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Casual Male shares the music video for “Half Cut”, the lead single from the Casual Male LP, the self-titled debut album out October 4th. “During the solar eclipse in 2024, the great Chris Egan and I walked around Central Park filming the various folks enjoying a once in a lifetime moment,” shares seasoned musician Tim Lappin, the creative force behind Casual Male. “New York city is the absolute best when it takes a collective pause together.” Lappin began recording and releasing music of his own under the Casual Male moniker after spending years playing bass and touring in bands for the likes of Pepi Ginsberg, Chet Faker, and a laundry list of other artists. The impetus to begin putting his own songs out into the world came about after he began assessing his journey through life. “I’ve always considered myself to be someone who goes with the flow,” shares Lappin, “but the last few years have been a reckoning with what I want, and how to achieve it.”

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Watch the Chris Egan directed music video for “Half Cut”

Listen to “Half Cut” on all platforms

“Half Cut” is a song Lappin says was written after a longtime gig finally ran its course around the same time a long time relationship came to a conclusion as well. “It felt like starting over'' shares Lappin, “I thought I had ‘made it,’ living my dream of touring the world with some of my best friends, I just felt really disappointed that maybe I wouldn’t get that opportunity again.” To add to it all, a long time relationship came to a conclusion around the same time as well. “I was dealing with the disappointment of what felt like a lost opportunity,” shares Lappin, “and that's what this song is about, sitting around and drinking a few beers, and letting the inebriated solutions to life slip through your fingers.”

The Casual Male LP is preceded by a smattering of singles and a pair of EPs released over the past few years as Lappin began to further explore his own creative impulses. The strength of those early songs would earn Casual Male an opening gig on tour with Gang Of Youths. “As someone who has played for hundreds of other artists,” he shares, “this has been a chance for me to figure out what I wanted to say, and it has taken me time to do that. This record for me feels like I'm coming into my own, and feeling more confident than ever.” Much of the new album was recorded at Lappin’s home studio, with contributions from friends like guitarist Kirk Schoenherr (Chet Faker, Tegan andamp; Sara), drummer Dave Burnett, and additional vocals from Emily Jackson. Lappin then turned to producer Abe Seiferth (Nation of Language, Guerilla Toss) to further flesh out the songs and mix the record.

“Abe and I were trying to capture some of the production of 70’s rock” shares Lappin, “yet still have it feel very modern.” Those stylistic choices shine through on the album’s songs, with echoes of ELO on the sparkling “Help Me”, with its silky smooth layered vocals and pristine synth accents, or the Heartbreakers’ flavored heartland rock on songs like “Dotted Lines” and “Pipe Dream.” Elsewhere nods to the early aughts can be found on the album, such as the upbeat garage rock guitars on the aforementioned lead single “Half Cut”, or the mix of orchestral indie rock and dancey electroclash accents found on “I’m right Here”.

Lappin’s musical journey began at 12 when he first picked up electric bass (around the same time he picked up what would become a lifelong obsession with surfing), eventually attending University of The Arts in Philadelphia where he studied Jazz. He then landed in NYC in 2007 after graduating, but it took him a long time to find his way into a music scene without many musician friends in the city. Once he began playing out and meeting more musicians however, he quickly realized his status as a skilled bassist was in high demand, leading to many opportunities to play for and tour with other artists. Those experiences would pay dividends later on as Lappin began to formulate his own songs. He often found himself composing music in his head while surfing off Rockaway Beach and the Jersey shore, or while on tour  around the world in enviable destinations including Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and more. That practice only intensified as the pandemic left him with ample time to social distance while off shore in the lineup. “Most of this album was written while sitting out in the ocean,” says Lappin. “I really have time to flesh lyrics and arrangements out when I’m out on my board waiting for a good set to come in.”

Casual Male says Lappin, “is a record about change, about looking at life events and deciding what happens next.” In its songs we hear an artist grappling with a fork in the road, taking on life’s various curve balls and challenges, and charting a determined path forward.  

www.casualmaleband.com