Los Angeles songwriter Hrishikesh Hirway, better known as the One A.M. Radio, might not sound like much of what gets radio play these days, but the “One A.M.” part is at least spot-on: Hirway’s whispery vocals and lush arrangements are nocturnes for a new generation. While he first got notice splitting a 7″ with Ted Leo, Hirway’s “In the Time We’ve Got” falls more firmly in the sweet, dark vein of Blonde Redhead, infused with a note of lo-fi Neutral Milk Hotel strumming.

Hirway, however, told SPIN.com it was the New Pornographers’ frontman and solo artist A.C. Newman who inspired the overriding rhythm in “In the Time We’ve Got.” “I was listening to ‘On the Table’ by A.C. Newman over and over around the time I started writing ‘In the Time We’ve Got,'” he explained. “The drum part is amazing, and made me really excited about playing drums again. In L.A., I was mostly processing my drum machine to make beats — much harder to upset your neighbors if you’re working in headphones. But I was living at home in Massachusetts last winter, where I had my old drum kit in the room I grew up in. It’s the suburbs, so I could play all the time. I used to play along to ‘On the Table’ — blast it on my stereo and rock out. I think some of that seeped into this track.”

The One A.M. Radio’s This Too Will Pass will broadcast Feb. 20, over the Dangerbird Records frequency.

Now Hear This:
One AM Radio – “In the Time We’ve Got” DOWNLOAD MP3

Talk: Will you pass up This Too Will Pass? COMMENT

On the Web:
theoneamradio.com

Subscribe to Spin

YES! I want to try 2 issues of SPIN RISK-FREE!