Greg Townsend releases single ‘Cannonball’
Greg wrote Cannonball post-COVID lockdown when things were starting to open back up and then it just overnight seemed to be, in many ways, back to where we were before. Always running from place to place, Greg never enough time in the day to finish work or hang with his kids, etc. That snapback to reality happened so quickly - the metaphors “take a drink from the waterfall” and “take a shot from the cannonball” are in reference to that jolt. The bridge is a reference to that alternate reality of COVID life when Greg never felt guilty about prioritizing family over work. The lyrics describe this false reality but also looking back fondly upon them in a way “It’s not always what it seems - lost inside this color scheme - you could give us what we need - a reminder.” As weird and scary as that time was, there are elements of it that Townsend came to miss, mostly related to how close he became with his two sons.
The wordless chorus is an homage to David Crosby, One of Greg’s favorite artists and a massive influence on his music. Instrumentally, a lot of people think the lead guitar part at the intro is a banjo. It is most definitely an electric guitar and Greg didn’t even notice the similarity to banjo until after he played the mixes for some friends and family and they asked who was playing the banjo. Mike “Slomo” Brenner added the pedal steel ambiance to the bridge and outro.
BIO
Greg Townsend is a singer/songwriter from Central New Jersey. He is a longtime member (guitar, backing vocals) of Philadelphia rock band Desoto Jones and lead vocalist and principal songwriter of a side project, Perilune. Over years of songwriting with friends and co-musicians, he had written and arranged dozens of songs that were never performed or recorded by either group - they did not fit the style, did not make the cut or just were too personal when they were written. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he recorded his first solo-EP “Learning.” It was one of the most memorable and inspiring recording efforts of his life. In late 2022, he returned to the studio to record a follow up EP entitled “Cannonball” to continue the process of bringing these unheard songs to life. Intensely personal lyrics, music heavily influenced by the big melodies of early 90s alternative acts and the intimate soundscapes of early 70s singer/songwriter icons has led to a unique musical style that has big dynamic shifts, big melodies, and songs filled with harmonies, rooted in acoustic guitar but capable of sounding much bigger.
Greg grew up listening to bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. but has been equally influenced by melodic singer/songwriters like Jackson Brown, David Crosby and Duncan Sheik. At their core, these songs can always be performed with just an acoustic guitar and one voice but provide a foundation on which full-bodied musical arrangements can expand.
