DC rock ensemble, Dear Daria, channels our collective pandemic-induced existential dread and musings on new EP, Solastalgia

Solastalgia is the six song follow-up to Dear Daria’s debut album, Can I Be Frank? Engineered and mixed by Mark Reiter at BIAS Studios in Northern Virginia, Solastalgia, will undoubtedly warrant repeat listens.

“Tino” and “Empire” are bonafide pop anthems that have been big crowd pleasers at the band’s live shows. The former describes the archetypal flakey friend who makes a lot of promises but rarely follows through, while the latter is an homage to the mid-90s cult classic, Empire Records. The EP’s other four tracks are more cerebral post-pandemic reflections. “On the Inside” explores how lockdown-induced depression made even the most simple and mundane of tasks feel daunting and impossible. “Avalanche” is a reaction to the skepticism of science and rejection of truth and fact that proliferated throughout the pandemic. “Cabin Fever” is a manic, frenzied study of what can happen to people when you keep them cooped up inside by themselves for too long, and “Making a Dying” is a somber, but hopeful closer that asks the listener a simple, but profound question: can we really call it “making a living” if we have to work until we die? And could there perhaps be a different path we could take?

Dear Daria is composed of DC music veterans Maryjo Mattea, Joshua Hunter, Eamonn Donnelly, and Dan ABH. The band writes storyteller songs about angst, love, mental health and depression, and a longing for the world to be the kind of safe and accepting place we all wished we lived in. The band’s spirit is informed by a post-modern mosaic of pop-culture references. Musically, Dear Daria is a brightly-colored swirl of power pop, indie rock, alt-rock, and pop punk.

Modern Mystery Blog called the band “the perfect purveyors of tuneful heart-on-sleeve alt-rock”, and KMS Reviews said, “You gotta love this retro-soaked handmade honesty…it’s a sound that you can dance, sing along, and get addicted to while learning a life lesson.” Guitarist Joshua Hunter discovered the term “solastalgia”, which combines the Latin words for “home” and “pain/suffering”. Philosopher Glenn Albrecht coined the term and defines it as "the homesickness you have when you are still at home" when your home environment is changing in ways you find distressing. “It feels like we accidentally made a concept album,” says Hunter, and “solastalgia” summed up its ethos perfectly.

Making a Dying

Cabin Fever

Avalanche

Empire

On the Inside

Tino

o' Inside D'Dark (In the Dark) by Secu Ndo

This is not just a song; it's a profound philosophical interrogation of the dichotomy between light and darkness. Sung in poetic Nigerian Pidgin English by Secu Ndo, produced by NuVox, and written by Aime Pandi Bapaga (YYMG), the track challenges the societal dogma that darkness equals evil.

The song argues that darkness is, in fact, the realm of authenticity and unfiltered truth. It posits that every genuine human experience—pleasure, raw desire, and complete freedom—is "born in the dark" because it's the only space where we cannot pretend. The central philosophical query remains: Is the danger truly the darkness itself, or is it "how much of ourself we dey see when light commot"?

Listen to this deep, atmospheric Afro-fusion meditation on desire, freedom, and the honest self.

Is darkness dangerous, or just honest? 🤔 Secu Ndo's "Fo' Inside D'Dark" (produced by NuVox) is a philosophical challenge set to a dark, poetic Afro-fusion beat.

Fo' Inside D'Dark

This one started with a question: what if nihilism was a riff? 

Metalcore with a groove metal bounce in the verses—92 BPM, drop-tuned, syncopated enough to make you move before it hits you. Then the chorus explodes into thrash-speed blast beats. The contrast is the whole point. Bouncy/heavy, cynical/aggressive, the repetition of the hook ("Nothing matters!") gets heavier each time.

Lyrically, it's exactly what the title promises. The central premise: all the shit we kill ourselves for—career, family, activism—becomes meaningless when you're dead in 50 years. The song doesn't offer redemption or perspective. It just states it and lets the guitars emphasize the frustration.

If you're into Fit For An Autopsy's nihilistic metalcore or Lamb of God's rhythmic chug, this hits that lane.

Nothing Matters

Puer Aeternus is a reflection on eternal youth — the beauty, the chaos, and the cost of never growing up.
A mix of nostalgia, defiance, and dreamlike soundscapes that feel both ancient and alive.

Rose

She Cant Get Away

Southbound Train

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Come and Get On

Flight

Waterfall

Political Ritual

This track is meant to make you question everything. I wrote Disinfo as a guideline we might need — not something to take with a grain of salt — especially with what’s coming next in tech and ideas. I won’t go into specifics here; it’s up to you whether you like it or not. Maybe it’s the last real choice you’ll get… or maybe not.

I’m just a musician, not an anthropologist, and I don’t claim to understand the system — I just think it’s worth questioning it in a healthy way.

DiSiFO

Dear Beauty

Inspired by voyager 1, the furthest man made object from earth and the famous 'pale blue dot' picture it sent back to us on February 14, 1990.

The pale blue dot

YYMG (Ya’ Yo Miziki Global) is a pioneering international record label dedicated to producing and releasing premium, boundary-pushing music for the global stage. Specializing in world music and genre fusion, from Afrotrap and Afrofusion to Samba, Dancehall, and unexpected experimental blends, YYMG brings a bold, innovative sound that resonates across cultures and continents.

At our core, we believe in the transformative power of music. Through high-quality production and genre-defying artistry, we aim to elevate listening experiences, stimulate cultural curiosity, and contribute to the mental and emotional growth of our audience.

Whether we’re developing emerging voices or collaborating with global talents, our mission is clear:

> To craft timeless music that challenges borders and sets new standards for creativity and sonic excellence.



YYMG music is globally distributed and available on all major digital streaming platforms, including:

🎧 Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, Boomplay, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Saavn, Tencent Music, NetEase, ClaroMusica, Yandex Music (beta), Triller (beta), MediaNet, Twitch Soundtrack, and more.

Socially engaged and digitally active, you can also connect with YYMG via: 

📱 Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Resso, and YouTube


Stevie Jay — reflective and imperfect by design.
Music carved from exhaustion and curiosity.
Every layer is fought for. Still learning, so feedback is part of the process. Every track is fully instrumental and self-produced, designed to speak without lyrics.

Dissonant Sanctuary is a state of mind I tap into while creating.
Each track is built from scratch—layer by layer—using a DAW.
The visual art is mine too, created to reflect what’s behind each song.

Derek Bowes | Metal songwriter spanning 4 decades

From 80s hair metal heartbreak to 2025 apocalyptic instrumentals. Heavy instrumentals, gothic vocals, thrash fury.

🎸 30 tracks and counting
🤘 New metal every Friday
📍 Ottawa, Canada

40 years of riffs trapped in my head, finally unleashed with AI tools. Influenced by Hair Metal (Poison), Metallica, Triumph, and the darkest corners of the metal spectrum (and mind).

Latest: They Should Have Let Me Sleep

Also on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ZdmG9ZyjeetE4RVIo5fDd

What do a goth kid, an indie rocker, a vinyl addict, and a Beatlemaniac have in common? Apparently, a lot of Wayne’s World jokes.

Washington, DC-based four-piece Dear Daria writes storyteller songs about angst, love, social commentary, mental health, and a longing for the world to be the kind of safe and accepting place we all wished we lived in. The band’s spirit is informed by a post-modern mosaic of cultural references. Musically, Dear Daria is a brightly-colored swirl of power pop, indie rock, alt-rock, and pop punk. Frontwoman Maryjo Mattea says “it's like if Lennon and McCartney grew up in the 90s”. Composed of long-time DC music mainstays Maryjo Mattea, Joshua Hunter, Eamonn Donnelly, and Dan ABH, Dear Daria has been favorably compared to Paramore, Rilo Kiley, and The Donnas.

New tracks tagged #existential