The Leanover is a band coming out of covid as many of us are-- skittish with a new look and some fun new skills. Frontman Ali Overing spent most of the last year feeling estranged from rock music, opting to self-medicate on the poppiest pop music they could find. Overing spent their quarantine months tumbling further inward into their ultra-diy mentality, expanding into the world of audio production. After softly self-producing and -releasing four lighthearted singles under the pseudonym of Poopy Poppy Princess 9000 in early 2020, they are ready to present The Leanover’s audience with a song representing a new hybrid direction for the band.
“Tectonic” was written in April 2021, shortly after the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Ali’s family had lived in the Grenadines for a few years in the 20teens and they were feeling helpless and saddened by how quickly the headlines disappeared from the international media in Canada. The volcano continued to erupt explosively for weeks and the weight of the ash was crushing buildings on the island. Thousands of people were staying in evacuation centers and COVID-19 was beginning to spread rapidly in the community. “Tectonic” was written out of a desperate urge to find some way to help bring attention back to the crisis, especially as we head into the 2021 hurricane season. All of the money raised through the release of this song will go to an on-the-ground intimate recovery effort organized by Gabija Mitchell. Mitchell’s approach has been multi-faceted and very responsive to the changing needs of evacuees in the country. Through the direct distribution of helpful gifts to individuals and families in need, Mitchell’s team have helped to bring a sense of renewed hope to those most affected by the volcano.
The song imagines plate tectonics being manipulated by a giant ancient octopus goddess/alien living in the center of the earth. It confronts the fact that humans are helpless to fully combat the effects of natural disasters on our lives. However, the song takes an uplifting stance as it posits that these moments have the ability to bring out the best in humanity. There is a “new species of wisdom” that comes from recognizing our ultimate powerlessness in the face of nature. There is an empathy, a tenderness, and reknitting of community that blossoms out of disaster.
There is a tangible tie between ourselves and our ancestors in these moments, as we are reminded that humanity has faced the same events over and over again.
