Bottles is the debut single from Fredericton guitarist Shawn Randall’s new project, Stirs.
Matt Carter
Taking inspiration from Billy Wilder’s 1945 film The Lost Weekend, the first single from Fredericton guitarist Shawn Randall’s new project Stirs filters themes of procrastination and addiction through upbeat verses and an incredibly catchy chorus.
Known to many as a member of the electro-pop group Digital Circus and as a ubiquitous local busker playing jazz interpretations of pop classics, Randall’s previous solo release WOW! (2022) is a collage of sampled beats and loops mixing the likes of St. Germain and Headnodic through a low-fi hip hop filter. Stirs debuts a new rock inspired direction for Randall with Bottles leading the way.
“The song was inspired by the film The Lost Weekend,” said Randall. “The film depicts a man wasting his weekend away by binge drinking and tarnishing his relationships with almost everyone he meets. When in a bar, the protagonist is cared for by the bartender, serving him shots of potent potables and lecturing him about his lifestyle. Later in the film, the protagonist finds himself in the alcoholics’ ward of a hospital being cared for by a nurse serving him medicine while lecturing him about his lifestyle. I was inspired by the dynamic between the protagonist and the barkeeper/nurse, so I thought it would make a compelling song.”
With Randall playing all the instruments, singing and tipping his hat to some of popular rock music’s most influential groups, with a particular lean towards the last few decades, Bottles is an exceptional songwriting debut and an enjoyable window into things to come.
