Half Tail’s first release of 2026 is here. In February the band dropped a rock single of existential nature called “Not Impressed” via Coywolf Records, engineered and mixed by Samuel Rosson. For starters, you will in fact feel impressed after listening. Half Tail is the genius of James Andrews (vocals and guitar), Seth Howard (guitar), Carl Seaberg (drums) and Aaron Szasz (bass). Hailing from Seattle, Washington, the band recorded “Not Impressed” in the historic Hall of Justice Recording Studio, home to the recordings of bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Sleater-Kinney and more. According to Half Tail their songs’ central topics include “childhood, heartbreak, dictators, wild animals and the gnawing feeling of guilt.”
This song in particular grapples with the role of social media in our lives and how quickly it can shift from something productive to something destructive and toxic. “My main concerns with social media are how quickly it can be used to spread misinformation and disinformation. But more specifically, I wrote the song in response to how I feel when I use the platforms too much. After too much time on them, I feel disconnected from my own sense of self, like I’ve taken in too many opinions and feelings from other people and I’ve temporarily lost touch with myself and my own thoughts and beliefs,” said Andrews. You can feel him looking up from the screen after being flooded by an influx of stimuli as he sings: “I’m not impressed with all these feelings / I’m getting lost in minor dealings.” Sonic influences of classic PNW rock from bands like Built to Spill and Death Cab for Cutie are evident.
The band released their first EP Catching Frogs At Night in 2022. In 2024 the band released their second EP, I WAS A COYOTE ALL ALONG, which was “mostly about the unforgiving laws of nature, whether applied to humans or other species.”
Queue this one up as you take a walk and take a break from doomscrolling. I promise it will keep you good company.
Written by Emma Hums
