Arm’s Length + Prince Daddy and the Hyena

“This record speaks more to my life at the moment than the past,” singer/lyricist Allen Steinberg explains, “even though there’s still a good amount of past on it. But it’s how I’m dealing with it now, as opposed to being enveloped in it—there’s more a sense of being on the other side of it, of seeing it with hindsight. ” Produced by Anton DeLost, There’s A Whole World Out There expands Arm’s Length’s horizons, presenting Steinberg as more self-reflective contemplative than he was before. As Steinberg wrote the parts for all the instruments and most of the lyrics and drummer Jeff Whyte added percussion, it was only when these songs were recorded as a full band with Jeremy Whyte on bass and Ben Greenblatt that their full potential was realized. The result is that the feelings driving these songs burst and bloom with full force, building on the incredible foundations set by the band’s previous record. Though most of the album is designed to be played loud, there are also moments of delicate, tender nuance that offer a window into the resilience that got Steinberg through those trying few years, allowing him to now look back on them, if not with a smile, then with a palpable sense of relief. “It’s all about having some hindsight,” he says, “and being able to look back on the traumas that I talked about on the last record. It’s accepting the damage is done, and then moving on.”

Bike Routes is David Lawrence Osterhout. Deeply intimate, earnest, and heartfelt expressions of anxiety, heartbreak, and acceptance lie within deceptively sugary melodies and hooks. David’s acoustic guitar is the anchor, inviting listeners into a notebook full of emotion and authenticity.

The Garden State gave the world Bruce Springsteen, The Misfits, Lifetime, and The Gaslight Anthem. There’s perhaps a bit of the essence of each of those trailblazers within the Bike Routes sound. While the South Jersey singer/songwriter conjures the spirit of the iconic troubadours of indie rock, classic emo, and postmodern pop-punk, he distinctively carves a singularly unique identity all his own.

The Rush of Energy EP, the first Bike Routes release via Blue Grape Music, crackles with urgency and energy without losing the intimate feel of the earlier work. “You Want It, You Got It” and “World Apart” are ready-made anthems for audiences who share Osterhout’s diverse tastes and passions.

Bike Routes excels in the live environment, as evidenced on a Spring 2024 tour with Hawthorne Heights. “Reading books is a huge hobby of mine,” David says. “And I’ve always loved writing. Learning how to say what I want exactly the right way throughout the years has been such a joy. Playing shows has been the payoff. Performing these songs that I feel fully connected to and connecting with the crowd is the greatest gift in the world.”