I Have Come to Set the World on Fire, And I Wish It Were Already Burning!
[Post-Emo] Meet Grand Motel + hear their latest single.
Hi Pal,
As always, welcome to everyone new here. I hope you stick around.
My Review
I will always have the time for new bands irrespective of genre. When I find artists creating music that is in short supply on the scene, I shift from curious interest to deep admiration.
At this time of writing, Grand Motel has two singles out and two things are already clear. The first is their love for Jesus and the second is their desire to create emo-tinged music with post-hardcore influences.
This tune is simple in approach and execution. Fans of the genre(s) will recognize the stylistic choices — whether in the tuning of the guitars, the subtle reverb and distortions, the repetitive infectious riffs or the sing-scream vocal approach in the chorus and outro.
These familiar undertones bring a nostalgic essence to the song and rather than feeling formulaic, it ends up being a refreshing listen all around. The lyrics are the heart of the tune as they sing about Jesus making them — and by extension “us” — flames of fire.
They draw inspiration from multiple portions of scripture, weaving them together to create a singular narrative that is encouraging and impactful in equal parts.
Listen Here:
Meet Grand Motel
Grand Motel is a band of two high school friends from Nebraska. Myles Ferguson (Guitar, Vocals) and Keith Kliewer (Drums) formed the band in the summer of 2024 with one goal: to show others the hope and love of Jesus through what they like to call “Midwestern Post-Emo.”
Their lyrics are often inspired by themes and passages in the Bible, like keeping focused on Christ through distractions, standing up for the truth (even if it’s going against the crowd), and giving their lives to God as living sacrifices.
I want our band to be the Midwestern Post-Emo version of the Supertones. I want our lyrics to praise the Lord while maintaining a sick sound. - Ferguson
The band is influenced by groups like Movements, Arm’s Length, and Hot Mulligan.
Song Inspiration
This song is inspired by Romans 12:1, where Paul says “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.”
It is about how YHWH is an all-consuming fire and giving up our lives to him. The chorus “Your fire is enveloping, the winds have changed they're headed straight towards me, I hear your voice and I fall to my knees, I'm dousing my skin in your gasoline, burn through me.” helps to bring that idea home.
When God appears to Moses for the first time in Exodus, He does this as flames on a bush. The fire is not burning the bush, showing that Yahweh exists with reliance on nothing. He is.
It makes it even crazier to think about how He chooses us to serve and advance His Kingdom, even though he needs no help.
We also used other biblical fire references (Pentecost, The Exodus), but the main theme is offering our bodies as living sacrifices to the eternal flame.
What’s Next
We plan to release one song per month until May. Then we will spend some time in the studio to release our LP in the fall of 2025.
Playing many local shows and potentially making it to Audiofeed to play on their impromptu stage is also in the works.
We are also considering a tour for summer 2026.
Connect with Grand Motel here:
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Feel free to leave a comment. Also, I am always open to hearing from you so feel free to send an email to me at stismavo@gmail.com