Hot and fresh breakout stars of the Los Angeles underground rock scene, 20K Rio has released their debut single, “tightrope” today. The duo is made up of singer/guitarist Tommy Lloyd (left) and drummer Luke Curo (right). The pair were formally the remaining members of the bubblegum pop-punk outfit, Lip Candy, a band that had started gaining some serious traction in SoCal. However, the two rockers came to a point where they needed to take things in a different direction. Having grown a dedicated fanbase across TikTok, Instagram, and the local LA scene, they are starting out in a strong place with the new project.
“This whole thing was one giant risk, but we took that risk and started over, despite the years we put into building our previous project. Everything just felt like a gimmick, and we were burned out. Then we took to the studio. We threw away all expectations of what we “should” sound like. We stopped caring, we changed our name and we cleaned the slate. And this is what we made,” front man Tommy Lloyd shares on their new endeavor.
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Upon first listen of “tightrope” it is easy to hear the drastic sonic differences between 20K Rio and Lip Candy. The band has been teasing the launch of 20K Rio for a few weeks now. Up until this point, it was a mystery as to whether the duo’s new sound would be as aesthetically enhanced to their previous project as their new look and vibe. It is. They certainly made the right decision by starting fresh. Lip Candy is officially dead, and 20K Rio is going to dance on the grave. 20K Rio is bigger, arugably better, and ready to kick down all the doors.
The new single lives in a world of gritty grunge-pop. It is bathed in heavy 808 synths, with a sprinkle of cutting electric guitars in all the right places. Lloyd showcases his incredible vocal abilities throughout the entire track, bouncing back and forth between his glossy full-voice delivery and charming falsetto. The guitar focused chorus sounds like it could shine in a fight scene of a teen movie. 20K Rio has entered the world, and is only getting started. Don’t sleep on them. Listen to “tightrope” below!
