With “Minimal”, Towenewest Continue to Experiment

The innovative boy band is back with a new single and an appetite for pushing their music to the edge of pop.

Photo: Paolo Panlilio

Townewest’s debut album “before it’s too late” established the band as artists who are unafraid of an ambitious concept. Filled with skits and songs that smash into you like a sledgehammer, the album was a thrilling suckerpunch. Today, Townewest returns with “Minimal” , a sublime new single in collaboration with the alt-pop artist Maxime. The band has never been content to stay in one lane, though, and as a result “Minimal” sounds uniquely of its own. It’s experimental, dreamy, and saturated with different production tricks to hit your ears.

Townewest’s lyrics are often more focused on feelings and memories than simply a cohesive narrative. Often, the group will break your heart or make you laugh with how blunt their honesty goes. “Minimal” follows this threadline with mysterious lyrics that likely reference the end of a relationship. “You said let’s pretend/ All the things we used to focus on/ It don’t make much sense,” Jonum sings in the opening chorus, “Maybe it’s too much/ To feel/ To hurt/ to share.” 

“Minimal” follows a new strategy for the group. After releasing two EPs and one album in 2023, the group is focusing on singles that allow them to experiment with their sound. “Minimal” is the first of several that will be dropped this year, but it’s not the first that signifies Townewest’s approach to collaboration and experimentation. The group recently held a retreat that brought together songwriters, musicians and engineers for an opportunity to work together on new music. 

When I interviewed the group in August, the boys were already envisioning how they could combine theatrics and pop culture for one-of-a-kind experiences. “We want to make [our musical experiences] feel like an art gallery where you walk in and there’s just so much to experience,” Luc explained. If you go to one of their concerts this year, Jonum added, “you’re going to experience installations of their music.” 

What continues to set Townewest apart on “Minimal” is their clear-eyed artistic direction. No one is mixing genres, collaborators or sounds quite as bravely as this group is. “We want to get mainstream at some point but we want to navigate it uniquely in our own way,” he continued. “Once we make it you can conform so easily but we want to be sure we still stay unique.” 

You can stream “Minimal” now on all music services. Like what you hear? Hit up their merch shop. Be sure to join their Discord and follow them on Instagram.