“Not Gonna Wait Around” by Whoa Sequoia – A Song Feature

 

      The riff-heavy single from Whoa Sequoia features three occurrences during which the vocals temporarily step aside and allow guitars to flex their muscles. For music enthusiasts who favor songs that include an instrumental bridge sandwiched between appealing vocals, “Not Gonna Wait Around” commands attention. And the guitar-driven intro further contributes to the appeal. The three mid-song occurrences are at 1:16, 2:20, and 3:12 on the Bandcamp stream. The first bridge bears similarities to the intro, but the second and third bridges follow a different path than the first.
 
     Whoa Sequoia is the musical moniker of Philadelphia-based guitarist, producer and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Meyer. “Not Gonna Wait Around” is the latest single from his album, “Monoplane,” which is scheduled for release on March 15, 2024. On the release date, Whoa Sequoia will perform at The Gem in Spring City, Pennsylvania.
 
     The spacesuit-featured official video for “Not Gonna Wait Around,” is included in this post. While explaining the song, Meyer said: “Ever felt a twinge of anxiety while standing in line at the DMV? Waiting to get into a club? Were you ever in a standstill relationship where you felt you had to leave? This song is about all of those feelings.”  Also interesting is his description of some individual contributions to the track - a driving drumbeat, big synths, a huge chorus, and a guitar breakdown reminiscent of 80's dance-pop.
 
     During 2019, Brandon Meyer lived in Southern California, where he initially started Whoa Sequoia as an experimental home recording project for some new “lead guitar, synth and vocals-focused” material he had been working on. However, almost 50 new songs later, Meyer has found his sound - a unique blend of blistering guitar solos, punchy synth lines and soft, layered vocals - which at points harken to bands like The Flaming Lips, Dire Straits, My Morning Jacket, Ween, the Grateful Dead and more.

     The first few seconds of “Not Gonna Wait Around” “harken” to another comparison, namely Van Halen. The songs quickly head in different directions after a few notes, but the Whoa Sequoia guitar shares characteristics with that in “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love.” A self-taught guitarist, Meyer cites some of his many influences: Jerry Garcia, Al Di Meola, Mark Knopfler, Carlos Santana, Trey Anastasio, Vernon Reid, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Wayne Krantz and “hundreds of others.”
 
     “Not Gonna Wait Around” by Whoa Sequoia

Website: https://www.whoasequoia.com/

Bandcamp: https://whoasequoia.bandcamp.com/
Accessibility options: https://linktr.ee/whoasequoia

Lyrics of “Not Gonna Wait Around” by Whoa Sequoia
I said I’m not gonna wait around
I’m said I’m not gonna wait
Not gonna wait around
Not gonna wait
Won’t throw my weight around
I’ll run away
 
Since I’ve flown around
And swam these oceans of time
Had to change, and I’m better off now
I just needed some time to run and hide
 
Instead of the complicated things
I won’t stay around, I’ll run away
Won’t throw my weight around
Won’t throw my weight
Won’t throw my weight around
I’ll run away
 
Since I’ve flown around
And swam these oceans of time
I’ve changed, I’m better off now
I just need some time to run and hide
 
I said I’m not gonna wait around
I’m said I’m not gonna wait
Not gonna wait around
Not gonna wait
Won’t throw my weight around
I’ll run away
 
I said I’m not gonna wait around
I said I’m I’m not gonna wait
Not gonna wait around
Not gonna wait
Not gonna wait around