Artists You Should Know: Modern Love Child Electrifies and Romanticizes, Listen to New Single "Diet Cokes"

Miami-based Modern Love Child has shared a new single in the form of “Diet Cokes,” the latest release from the rising indie-pop crooner. Created by singer/songwriter Johnny Shane the project creates the kind of sunnily riveting and love-pining alt-rock that is equal parts surf and woozy nostalgia. Although he no longer lives in Los Angeles his music was — from the start — inspired by this golden vision of the west coast. On his newest single though he still channels plenty of what makes Modern Love Child so magnetic: from its guitar-forward melody to its off-kilter rhythms.

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“Diet Cokes” saunters along to a tale as old as time: a lover consumed by the world around them and not the person in front of them. “Keep on posting pictures / Baby if it makes you feel important,” Shane sings in his raspy vocals as a vintage layering of “sha-la-las” echo in the background. Throw in plenty of jaunty riffs — a few clamorous drums — and you have a song that is the absolute synthesis of Modern Love Child’s joyfully retro appeal.

Caught between love and exasperation, the melody of “Diet Cokes” might be swooning but Shane sure isn’t. “If it ain’t seen by a million / Baby then you might as well ignore it,” he advises her. Lamenting sweetly and sadly against the pummeling percussion surge: “You don’t even kiss me in the morning.” Modern Love Child might be based in Miami today but they still make music aglow with sunny sonics and beach-minded nostalgia.

The vivid and anthemic sonics of Modern Love Child’s debut album MLC is also rife with visions of Shane hitching his dreams and hopes to a driving rock soundtrack to his decision to finally head west. Which is exactly what Shane did after tragedy led to the loss of his best friend. Fulfilling a promise they’d made as teenagers is what initially led him to Los Angeles, where he started a new band and began intertwining more of his personal life into his songwriting.

After further moves — to London then Connecticut and New York — found their way into his music. Which eventually culminated in his debut, which carry imprints of his movements, as well as wrangling with love and grief. Highlights include but are not limited to anthemic album opener “West,” the glimmering sprinter of a track “Golden Brown,” and the shudderingly invigorating rock piece “Ali” (a song written by Shane’s friend Greg Hillman, who was lost to suicide). If you dig “Diet Cokes” be sure to check out Modern Love Child’s other latest singles, including “Nobody’s Perfect” and “Venice!”