Singled Out: Cole Roland's Echo

Keavin Wiggins | 07-10-2023

Single art

Cole Roland scored a hit at the age of 15 with a guitar video that went viral and he hasn't stopped since. He just released his new single "Echo". To celebrate we asked him to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

When I was ready to buckle down and begin crafting a new original single I knew I wanted two things: to connect with the listener in a way that I never have before, and to make sure it hits HARD. I brought this mindset to my co-producer Jonathan Dolese and we chatted for about an hour before a single note was written. One of my favorite methods to approach song writing is to start with a topic I feel passionate about. When "Echo" was conceptualized, I was listening to a lot of talks about human behavioral psychology and how modern technology plays a role in our day-to-day lives. For better & for worse.

I'm a huge Black Mirror fan (just watched Season 6 and loved it!) so this also helped to set the pace for the direction the song was going lyrically. We have a strong topic and we know it's gotta be heavy. Let's get after it!

Sonically, I wanted to Echo to act as a wakeup call. It's dynamic, in-your-face and is equipped with an earworm of a chorus to sing along to. The copious layers of vocals, coupled with a modern metal twist and a face-melting guitar solo is the formula to set Echo apart from pack. Jonathan Dolese was my partner of choice to write and produce this track with. His production and mixing skills are easily some of the best I've had the pleasure of experiencing and we made a great team! You need heavy? Jonathan is your guy.

Lyrically, Echo is a powerful anthem about getting trapped in a negative pattern of thinking. With the egregious amount of information and overstimulation in our everyday lives, it's easier than ever to find your mind tangled up in algorithms that thirst for our attention. Technology has the capacity to push our buttons, consume our time with distractions, & numb us to true connection.

I wrote this song for people finding themselves lost in a sea of overstimulation. The ones who need a way out but are too addicted to know they need to make a change.

I'm thrilled to release my heaviest sounding original song to-date, demonstrate even more of what I can accomplish vocally, and most importantly, connect with great people through doing what I love to do. I'm constantly reminded how powerful a well written song can be whenever I'm in the listener's seat and especially when a personal topic of mine connects with someone who can relate.

"Echo" is yours as of June 23, 2023 and to anyone listening, THANK YOU!

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