Mainland Debut Inspirational New Track HOMETOWN, Premiering on BILLBOARD

Via Billboard: The guys of the pop-rock group Mainland (singer Jordan Topf, guitarist Corey Mullee and bassist Alex Pitta) have established their place in the genre with hits like "Permission Slip" and "Outcast," and in their latest track "Hometown," the trio celebrate successfully leaving the setbacks of problem-ridden upbringings behind.

As Topf -- a Santa Cruz, Calif., native -- explains, his hometown is a "double-sided stoner paradise," and despite having miles of Pacific Ocean coastline, it has a bit of a dark side to it. "The weirdos and transients roam the streets after dark," he says.

But as the song declares in the opening line of the chorus, "I broke out of my hometown," Topf didn't let the woes of where he's from hold him back. Now doing what he loves with his bandmates, Topf and the Mainland guys have put his story into a song.

"I wanted to channel that feeling of escaping to a big city like New York or Los Angeles and breaking free from the surroundings that haunt your teenage life," Topf tells Billboard of the track. "A lot of the friends I made and spent time with as a teenager who got stuck in Santa Cruz turned to black tar heroin. It's become a serious epidemic and I lost many friends to drug abuse. Some of my best friends found solace and sobriety in support groups others didn't make it. The song is extremely special to me for that reason, because I battled to break out of my drug ridden community to chase my dreams in New York where I met Corey and Alex and formed Mainland. I always knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel."

The song's roaring beat is as inspiring as Topf's personal inspiration for it, and in putting out the song -- which was produced by Colin Brittain and premieres on Billboard today (Feb. 15) before its official Feb. 16 release -- he's hopeful that "Hometown" will give others the courage to do the same thing he did and pursue their dreams, no matter where they come from.

"Many children in America are trying to run away from things that may hurt them, destroy their relationships, or lead them down a dark path," he says. "I just hope the song inspires people to hang on and chase their passions, knowing that there's always someone who understands them out there. Outside of that small town reality that may be bringing them down there is a place and another person out there that sees the world the way you do." - BILLBOARD