Review: "Castle in Tennessee" - Walk On Mars
- Cheyenne Johnson
- 9 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Back with their latest single, Walk On Mars has released "Castle in Tennessee," a sweet love song focusing on the hope that love will prevail during times of uncertainty. Discussing the inspiration behind the song's narrative, lead singer-songwriter Mary Jo Swank shared on Instagram, "There have been many times in my life when I have sat down and actively tried to write a good sappy love song. But every time I tried to think or make up words for one on the spot, it came out cheesy or forced. Though what I am about to say is also… extremely 🧀. I was simply moving into a townhome with my best friend/manager in TN living with my twin sized bed and Frank (my stuffed monkey stfu about it) with no job, no car, no money, student debt, and the guy I fell in love with right at the end of college was living in another state. Long distance SUCKS and I’ve already been through the heartbreak of one ending, but this for some reason felt different. One night, I told my mom how obsessed I was with this man right before taking a shower… and in that shower I finally wrote a damn love song. No plans, no thoughts, no strain or effort, just me and my red loofah."
A classic pop-punk ballad, Mary Jo Swank wears her heart on her sleeve as she gives a vulnerable, profound performance in Walk On Mars' "Castle in Tennessee." The captivating vocalist delivers impassioned verses and choruses over an enthralling pop-punk soundscape, mixing heartfelt melodies with distorted electric guitars, driving drum lines, and an immersive bass foundation. Perfect for any pop-punk enthusiast, Walk On Mars' "Castle In Tennessee" is a must-listen for fans of Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Honey Revenge, Stand Atlantic, and All Time Low, or just anyone looking to get lost in a romantic, sappy love song.
Defying gender norms and diving into the male-dominated punk scene, Walk On Mars is a pop-punk project led by Mary Jo Swank whose mission is to focus on identity, agency, femininity, and pissing off creepy trolls on the internet. Mary Jo started the project after earning a music business degree from Berklee, using the band as a space to create without being boxed in by expectations about how a woman should look, sound, dress, or act. The band represents a safe space for those bullied into losing their authentic selves, pushing back against harmful narratives and rhetoric like gender stereotypes, toxic masculinity, and the degradation of women. Already cementing herself as a punk force to be reckoned with, Mary Jo's Walk On Mars has achieved accomplishments such as opening for social media star, David Michael Frank, on his nationwide “PRIVATE PARTY TOUR” and earning 40 million cross-platform views on "Stacy's Side"—a parody of Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom."
Written By Cheyenne Johnson
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