Hether Releases 'Sticky Finger' EP

Kicking off 2021 in high gear, Hether releases his new EP Sticky Thumb.

Lo-fi and beachy, Sticky Thumb casually but expertly displays all of Hether's talents as a vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. His voice never strains and his playing never rushes, all of it coalescing in a dreamy haze of indie rock. Beneath these whimsical exteriors lie some less-than-dreamy feelings, a dichotomy that only adds to the songs' staying power.

Thanks to earlier singles "Sex Wax" and "Twinkle," Hether closed out 2020 with praise from Atwood Mag, i-D, and Organized Chaos.

Growing up in San Diego, California, 25-year-old Paul Castelluzzo grew up immersed in a maelstrom of genres, anywhere from jazz to '60s psychedelia, to the punk rock his brother shared. By age 20, he found himself posting guitar videos on YouTube and Instagram, with the hopes that if he continued doing so, the algorithms might work in his favor. Remarkably, it worked: Grammy Award-winning record producer Rodney Jerkins tweeted at the then 20-year-old, "I want u on my team!" Not long after, Castelluzzo toured with "King of Bachata," Romeo Santos as his guitarist. This led to additional tours with Dominic Fike, as well as collaborations with Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals. Yet Castelluzzo yearned for a more personal outlet to finetune his own songwriting and amplify his voice. His debut EP, Hether Who? from 2019 is a guidebook to fleeting youth and the love and loss therein. In a series of surprise cosmic events, Castelluzzo discovered that Kendall Jenner of Kardashian lore had supported the lead track, "When U Loved Me," through Instagram, opening the floodgates to unexpected fans far and wide, and earning him almost 4 million streams on all platforms. With all these pieces in place, Castelluzzo is ready to take his personal projects to the next level.

Stream the EP here:

Photo Credit: Joaquin Bartra