PREMIERE: Son Step embraces the unknown on “Mai Lai Wah”

Son Step | Photo by Matthew Roberts

Grooved-up Philly experimental four-piece Son Step returns this winter with an LP called Natural Majique, and today the band teases it with the release of a new two-song single. You can listen to our premiere of the “Mai Lai Wah” single below, and indeed, the title song does take its name from the Race Street restaurant with the rad neon in the windows. As bandleader Jon Coyle tells us:

This one is a pretty meaningful song for me, and I wrote it during a time when I was dealing with a lot of personal change. It’s about being present, and trying to find something lasting by embracing unpredictability. The title itself actually comes from the restaurant David’s Mai Lai Wah, a sweet open-late spot in Chinatown. When I first performed this tune, I went there after the show with some good friends of mine that came to play in town. Tasty food, solid tequila sunrises, and very good times. I guess this song kind of marks that memory for me.

The EP also contains a track called “Pink Knit” written with Son Step’s newest member Joel Gleiser as they were preparing for a duo tour in late 2014. “I wanted to write something like a mantra, lyric wise, and Joel added some really vibrant layers and effects to this tune,” says Coyle.

The band is getting ready for another tour this winter – a week-long run across Pennsylvania and into the midwest. Check out dates below, along with the single artwork and a stream of “Mai Lai Wah.”

Tue 1/5 @ Boot and Saddle (‘Philly for Bernie Sanders’ Concert, Round 2)
Wed 1/6 @ The Crown (Baltimore, MD)
Thu 1/7 @ Rumba Cafe (Columbus, OH)
Fri 1/8 @ Northside Tavern (Cincinnati, OH)
Sat 1/9 @ Observatory (Chicago, IL)