Waverly Drive is taking a different route on new single ‘crashed out’, trading some of the grander studio ambitions of previous releases for something looser, hazier and driven by atmosphere. Out now, the track offers the first taste of upcoming EP 'sunday afternoon', due November 20th, and finds Phil Galloni exploring the space between psychedelic pop and scrappy indie rock.
There’s a familiar indie-rock immediacy at the heart of ‘crashed out’, but the track quickly stretches beyond its guitar-led foundations. Fuzzy textures and expansive synths give it a distinctly dreamlike quality, creating a sound that feels both casually off-kilter and carefully considered. Touches of The Strokes sit alongside the electronic expansiveness of M83, with Galloni finding a balance between catchy melodies and more immersive production.
The single also signals a shift in approach for the Chicago and LA-based project. Written and recorded by Galloni at home during a period of downtime, sunday afternoon was made with a deliberately minimal setup, allowing instinct to take precedence over studio perfection. As he explains, the process encouraged him to embrace simplicity and emotion, with many parts captured in their first or second takes to preserve the feeling of the moment.
That philosophy runs through the forthcoming EP, where lo-fi drum machines, sparse synthesiser arrangements and heavily treated vocals create something intimate without losing its sense of scale. Rather than placing every element front and centre, Galloni lets sounds blur together, giving the record an elusive quality that feels caught somewhere between melancholy and contentment.
It’s a notable contrast to Waverly Drive’s 2025 debut album, 'Decadence', a meticulously constructed concept record with a much bigger, more polished production. Having previously worked alongside musicians with credits spanning The Weeknd and Macy Gray, Galloni’s return to a more solitary, stripped-back process suggests a desire to see what happens when the layers are pulled away.
‘crashed out’ offers an intriguing introduction to this next chapter. Less concerned with grand statements than capturing a particular mood, the single sets the tone for an EP that promises to find beauty in keeping things simple.
Waverly Drive’s new single ‘crashed out’ is out now, with fourth EP sunday afternoon arriving November 20th.
Stream the new single below
