Every Friday night, RVA Mag brings you a truly fantabulous playlist curated by Virginia’s most influential artists, musicians, and institutions.
This week, we’ve got a set of tunes from PJ Sykes, a veteran musician and photographer who’s been making noise around Richmond for years in bands like Hoax Hunters, Angels vs. Aliens, and a ton of others, as well as running longtime Richmond indie label Cherub Records. His latest single, released under his own name, premieres all over the internet today, and is a prelude to forthcoming solo LP FUZZ.
The single, which leads off a playlist full of hot tracks originating in Virginia, is a cover of “Rain In To The Sea,” by Richmond Americana group David Shultz & the Skyline. As with all of the songs on the playlist, the original version of this tune has strong resonances for Sykes.
“As I stumbled into writing FUZZ, my first solo album in [age redacted] years, I decided early on it would be a good idea to record a cover song. Something to help me figure out sounds and get back into recording,” he said. “I’ve been obsessed with ‘Rain In To The Sea’ by David Shultz & The Skyline for a decade now. It’s like a classic Tom Petty song, brilliantly simple sounding, yet tricky to play. I think it pairs well with the new songs I’ve been writing.”
Get the single, along with a B-side featuring an outtake from the last Hoax Hunters EP, over at Sykes’ Bandcamp. Then spend your weekend jamming this playlist full of Virginia-based musical excellence — it’s sure to brighten up your otherwise-spooky Halloween weekend.
Go vote, Virginia.
Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.
