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LA Indie Rockers Petty Human Emotions craft raw and vulnerable sound on deeply affecting self-titled debut album “Petty Human Emotions”

By Kath Galasso on June 22, 2023

Los Angeles Indie Rock Band Petty Human Emotions craft an unabashedly raw and vulnerable sound on melancholic, deeply affecting self-titled debut album “Petty Human Emotions”, out May 19 on streaming platforms. Right out of the gate, the band set the haunting tone on atmospheric lead track “Something New”, and it’s immediately clear this will be a disarmingly honest and emotionally charged ride. Fans of bands like Dinosaur Jr, Radiohead and Nirvana should enjoy this decidedly underground-sounding yet meticulously crafted release. Lyrically, the album explores universal human emotions that often go unshared, and Petty Human Emotions lean into this, making it one of their greatest strengths, along with their atypical, lo-fi musical approach that flies in the face of rampant over-production. It’s the type of album where the stark, acoustic tracks feel just as home as the electrified rock numbers.

Project founded James Nardiello opens up on the origins and themes of the album: “This is a collection of songs that share a tone and a feeling more than anything else. The feeling at the forefront of this project is simple melancholy, longing and loneliness. I felt inspired to include instruments that aren’t typical of the rock genre or to use them in ways that may be unconventional to experiment and execute this. The songs are all tied together musically and thematically in a more abstract way than I had previously written records.”

“Petty Human Emotions” was produced and engineered by Max Dickenson. Look out for it on streaming services.

Watch their music video for “Sorry”
Stream “Sorry” on Spotify.
Watch the lyric video for “Untitled”.
Stream “Untitled” on Spotify.

Musician Names/Instruments:
On this album:
James Nardiello – Guitar/Vocals/Theremin (Tracks 1 & 2)/Air Organ (Tracks 1 & 2)/Keys (Tracks 6, 9 & 11)/Drums (Track 10)/Xylophone (Track 9)/Toy Cat Keyboard (Track 9)/Trumpet (Track 1)/ Bass (Track 11)
Max Dickenson – Lead Guitars/Drums/Bass/Keys/Mellotron/Cello/Violin/Theremin/Accordion

Current lineup:
James Nardiello – Guitar/Vocals
Bruce Elmer – Drums
Austin King – Lead Guitar
Ayden Bongiovi – Bass
Ian Phillips – Keys

Tracklist:
1.) Something New
2.) I Want
3.) Madison Ave.
4.) Mae
5.) Sorry
6.) Moonbird
7.) The Time It Takes
8.) Goodbye
9.) Untitled
10.) All That I Can Be
11.) I’m Still Here

Websites:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pettyhumanemotions
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pettyhumanemotions/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7hk3zOh5DNYaeM1zPh7vxg
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLk7GhFeixrY4jQ5XrC_sqA

Artist Biography:
While initially conceived as the solo project of singer/songwriter James Nardiello (Caesar’s Ghost) Petty Human Emotions quickly became much more. The project’s Self-Titled first record was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022 in Camarillo, California and was engineered by Max Dickenson (Two Brothers) who also contributed drums, bass, lead guitar and various other instruments. It quickly became clear to Nardiello that the project would require a full band for live performances. Through social media platforms, Nardiello was able to find drummer Bruce Elmer, lead guitarist Austin King, bassist Ayden Bongiovi and key player Ian Phillips. After a few short weeks the newly formed band were ready to begin performing live. Their first single, “Untitled” from the upcoming Self-Titled record was released on Valentine’s Day 2023 to all major streaming platforms and was accompanied by a music video directed by Nardiello, starring LynnStarr and himself. Their debut record released on May 19th.

Press Quotes:
“…feels genuinely like a breath of fresh air for modern music.” – Stereostickman.com Author Rebecca Cullen
“…a contemporary punk-rock act with a fine fusion of elements to their style.” – Stereostickman.com Author Rebecca Cullen