It’s a big week for Philadelphia’s Crossed Keys. On Friday, they release their latest project and first long-player: Believes In You, a revved up set of power chord anthems full of vulnerability and empathy. On Saturday afternoon, they play their hometown release party in support of it as part of Dave and Tim Hause’s inaugural Sing Us Home Festival, where they’ll join beloved Philly bands like The Tisburys and Catbite as well as renowned names from around the country, like Drive-By Truckers and Kathleen Edwards. And today, as a warmup for the days to come, we present Crossed Keys’ Key Studio Session, recorded live at WXPN Studios last month.
Fronted by singer and songwriter Joshua Alvarez, the band has a pedigree of players who have performed in an array of revered Philly bands from over the past few decades, such as Kill The Man Who Questions (guitarist Beau Brendley), Step Aside (guitarist Dave Adoff), Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer (bassist Andrew Wellbrock), and Kid Dynamite (legendary drummer Dave Wagenschutz). As such, they’re tight and tremendously energized, with blistering speeds and melodic leads filling our performance space, and Alvarez’s lyrics cuttting right through it, imparting wisdom about the importance of self-belief (“If You Don’t Love Yourself”), holding on to your convictions even when the world beats you down (“Vina Park”), and supporting your community.
Watch Crossed Keys’ Key Studio Session below, and pre-order Believes In You here. The band plays Manayunk’s Venice Island at 2 p.m. this Saturday for Sing Us Home Festival; tickets and details can be found here.