ON THE RISE
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Greek electric rock band Citizen Jim unveils their new single “Tossed Away,” blending English and Greek lyrics for the first time as they expand their reach to a worldwide audience. Charged with relevance to today’s turbulent socio-political climate, the track challenges the very systems we rely on — drawing stark parallels between schools and prisons, which can both serve as cages and spaces for learning, shaped as much by the institution as by the individual. Within this lens, “Tossed Away” digs into the brutality of primitivism, the pull of tribalism, and even stretches into a critique of anthropocentrism: the belief that humans are the central force on Earth.
“The lyrics jump from topic to topic — the absence of spirituality and esotericism, fear, ignorance, the looming specter of war, and even ecological collapse,” shared lead band member Politis Dimitris. “As far as the education system, it’s something I noticed studying psychology, and something we reflected in the lyrics: ‘schools are prisons and prisons are schools.’ Education is extremely important - in theory, it’s awesome; it seems to be the best we can do as a society. But in practice, it doesn’t always work. People can actually be turned off by it. Those who have knowledge are often isolated. On the other hand, in prison, you can still learn a lot, even though it’s a harsh environment.”
The music itself mirrors the song’s deeply inquisitive and introspective themes. “Tossed Away” takes an experimental electronic approach, with an arpeggiated bass synth forming the backbone, while the drums provide a second core layer for guitars and vocals to unfold. A standout moment comes in the mid-ambient breakdown, where spiraling echoes, reverbs, and alternating filters transform the synthesizers, before the full instrumentation gradually cycles back in and fades out, creating a layered, immersive listening experience.
“Musically, we’re always trying different things. There aren’t any tracks on the album with this direction; we only have one in this style. It starts with a rock style and then develops into an electronic sound. We’ve only done this once before, so this is the second time,” said Dimitris.
“Tossed Away” is the third single from their latest album Dreamcatcher (Oniropagida in Greek). The record mixes Greek and English songs with “Tossed Away” as a striking bilingual track, another in English, and the rest in Greek. Lyrically, it marks a notable evolution for the band, particularly given that Dreamcatcher is their sixth album, since they first began making music together in 2017.
“As far as producing, we haven’t worked with a specific producer yet — we write our own material and then go into the studio to record. It’s all independent,” continued Dimitris. “We always know the energy we’re looking for in the studio, but in the end, it all depends on the band and the choices each member makes — from the sound to the instruments. We do work with two specific engineers, and this song was recorded with the one we’ve collaborated with the most.”
The track’s video was created by artist Thetis Parmenidou and features puppetry drifting through a cosmic landscape. It blends fragmented 2D collages with a recorded puppet performance, seamlessly stitched together with visual effects and montage techniques. The result evokes archetypal storytelling, using roleplay to explore how history is remembered and interpreted.
“Thetis is incredibly talented. We trust her very much. This is the fourth video we’ve done with her. She and I brainstormed the concept and developed it together. Many of the ideas came from me, but she brought them to life, edited them, and created an entirely new world,” enthused Dimitris.
In addition to their new single, music video, and latest album, the band is keeping busy with a packed schedule. They have a festival coming up in Athens, Greece, in just two weeks, a mini-tour in Japan this November, and two more concerts before the end of the year — including a release show in December. On top of that, they’re already planning a European tour for as early as spring 2026.
Citizen Jim was started by Politis Dimitris, who serves as the band’s lyricist and second guitarist. “Citizen” reflects both a personal and collective desire to engage with social issues, while “Jim” hints at the band’s global outlook, drawing from the anglicized version of Dimitris. What began as Dimitris’s solo project has since evolved into a full-fledged band, rounded out by a lead guitarist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist, each contributing to the group’s dynamic and eclectic sound.
On what he hopes listeners take away from his music, Dimitris offered a thoughtful reflection: “I hope to make people think about something they wouldn’t have before listening to the song. I don’t want to make people feel depressed — I hope it’s more of a positive engagement than a negative one. Art for art’s sake is fine; sometimes I enjoy something light, like a comedic movie. But I believe it’s more important to create art that feeds the soul and helps you grow as a person.”
Follow Citizen Jim at the links below:
ON THE RISE
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LOS ANGELES — Damion Seraglio Bond and Hannah Leyla are turning up the heat with “Pina in Your Colada,” a playful tropical duet built around flirtation, humor and the kind of chorus that practically demands a room full of people sing along.
Featured as the opening track on Tropical Vacay, “Pina in Your Colada” drops listeners directly into vacation mode. Tiki lights are glowing, steel drums are playing, drinks are flowing and Hannah and Damion are trading lines back and forth like two people who have decided subtlety can wait until after the trip.
That exaggerated approach was intentional.
“I worried that if I hewed too closely to a serious sexual expression, today’s rather Me-Too sensitive folks might misinterpret the point of the song,” songwriter and creator Lloyd Eric Cotsen said. “By keeping it light-hearted and even cheesy over the top, it’s clearly aiming for fun.”
Cotsen envisioned the track as the kind of local favorite heard at a packed tropical bar, where vacationers already know every word and become part of the performance. That idea shaped the song’s crowd vocals and call-and-response structure, including Hannah’s equally confident answers to Damion’s advances.
Creating that chemistry, however, became one of the biggest challenges behind the track.
Cotsen used AI music platform Suno to develop the recording, but directing the male and female vocals proved considerably harder than expected. He ultimately worked through more than 160 versions while trying to get the exchanges right, eventually bringing elements from separate versions to a sound engineer to create the final result.
That persistence helped produce one of the song's defining elements: a performance that feels less like a conventional studio recording and more like stumbling into a beach bar where the entire crowd already knows the chorus.
“Recreating the vibe of a live performance in a bar with a crowd finishing the lines of a song they know and love was something I would have bet Suno couldn’t do,” Cotsen said. “It did it masterfully.”
That atmosphere also made “Pina in Your Colada” a natural opener for Tropical Vacay. Cotsen wanted the album to function almost like a vacation soundtrack, maintaining a tropical atmosphere while moving between comedy, romance and more reflective moments.
“It seemed like the most fun, captured the tropical spirit of the album best,” he said of choosing the song as its first track.
The project continues Cotsen’s genre-hopping approach to songwriting. His work has moved through folk-country, blues, soul, gospel and dance, while Tropical Vacay gives him room to explore Trop Rock and the stories that emerge when people temporarily leave their everyday lives behind.
For Hannah and Damion, that means a relationship that is flirtatious, competitive and occasionally more complicated than the beach-bar antics suggest. Cotsen describes the pair as having a “playfully combative romantic relationship,” with Hannah written as a confident character who can give Damion every bit as much as she gets.
And the fictional duo may eventually move beyond the digital world. Cotsen plans to host a concert with live singers performing selections from his catalog within the next year while continuing work on several additional albums.
For now, “Pina in Your Colada” offers a simpler invitation: turn it up, embrace the ridiculousness and pretend the nearest drink comes with a tiny umbrella.
“Pina in Your Colada” is available now on Spotify as part of Tropical Vacay.
