listen to “I Got Your Message.” Head over here to pre-order So Many Hoops/So Little Time.