Chicago, IL — ktwheels, one of Chicago’s most exciting indie rock artists, has just released her latest single, “Mechanical Being.” The churning, humming release combines industrial clanking thrums with organic, warm guitar riffs and effervescent, brimming resonance to create an electrifying experience. “Mechanical Being,” ktwheels’s newest adrenaline rush, is now available on all streaming platforms.
“Mechanical Being” constantly moves, adopting an unceasing, intense structure guided by restless momentum and emotional urgency. In creating the song, ktwheels took an approach that combined complex melody with an urgent, anxious release. The lyrics came to her as a flow of consciousness, bursting from the inescapable feeling of experiencing tinnitus. That constant ringing inspired a creative flourish, with the song coming together in one day. “With trusting myself fully and just enjoying my own company, I didn’t overthink anything in this song, and that allowed the song to flow as it wanted to. There wasn’t much thought into song structure, but I knew I wanted the song to be a little jarring at times to emphasize the fluctuation between feeling totally fine and extremely overwhelmed in a matter of minutes,” ktwheels explains. “‘Mechanical Being’ is the first time I’ve had the writing process work this quickly and seamlessly for me, and it’s the song I’m most proud of because of that.” The track burns with relentless sonic drive. Chucking guitar growls introduce listeners to its constant fury, while beautiful plucking strings underscore the marching drum beat, giving the song a migratory, perpetual movement. The refrain invites listeners to feel the tick of a clock as they move through the track, always in a state of engagement and pulse-driven flux. Crunchy textures, like a trickling, rattling growth, an industrial whirr, or a glistening cymbal-crashing, occasionally diverge the audience’s aural pathway, leading to engaging and beautifully distracting frenetic buildups. Toward the track’s closing chorus, a motoric guitar rumbles, leading to ktwheels’s final question: “Am I broken down? / My mind’s depleting.” The stream of consciousness slams into listeners, as ktwheels soars, singing, “Can you fix me without words of worry / Are you hearing? / No, it’s just me.” “Mechanical Being” was produced and mastered by Maxwell DiFrisco and mixed by Garrett Spoelhof at Palisade Studios in Chicago.
ktwheels, best described as a crunchy yet warm singer-songwriter navigating the indie rock space, is a new scene-setter currently based in frigid Chicago, Illinois. Originally from the Central Coast of California, ktwheels draws heavy inspiration from powerhouse female songwriters of the ‘90s, 2000s, and early 2010s, such as Madison Cunningham, Soccer Mommy, Courtney Barnett, Snail Mail, Dora Jar, and Fiona Apple. Fresh off her debut EP, Junk Drawer, ktwheels embodies the sounds of the Midwest: alternative tunings, emphatic and enriched lyrics that discuss ordinary life in capitalist towns (“Midwestern Deprestern”) and restless, antsy soundscapes (“Bruised Up”). Driven by cool, syncopated riffs, she hopes to keep listeners on their toes while embracing them with the bittersweet sound of a Rust Belt palette.
“Mechanical Being” captures a dynamic, high-voltage sound straight from a garage-worn guitar, which perfectly carries its own kinetic impact. Like a livewire, it jolts with sonic textures, nooks, and crannies that will excite any music enthusiast. “Mechanical Being” is now available for streaming on all major digital platforms. Be sure to stay tuned with ktwheels by following her on Instagram @ktwheelsmusic or visiting her website ktwheels.com.
