Ever since Miss ‘Rona sat on our table, Friday nights don’t feel like Friday nights anymore. They just feel like extended Mondays—draining, confusing and a not-so-thrilling saga of trying to zone out ‘til midnight. Since constantly missing our friends and live music are now part of the [2020 voice] norm, we didn’t miss the chance to hang out with Jason Dhakal and Fern—the boys of Paradise Rising.
From their bedrooms to ours, Jason and Fern vibed with us for our #ScoutFridayPicks livestream earlier. To say that they put on a good show is an understatement. Jason’s “Heaven” sparked some held back feelings, while “Endlessly + Tenderly” made us a real ass mess. His loyalists in the comments were right—his voice does sound like butter.
Meanwhile, Fern’s tracks screamed cathartic—something we need as we end this tough week. Will I think about “Kaori” and “Want U Bad” until I sleep? Will I rewatch his freestyles to protect myself from the evil that surrounds me? Maybe.
Like a true hangout, we also saw them go full fanboy. Jason thesis defense-d his love for Mariah Carey (and albums like “Butterfly” and “Babydoll”). Then, Fern revealed some of his favorite films like “Chungking Express,” “Clapping For The Wrong Reasons,” and “I Want Your Pancreas” among others.
At the end of the stream, I think we regained emotions—and we think you should too. IRL Friday hangs may be dead for now, but at least we have this stream to rewatch. Leaving this here. You’re welcome.
Art by Jan Cardasto