Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, co-host of Drive Time on KEXP, is "Tunnel Vision" by Crack Cloud, from the 2020 album Pain Olympics on Meat Machine Records.
Through the fog of Vancouver's opioid crisis, Crack Cloud emerged. “Crack Cloud was an outlet for me during the early days of my rehab,” vocalist and drummer Zach Choy explained to NME. “A way of addressing things I’d internalised over the years, the anxiety and turmoil I used to deal with in more destructive ways.”
Since then, the band has evolved into a full-on arts collective of musicians, film-makers, artists, and designers, many of whom are recovering addicts themselves or people who work with addicts. Their debut album, Pain Olympics, lists almost 30 contributors in both musicianship and artistry. Many of the members of Crack Cloud live and work together in harm reduction units located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
“You have people from all walks of life. You have people that are escaping traumatic life situations, people who are entrenched in historical trauma and discrimination, people who have just been discharged from prison; everyone is under one roof,’’ Choy continued to Vice. “You would think that that would cause a lot of dissonance, but it’s easily the most inclusive and harmonized community that I’ve ever been a part of. In a lot of ways it operates on a level that I take a lot of inspiration from, and is how I envision Crack Cloud functioning.”
Finding good new music can be a full time job, so let KEXP help! In Our Headphones brings you five song recommendations every Monday, straight from KEXP’s DJs and Music Directors. Join hosts Janice Headley and Isabel Khalili on this never-ending journey of music discovery.
Host Emily Fox and KEXP’s editorial team talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.
