Pockets

So psyched for this. Our daughter Riley Max — who released a rather acclaimed debut album for a punk her age called ROY G BIV in 2023, along with two singles and videos — is back with the first single and video from her upcoming sophomore album. I produced her first album and its singles and videos… but I’m a distant second as Co-Producer of her second album and its related singles and videos. This is Riley’s show now.* And the first song she’s releasing is Pockets, with vocals/guitar/keyboard by Riley, bass by the great Greg Ryan, and drums by Colorado’s own Brian McRae, who’s touring with Toad The Wet Sprocket as I write this.

— STANFORD Magazine

It’s so fun watching your damn kids grow up. Riley was already quite the songwriter three years ago with her debut album. But now… she’s three years into a joint undergraduate degree in Music and Art, Film & Visual Studies; stars onstage in incredible concert and musical productions there each year; and has spent a lot of time developing her production craft at Harvard’s recording studio, Stanford’s recording studio (where she’s part of my teaching team), and Reach Studios. She’s soaked in the artistry and the engineering from everywhere she roams. And it shows.

I loved Riley’s first album ROY G BIV.** It was a brilliant concept album by a teenager, featured on lots of international playlists and international flights on multiple airlines after receiving rave reviews globally. It showed colleges what sort of artistry she would bring to their campus if she became a student there. And she’s done just that.

But Pockets and her upcoming second album represent where she is now. A young woman three years later. Pondering that she’s soon to graduate from her place of learning. Her safe place. Almost gone. Looking backwards, forwards, in the now. Trying things. Considering her next move with both excitement and trepidation. More confident, but also more aware of the beauty and the flaws in both this world and its people, including herself. An artist willing to get even more raw and personal in her songwriting, like she does with a deft light touch in Pockets and with heartbreaking intensity on her next single, Year One. Her art — like her life — is her show completely now. And I’m glad she’s sharing it.***

There’s nothing I love more than seeing young adults in that moment of real actualization and discovery. It’s what this world needs more than ever. A fresh take. New energy and perspective. People who still have the optimism to learn, teach, share, write, sing, work on their game, and listen. It’s why I still teach workshops and artist in residencies nationwide. It’s why I still produce music by young artists.

Of course I’m biased. But listen to and watch Pockets and ask yourself if this sounds like a classic, timeless artist to you.**** An almost effortlessly gifted singer/songwriter and performer. In this sense Pockets reminds me of ROY G BIV’s first single Blue. Both are written and performed in a style that’s never the pop flavor of the moment but will always be cool. I love that the lyrics to Pockets are personal yet profound; how the simplicity and sincerity of her video represent her words; the way her vocals are performed with such casual grace, with no interest whatsoever in showing off, like a friend whispering intimate truths in your ear. I am so proud to be considered a true friend, and occasional creative collaborator, to both my adult daughters.

The third verse of Pockets resonated with me deeply when we recorded it several months back, as I was going through something fairly traumatic at the time. It spoke to me; soothed me; healed me; let me know I could ride it out and things would be okay. It was when my youngest grew up and became one of my muses; the life advice turned around and switched directions; I no longer was parent to a child. It’s the reason family and friends are so beautiful and the life cycle is so perfect when you let things occur the way they can and should be. And I hear all of that in Riley’s music.

I hope Pockets has that impact on you as well.

“But I always seem to stumble on pockets of love
Wherever I may roam…”
— Riley Max in Pockets

Thanks for your time. Share positive energy. Go make the world you live in.
— Cory Cullinan / Doctor Noize

Riley’s older sister Sidney filming one of the final scenes of the Pockets video.

*Look, don’t get me wrong — I still think I’m the most important member of the team. It’s just that I’m not.
**This love must be tempered in your mind by the knowledge that I also love Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
***I’m expecting my art to get even worse, so it’s good that hers is getting even better.
****This can be a rhetorical, even internal question. You don’t actually have to answer it out loud. I mean, you can. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. Well, I’m sort of telling you what to do. Please ignore this footnote and get back to reading the Noizeletter.