While there’s a lot of varying content on TikTok – including incredible scripted series, fantastic cosplays and just plain wholesome laughs – it’s not the place I would first think of for new music recommendations, and yet…
On my For You page, sandwiched between a DnD shitpost and an Animal Crossing Cosplayer I found Päter’s latest instalment of their 30 Day Songwriting Project with the song Dam, Damn. Now, it’s not the first time I’ve been truly struck by a TikTok but it is the first time they’ve struck a chord in me that I didn’t know was there. While the TikTok only features the 30 seconds of the main chorus, Päter’s incredibly strong voice and vivid lyrics were more than enough to captivate and describe an aspect of life perfectly.
I had already liked and favorited the video to come back to later when a week or so later Päter graced my For You page again with the news that they had scheduled a full release of the song on Spotify and you can bet your sweet burger buns I had pre-saved the song immediately. With its release on May 20th and nearly 23,000 streams in just 8 days (of time of writing) and Päter’s announcement of a full album coming from the project, here’s why you should not only listen to Dam, Damn but look forward to more work from Päter.
First of all, the song as a whole is an absolute delight. It’s fun, it’s catchy and it’s so upbeat.
While the song and Päter are officially classified as ‘alternative/indie’ on Google, Dam, Damn gives a much more country/folk vibe where I can visualise the ‘moving on from the bad aspects of the main characters life and becoming themselves through an apartment renovation and wardrobe change’ movie montage. Speaking of which, the lyrics themselves are the first thing that hit me hard during my first listen over on TikTok.
As I said earlier, Päter’s voice is incredibly powerful – you can hear the intention and passion behind every word and every beat. You can feel the power behind building the dam, keeping the demons on one side – whether they want to be there or not – and ‘all I am’ on the other. It’s such a strong visual that has stuck with me since my first listen. Discussing the walls we build between ourselves and our demons to keep ourselves safe, keeping the friends and happiness that keeps us going on the right side of the dam even with the worry of the carefully built structure failing you and taking you with it.
The song is incredible – truly, deeply incredible – and I can’t recommend it enough because even if it doesn’t resonate with you on a personal level, it’s an absolute bop. Designed to be listened to with friends and a beer around the campfire, with the sun setting on a summer night -moving you into a new chapter of your life. I was also lucky enough to speak with Päter and you can check that out here.
First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/
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