Singer/songwriter, musician, and designer Austin Sands has shared a video for his single “Cruise” a vibrant new pop anthem that takes inspiration from California’s iconic coastline. With its addictive guitar hooks and driving melody, the song captures Sands’s signature as a “synth-heavy” singer/songwriter with its swings of effervescent electronica. Finding himself inspired after a drive on the Pacific Coast Highway, Sands set out to write a song that captured the feelings he’d felt. On “Cruise” Sands captures that euphoric high that comes from realizing just how endless the possibilities that exist on life’s highway.
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The music video for “Cruise” directed by Mika Boorem, sought to similarly capture that energy in its filming while also exploring the history of “cruising” as a piece of Americana. After learning that their own cinematographer’s parents had met while cruising one of the boulevards back in the day, the idea cemented itself as a centerpiece for the video. Choosing an iconic cherry-red Buick as the vehicle, the video for “Cruise” is an ode to an iconic retro Los Angeles. Boorem, who also stars in the video as a hitchhiker picked up by Sands in his car, also stressed the importance of including elements of the friendships forged on such journeys.
Sands, a transplant from Arizona who moved to California in his youth, has been performing as a musician since he was 11-years-old. Imbued with an early love for raucous acts like Smashing Pumpkins and Blink-182, Sands’ serious fascinations included composers like J.S. Bach and Issac Albeniz, as well as classical guitar virtuoso Andrés Segovia. With this diverse set of interests, he slowly molded himself into a multi-instrumentalist with multiple interests — and by 19 he was playing the Troubadour, the Roxy, and Whisky A Go-Go.
Before embarking on any solo projects Sands also performed as part of the electronic rock band Metro Station. So “Cruise” marks his first single as a solo artist but by no means it will be anywhere close to his last, with his eclectic background signaling that future releases will expand on his clear knack for crafting lush pop-anthems.
“We take you back to where the song was conceived on Pacific Coast Highway,” Sands said of the song. “And later adventure roads that connect one life with many across it’s length exemplifying the beauty of being there for someone in any capacity. Much like the song it screams feel-good summer, with a touch of neon nightlife and a hint of retro Buick Electra.
Keep up with Austin Sands via his Instagram.
Watch the video for Austin Sands new single “Cruise” below!
