The Halfways: “I Don’t Know How to Say No” (Live In Studio 1A)

Photo by Jen Lee Rachid

Austin’s the Halfways are a network of psych-rock energies who, under the leadership of frontman and chief songwriter Daniel Fernandez, link into one another’s minds and souls, sometimes facing the center to create as one, and other times facing in different directions in a state of individual, yet unified meditation, allowing whatever flows to be held together by their own jam-band electricity.

“I Don’t Know How to Say No” grows jam band roots from a psychedelic seed, born from a united core but eventually growing in different directions to deliver unique levels of jam-band hydration from root to root. After about 90 seconds of straight-ahead dreamy psych-noir, the song begins to drift back-and-forth in time, slipping in tricks and riffs that are distinctly 1960s while maintaining its embryonic, contemporary foundation. But just when you think the sound has landed and the song is about to come to a dreamy end, the foundation shifts, softly splintering-off into the different root hairs of each instrument, and before you know it, your ears are tripping on a meditative jam sesh. Better yet, it’s live jam rock, baby!

Get a full dose of the Halfways at Stubb’s Indoors this Saturday immediately following the Black Angels.

“I Don’t Know How to Say No” appears on In the Interim, out now via the group’s Bandcamp.

-Taylor Wallace // producer, Ekelektikos with John Aielli and SoundCheck Music News; host, Thursdays 8-11PM and Saturdays 2-6PM

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