Mount Farewell

Mount Farewell was a band that I first saw on McMaster’s Battle of the Bands stage as a young group with a lot of heart. Just last year, the band hadn’t made it to the finals for the competition but I quickly realized after being introduced to their debut EP, that this competition had overlooked some incredible talent. Mount Farewell is rising quickly as one of my new favourite up-and-comers here in the Hamilton/Burlington area. Not only are they humble and inviting as people, but they blew me away with tracks that I don’t think any of us saw coming.

After attending their EP release party last weekend and watching the tracks that had been stuck in my head come to life, it was clear how hard they’ve worked in the past year; and it’s paid off. With electric synths and The 1975 vibes, these songs had no problem getting the entire room dancing as if we were at a house party with a few dozen of our closest pals. Love Letter Home is a release that no indie-pop music fan can pass up, as it’s easy listening and catchy melodies are truly thriving on our airwaves here at CFMU.

The song Town held me grounded in a means where I felt like I could understand the band’s journey and how they got to the brightly lit stage in front of me. Contrasting this track’s mobility and intensity, Run Us Down demonstrates a maturity for the band. It’s refreshing to see them make this transition so seamlessly to a song with obvious depth.
What appears to be the band’s single, Like It That Way is full of contagious energy that you can’t contain without tapping your toes and smiling along. It’s a fun track that pushes their pop energy into the limelight.

Even down to the album art and the carefully packaged EPs they distributed in wax-sealed envelopes at their release party, you can tell this band has it’s headlights on and they’re only getting started. Take my word, you’re going to want to keep your eyes peeled and ears open for Mount Farewell. - CFMU.ca

I woke up and rolled over to check my phone like many people do every morning. My Friday morning half asleep phone routine is different from other days though. I’m on a mission to find the gems among the vast amount of New Music Friday releases.
Then it hit me. An indie rock band from Burlington, ON, Mount Farewell, had released their debut EP Love Letter Home. Without exaggerating, I was five seconds into the first track off the EP and I was hooked. By 7:20am, I had a preliminary opinion about the release: “Do not sleep on this album. Cinematic, heartfelt, and evidently filled w/ passion.” But I knew there was still a lot to learn about Mount Farewell and their debut EP.

I became enthralled by Mount Farewell’s sound the more I listened to Love Letter Home. It’s the equivalent of that book you can’t put down; the one you’ll read over and over again. It’s similar to that movie you’ll pause if you have to step away for even just a moment. It’s the album you genuinely won’t want to miss a second of because you know if you do, you will miss a piece of the story.
The opening track, “Town”, is a bold introduction to Mount Farewell’s established sound. Mount Farewell blends sounds akin to the scores of science fiction films with their unique take on the indie rock genre. Jazzy guitar melodies act as undertones to the smoothness of vocalist Noah Thrall’s heartfelt lyrics. Where “Town” is an upbeat singalong ripe for the picking of indie playlist curators to add to their fresh finds, “Run Us Down” is a slower emotional track perfect for self reflection.
“Like It That Way” is the type of track you may play when you’re given the aux cord and your friends will ask, “what song is this?”. This bass-driven track is groovy and straight up catchy. “Like It That Way” reinforces the EP’s superb production which was done by the band themselves. Every element can be heard individually but still blends beautifully together to create the sound that is Mount Farewell.
The final track off the EP, “Lovin’”, has that “it” factor. It’s the song that Mount Farewell will play as their encore at sold-out shows for years to come. It has that hook you won’t be able to get out of your head; you’ll have memorized the lyrics after only hearing the song once.
What makes Mount Farewell a new favourite is that their bright future ahead in the music industry is founded upon modesty. After being lucky enough to attend the band’s EP release show, I quickly realized how humble each band member is both on and off the stage. They’re going to be the next biggest thing and they may not even know it yet. - The Press Release