Singled Out: Fred Hostetler's Crazy Town

10-23-2024

Fred Hostetler just released a music video for his new song, "Crazy Town", and to celebrate we asked him to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

I finally reached the social media and tech tipping point as a songwriter. Feelings burst forth and I grabbed my guitar, picked up my iPhone and recorded a minute and 45 seconds worth of rhythms, chords, and mumblings that became the basis of this timely single 'Crazy Town'. The socially conscious lyric peppered with a bit of wry humor calls for a return to truth telling, integrity and decries the monetizing of everything we do online. Whew, it all happened fast and just in time for the mashup that is the US election. A 'power pop rock' arrangement sets this track apart from my work in the blues and blues rock genre. This is in no small measure due to a creative piano arrangement by Eric Troyer that surprised me, but reflected the Crazy Town theme in a fresh way and pulled the track to its reflective conclusion: "It's time to sit down, relax and have a cup of tea."

Yes, it's crazy town around here. At times I'm in crazy town; especially when malfunctioning tech seems to be taking up so much time and doing my duties on social media (as required for indies these days) gets exasperating. The effect on one's nerves is cumulative and just keeps building. I'm staring at a screen. It's staring back at me. Its contents live inside my brain. It's an imitation of real life in the physical world. Losing touch with the natural world, I finally throw up my hands and take a walk in the woods. However, on my walk I'm reminded of ecological disasters and geopolitical problems. It's crazy town implanted in my brain. Finding joy in uncertainty is challenging and embracing chaos is daunting. Contributing to the solution are indie musicians that span the whole globe and keep pouring out music and the energy for change. Thanks ya'll!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here