Vulnerability and grit coexist in the dreamy alt-rock track “Weighing”

Blending layered guitars and intimate lyrics, the band muses on concepts of jadedness, self-doubt, and better futures on “Weighing.” “ The song is about getting through a turbulent era and overcoming anxiety and comparison. It’s about working through a really overly self-critical mode of thinking,” says frontman Fritz Ortman. Meshing the contemplative nature of shoegaze with a buzzy garage rock sound, the track feels simultaneously timely and nostalgic. “One of the things that bonded us a little bit when we first got this group of guys together in 2023 was that we all loved Third Eye Blind, so our songs have a lot of late ‘90s and early 2000s pop-rock influence."

Also composed of guitarist Ford Murphy, bassist David Murray, and drummer Sam Shahghasemi, Ortman is the creator and lead vocalist of Local Weatherman, although the band switched things up for "Weighing.” He plays guitar on this track, which was written and sung by the band's usual guitarist Murphy. Ortman says the song’s hard look at battling inner voices comes up a few times on the band’s upcoming EP Right One. “The title track is about trying to pull yourself back together to be the best that you can be, so maybe it’s like the self-improvement EP,” he says. “It's not that we were trying to make it a concept album, but there is a throughline in some of the lyrics of leaving something in the past and moving forward.”

Right One was recorded at a studio called The Metal Shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, despite the plentiful spaces in the band’s home in New York. But Ortman has a special connection to the studio: “That spot is run by Ian and Zack from the band Slaughter Beach Dog. I'm from New Jersey, and I grew up going to their shows in Philadelphia and New York. I saw them play this show in Bethlehem when I was probably 15, which is when I met Ian and the rest of the guys there.”

While the duo’s meeting was brief, it seemed the interaction clearly stuck with them. “There weren't that many people there, and I showed up with my dad, so I think that was memorable.” Eight years after the chance encounter, Ian recognized Ortman from his Twitter account and reached back out. “I had a link to some of the Local Weatherman’s stuff in my bio that was all home recorded. Ian hit me up and was like, ‘Yo, did we meet at a show?’ I was like, ‘Wow, yeah, eight years ago.’”

Ortman says he had initially created the account in 2022 with the intention of sharing music reviews he’d written during a period writing for  Post-Trash. (A stint he says was short-lived after he turned in a  Cafe Racer album review two months late). The creation of the account created a different opportunity for him instead. “[Ian] listened to my music and was like, this is cool. Keep going. So, when it came time to record our next batch of songs and go to a recording studio, I hit him up. On our last record it’s just me, Ian, and Zack. All that from one small connection.”

While the last record was recorded with the help of outside members, Ortman says the process of making Local Weatherman's newest EP was a lot different. A few years in, all four members have had a lot of time to sink into themselves as a group and share their own take on the Local Weatherman’s sound. The result is a band fully unified. “I feel like this era of the band has felt like everyone's all in it a bit more…It’s the best feeling.”