Make It To May Rocks Starkville with Upcoming Single, “Cauterize”
Song Review via Nash Jones - @_nash_jones
The vocalizations of Make it to May’s newest single fade in with the style of a radio intro, while an announcer makes commentary about “jamming the classics!” after which the song transitions into its first verse.
The five-piece rock ensemble is currently based in Starkville, Mississippi, consisting of Graham Hughes (lead vocals,) Koby Nicholson (lead guitar,) Todd Eubanks (rhythm guitar,) Hutton Smith (bass,) and Julian Dedeaux (drums.) Eubanks is a newer addition to the band after the departure of guitarist John Landry, both of whom are featured in the recording of the upcoming song, “Cauterize,” out October 4th.
Landry with Make it to May at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern
The first verse begins bare-bones, with a muted guitar riff, while Hughes sings the first lines, “She’s got a bar tab that’s overdue/ She hangs all the paintings up in her room.” Dedeaux then makes his entrance, lightly playing the ride cymbal, with Smith following with a light and flowing bass line shortly after. By the beginning of the second verse, there is a full band sound, building up through the lines, “Sleep ‘til the light don’t faze ya/ The proof wrote my own prescription down.”
Smith with Make it to May at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern
The chorus has a thrumming bass riff and a chugging guitar, along with a melodic guitar motif played at the end of each line, and is jam-packed with scattering low-toned drums. Hughes has a well-trained voice that suits rock, transitioning seamlessly between clear and clean vocals on the lines, “Cauterize all the pages/ Set out expectations,” to gruff and gravelly on the lines “What’s the game?/ ‘Cause I’m going insane/ Writing sappy melodic shit.”
Hughes with Make it to May at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern
The aforementioned lines move into the post-chorus where the vocalizations that were first sung in the background of the intro are now repeated in the foreground. I’ve attended several Make it to May shows in the past year, where, more often than not, they play "Cauterize,” and Hughes takes a moment beforehand to teach the audience this part, an arpeggiated “oh-woah-oh-oh.” The post-chorus feels like a revelry and release of tension in comparison to the rest of the song so far, which is full of conflicted emotions from the narrator. Cymbals crash, guitars ring out, and bass buzzes.
Dedeaux with Make it to May at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern
The gruffness in Hughes’ vocals carry through the second verse, which contains the lines, “And even if life never told her/ Well, beauty is hid in deeper waters,” in its buildup to the second chorus.
Following the second chorus is a guitar solo performed by Eubanks, fast-paced and punchy, spanning several octaves and tying the song together wonderfully.
Eubanks with Make it to May at Battle of the Bands
The song ends with a final post-chorus, the guitar then following the melody and fading out with the last crashes of the cymbals.
“Cauterize” is a refreshing yet nostalgic rock ballad, akin to the likes of Senses Fail and Taking Back Sunday, and sure to get stuck in your head.
Make it to May is a highly-skilled rock act, but more than being skilled on their instruments, they’re talented performers, and on the release date of their new track, they have the opportunity to prove that to their biggest audience yet at the largest outdoor music festival in Mississippi.
Make it to May recently won a battle of the bands to perform as the local opener for Bulldog Bash, with this year’s headlining act being Ludacris. Bulldog Bash is a music festival hosted by downtown Starkville. The event is known to draw an average of 35,000 participants, packed through Starkville’s Main Street.
Make it to May made the announcement of the track release date with an Instagram post of the cover art. The band is beloved within the Starkville music scene, and both fellow musicians and attendants of their shows were very glad to hear that the song is coming out, along with being quick to point out the small text in the top-right corner, which reveals the news of an upcoming LP, presenting the title “Losing Daylight.”
With both the announcement of a (fantastic) soon-out single, as well as news of an upcoming album, we’re on the edge of our seats to see what Make it to May does next.
“Cauterize” is out this Friday (as of publishing), October 4th.
