Energetic, hard hitting and hooks for days, Royal Castles make nostalgic but contemporary garage-power-pop. Hailing from Guelph, Ontario, the three-piece blend riffy guitar licks, wooly bass and ear-candified harmonies. They have partnered again with Zane Whitfield (The Glorious Sons, The Blue Stones, Luella) who produced their sophomore album, Just The Hits (2021), on five new songs for their EP called Singles Night.
“I Don’t Think I Like You” is their summer vibe song. It’s the focus track from Singles Night. Put it on and go for a long drive!
“There was a friend who had been around for years; someone we all thought we liked, because we were supposed to like him,” songwriter Jordan Gabriel explains. “He was a part of the crew. But as time went on, that little nagging feeling became clearer and clearer. We just didn’t like him.”
In the era of streaming where every song is its own piece of content, the idea was to release each of the five tracks as singles. So why not call it out in the name? Lyrically, these songs mark a shift towards storytelling and allegory. Royal Castles have also upped the production level to craft poppier, catchier tunes.
“Our fascination with pop has continued to influence us lyrically, thematically and from a crafted production standpoint,” says Jordan Gabriel. “We are chasing the elusive earworm. And we simply want to bring our audiences a little bit of head-bobbing happiness.”