Premiere: Balter Choir Turns Daily Drudgery Into Art On “Hurry Up And Wait”
Get up. Wait. Eat. Stop. Drive. Brake. Work. Break. Return. Rest. Consume. Pause. Sleep. Repeat. Is this what life has boiled down to? A relentless cycle of routine, punctuated only by fleeting moments of respite—except for those two days a week when we’re expected to really live. It’s easy to ask, “How did we get here?” But maybe the more pressing question is, “How do we cope?” How do we navigate the constant back-and-forth of monotony without losing ourselves?
This article won’t offer any grand solutions, but it might provide a musical salve. Enter “Hurry Up And Wait,” the latest expressive instrumental single from Balter Choir. Designed for those days when our repetitive routines feel like a self-inflicted Stockholm Syndrome, the track drapes itself in dreamy psych-pop textures–not just as a spark of energy, but as a protective barrier against the draining rhythm of modern existence. Set for release on Friday, February 28th, The Auricular is excited to premiere the single today, with an exclusive stream below as well as further insight into its calming escape.
Made up of musicians John Longbottom (guitar), Jeffery Harper (guitar), Jake Lawrence (bass), and Ryan “Tech” Bowman (drums), Balter Choir has steadily built a catalog of evocative instrumental work in their time together. Yet, “Hurry Up And Wait” feels like their most ambitious statement to date. The track leans fully into life’s monotonous rhythms, a theme the band makes explicit by calling it “an instrumental psych-pop take on elevator music with splashes of rock and post-punk.” The result is a nervy, bossa nova-inflected ride, almost mirroring an anxious ascent up five floors before a relentless stretch of meetings, only to commute home to a pile of dishes, laundry, and overflowing trash. Its movement is unpredictable, mirroring the ebb and flow of daily anxieties–sometimes rising gradually, other times peaking without warning.
It’s the kind of track that might seem like background music at first, yet it burrows into your subconscious, feeding on restlessness and an innate craving for something more. Much like How To Dress Well’s decade-old sampling of hold music on “Precious Love,” “Hurry Up And Wait” thrives on a sense of unassuming familiarity. But rather than simply repurposing the mundane, Balter Choir transforms it into something deliberate–a piece as fluid and composed as the advice it subtly imparts. The end result isn’t just a song that lingers when actively engaged; it offers a momentary break from life’s cycle, inviting you to step back, observe, and maybe even find a way to break free… at least until the loop resets.
“Hurry Up And Wait” is the second single from the quartet in 2025, following the rainy day relaxation of “Petrichor.” Before that, the band released “Leaves Falling” in 2023 and “Lakeside Sunset” in 2024, two equally immersive tracks that showcase their knack for crafting grooves that feel both restorative and vivid. Each song hints at the band’s collective ingenuity, a trait that would be abundantly clear when looking over all the various studio work and performing credits each member has racked up over the years. But Balter Choir isn’t about individual résumés–it’s about the effortless chemistry they create together. Their music exists as a sonic snapshot of shifting emotional landscapes, capturing fleeting moods with precision and depth. If “Hurry Up And Wait” is any indication, 2025 could be the year this crafty group elevates its sound to new vibrant heights.
“Hurry Up And Wait” is out everywhere on Friday, February 28th, which you can pre-save now by clicking here. For more news and updates on Balter Choir, make sure to follow the band on social media.
