Jay Van Raalte Premieres the Hypnotic New Single/Music Video, “Achtung”

With musician Jay Van Raalte’s approach to music making, there are very few limitations and a thousand possibilities. That’s the way the young singer-songwriter likes it, open, honest, and unpredictable. Today, Van Raalte is pleased to reveal the hypnotic new single, “Achtung,” which features a lot of the different musical influences that have contributed to forming the artist’s free-flowing musical identity.

You can hear the atmospheric pop, more traditional singer-songwriter, and bluesy guitar approach all at work all at once, emphasizing Van Raalte’s vast musical curiosity that has led them to where they are now; an artist ready to make a name for themselves.

Telling us more about the new single, Van Raalte mentions:

“Achtung is a song that came incredibly quickly. It’s one of the most honest, direct lyrical narratives I’ve written, and the arrangement came similarly easily. What I thought was a demo became most of the final track, right down to the drum loop I dropped in to keep time. It just had this feeling, right from the start, that I found really exciting.”

“Achtung” will be one of the featured tracks on Van Raalte’s forthcoming debut studio album, Something More and Kind of Less. As you may expect, it’s a diverse listening experience, featuring screaming, chaotic guitar solos, like on “Cautionary Tale,” the folksy roots of “Passing Through,” and the Smashing Pumpkins-influenced “Piece by Piece.” Van Raalte went to specific lengths to let each song be exactly what it was meant to be, with as little tinkering and finetuning as possible.

Their producers, Matt Megrue and Derk Van Raalte, really encouraged this unrestrained approach which has spawned an exciting collection of tracks that are at times playful, vulnerable, and wholeheartedly ambitious. With lots of summer and fall tour dates upcoming, Van Raalte has never been more excited about the road ahead, a journey filled with promise and a thousand possibilities.

Tour Dates:

06/30 – Packa’s Place, Brevard NC, 6 pm (duo)
07/21 – The Royal American, supporting T Hardy Morris, Charleston SC, 9 pm (full band)
07/28 – TBA (full band)
07/29 – Shenanigan’s Pub, Dahlonega GA, 6:30 pm (duo)
08/04 – Pour House deck show, Charleston SC, 6 pm (full band)
08/05 – The Wormhole, Savannah GA, 9 pm (full band)
08/11 – Vanguard Brewpub, Hampton VA (full band)
08/12 – Little Brother Brewing, Greensboro NC, 8 pm (full band)
08/25 – Bridge Bar, Mt. Pleasant SC, 6 pm (solo)
09/09 – Tin Roof, Myrtle Beach SC, 6 pm (full band)
09/22 – Packa’s Place, Brevard NC, 6 pm (duo)
09/23 – Shenanigan’s Pub, Dahlonega GA, 6 pm (duo)
10/06 – Red Stag Tavern, Vidalia GA (full band)
10/07 – Mother’s Pub, Gainesville GA (full band)
10/14 – TBA (full band)
10/20 – Smokey Joe’s, Charlotte NC (full band)

Jay Van Raalte “Achtung” single artwork (painting by Anna Jensen, design by Jay Van Raalte)