Poe The Passenger Throws Shade at the Music Industry in New Anthem “Gone”

Poe The Passenger performing at The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, CA. Photo by Nikki Phillips.

Hailing from SoCal, Poe The Passenger consists of Jeff (vocals/guitar), Matt (bass), Trent (drums) and Kenneth (guitar). Jeff brought his Chicago roots to Los Angeles about a decade ago, while Matt and Trent both met while taking some of the same music classes at Pasadena Community College. The band, like many others, went through a few member changes and has been solidified with Kenneth. Their sound is not exactly pinpointed to one specific genre… which we love. Genre norms are dead — but, we will say — if you are a big fan of early to mid-2000’s powerhouse rock and pop punk, you will adore Poe The Passenger.

Influential artists between the guys range from Panic! At The Disco, Linkin Park and Incubus to Tool, Radiohead, Limp Bizkit and beyond. Earlier influences such as The Clash and Pink Floyd mashed up with newer trap-emo-alt sub genre artists (like Grandson) opened the doors to composition of songs with distinguishable layers and familiar riffs for an in-your-face sound. As with most of us, the pandemic allowed the guys extra time to work on their craft. The band did challenge themselves to write a song each day for thirty days straight over quarantine. The guys continued to write new music riding that wave of inspiration. Out of that came their newest single — an anthem that flips a big middle finger to some of the unnecessary trends that the music industry has implemented over many decades. The track is titled “Gone” and does not disappoint. Matt credits Grandson’s “Stigmata” as inspiration to penning the catchy intro “na na na na” — something that immediately pulls you in within the first few seconds of the song.

The idea for “Gone” is based around heavy criticism of the industry for their past (and ongoing) exploitation of artists for their commercial gain. The band makes an excellent observation of how the music industry has used negative connotations like depression, drugs etc to build artists’ images and profit off of their struggles. “You don’t have to be struggling to have your music be worthy of recognition and success,” says Jeff. He attributes musicians from The 27 Club as prime examples how the music industry has fueled a long-lasting stigma around artists who have struggled prior to or during their career. The glamorization of negative components shouldn’t be considered adequate behavior, especially at the professional level. “Gone” touches on the fact that an artist doesn’t need to be affected by substance abuse, mental health issues, or social pressures to still feel as if they’re “gone.” Glorifying someone’s personal battles as public interest and likability is simply unacceptable — yet the industry almost prides themselves upon doing so. Poe The Passenger calls out the repetitive, twisted approach to popularizing artists by enabling their struggles further instead of helping them regain their path and growing their careers with genuine intentions. Though the industry has admittedly gotten a little better in this, it is still rather prevalent amongst multiple genres, but especially obvious in rap and rock. So go ahead and turn up the volume on this one — we know this is going to fire you up!