Local singer Alex Stanilla has a new song to share with his fans.
The song, “Watered Down,” was released on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
“‘Watered Down’ was written in a couple different stream of consciousness writing sessions and then pieced together from a couple other song fragments I’ve had laying around over the years,” Stanilla told LebTown in an email. “I was trying to pair truly unique sentences that I’m assuming have never been uttered out loud before and then follow those with a cliche statement.
“An example of this would be the line ‘play it faster, Devon Baxter, do you still draw Casper like Oriolo?’ That’s followed by the phrase ‘are we stuck in slow-mo?’ Devon Baxter is someone I went to college with and he’d often draw animated characters like Casper the Ghost. I had to look up who drew Casper, Joe Oriolo, but as far as I know Devon Baxter nor Joe Oriolo have ever made it into a song.”
Lyrically, Stanilla said, “the song touches on overstimulation, especially in the internet age. Personally, I often feel so inundated with social media and world events that my day to day interactions feel extremely diluted and … watered down. This song was definitely written as a reminder to stay in the present despite all the many distractions constantly surrounding me.”
A Lebanon native, Stanilla – who describes himself on Bandcamp.com as a “Gonzo/Outlaw Pop artist” – graduated from Cedar Crest High School and attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia before moving to Seattle. He lived there for two years before returning to Lebanon.
He sings and plays guitar and piano. He also runs his own label, Some Bite Records, which releases compilation albums by local artists. Although he has not yet released a full-length album, he has issued singles including “Let You In,” “Overtime” and “Savior.”
He went on tour last fall, performing in venues in North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
Although he does not currently have any upcoming gigs listed on his website or Facebook page, Stanilla told LebTown he will be performing the day after the new song’s release. He’s scheduled to play from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, as part of Central Penn College’s Party on the Patio summer series of concerts at 600 Valley Road, Summerdale.
He also can be seen at the Pho Bar & Grill in Annville on First Friday in September, he said.
Recent performances have been going well, he noted.
“I think the audiences I’ve been playing to have come to appreciate live entertainment more as well,” Stanilla said. “This really feels like the first ‘full’ and ‘open’ year after the pandemic where people seem to be more comfortable going out in public. I think a lot of people didn’t realize how much they missed hearing someone singing to them within a couple feet, especially in a more local sense like at a bar or restaurant as opposed to a club where the artist would be up on stage.
“Lebanon and (Central Pennsylvania) is actually a very special place because not many other surrounding cities and states are offering as much live entertainment in the bar and restaurant world.”
Looking ahead, Stanilla said he’s working on a couple of side projects. Pariah Prism is a psychedelic rock band, he said, and Walrus Eyez is “a kind of joke hip-hop project.” Both bands will have releases in September and October, he said, and it’s his goal “to release a song every month for the rest of the year.”
“I’m also working on putting a 4-piece band together,” he said. “We practice every Sunday and aren’t quite ready for a live performance as of press time but hoping to have the boys in shape for the fall.”
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