With their surprise new single ‘this is my california’, mary in the junkyard have given us a song that feels like an exhaled breath—a song that balances a sense of peace with that irrepressible urge for something more.
Clari Freeman Taylor’s vocals carry a tenderness that feels almost whispered, a nostalgia woven with the gentle fragility of someone who knows that her place in the world is one she’ll have to carve out herself. Clari’s voice wraps around the melody in a way that feels quietly revelatory, as though she’s letting us in on a long-kept secret. This isn’t a song that tries to impress with volume or excess; instead, it relies on warmth and restraint, inviting the listener into a deeply intimate space.
mary in the junkyard are a band that know how to wield the subtle art of build and release, giving just enough to make each moment feel significant. The bass line finds its groove beneath the vocals, and the guitar lines bend and sway like a slow tide, echoing the band’s hallmark quality—intensity through softness. By the time the song reaches its understated peak, you’re lost in it, marvelling at how effortlessly they’ve drawn you in.
It’s hard to believe mary in the junkyard is just three people, such is the sense of fullness and completeness in their sound. This trio is marked by an uncanny musical maturity, as though they were born to create music. Every element feels meticulously placed yet never forced, giving ;this is my california’ an organic warmth that feels alive.
If ‘this old house’ was an introduction, ‘this is my california’ is a firm promise—mary in the junkyard aren’t just here to stay; they’re here to carve their own paradise in music, one tender, quietly transcendent moment at a time.
mary in the junkyard feature on the cover of Issue Forty-Eight of So Young. Pick up one of the last few copies here.
Photo by Herbie Bone
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