The BIG STIR RECORDS SINGLES SERIES is back after the holiday weekend with a new release from New Jersey's MIKE DALY & THE PLANETS, their first contribution to our slate! The brand new and exclusive “Falling Out Of Love Song” b/w “Star” are out Friday, September 11 and are up for pre-order at www.bigstirrecords.com/big-stir-digital-singles right now.

The A-side is a classic jangling slice of guitar pop that will remind bring to mind touchstones from The Beatles to Elvis Costello, and, thanks to Daly's distinctive baritone vocal, his beloved keystone influences The Smithereens. The flip side “Star” – this is truly a double A-side – is a tender tune of encouragement in a more rootsy mode, ornamented by a harmonic solo and terrific harmonies.

Both tunes showcase the Planets – Daly (lead vocals, guitar), Jim Van Sickle (bass), Jim “Smitty” Smith (drums), and John Reynolds (lead guitar) – in fine form just one year out from their well-received second album All It Takes Is One and moving from strength to strength despite the challenges of the pandemic era. It's the sound of a band when that sound is all to rare.

Any given interview with Daly will demonstrate that his outlook is one close to our hearts at BSR. “The single most important lesson I've learned from all my years of being in bands is that you have to love it to keep doing it,” he explains in a recent piece for JERSEY INDIE. “I mean, love it with all your heart and soul. You're going to get ignored and rejected and stiffed out of money. You're going to get double-booked or spend months promoting a great show that will end up being canceled because of a Nor'easter. Friends, relatives, and co-workers are going to roll their eyes at you and get sick of you promoting your music on Facebook. You're going to get disrespected by strangers who probably don't even know the meaning of respect. So you've got to love what you’re doing and record and play out as much as humanly possible. Make friends with other bands and share industry connections with them. And keep on going, for as long as you continue to enjoy writing and performing and all the good and bad sh*t that comes with being in a band. Most of us will never be famous, but at least we have something in our lives that makes us feel sane and happy, and that we can share with other people who appreciate it, which is more than a lot of people can say.”

We couldn't agree more, and those beliefs, to say nothing of Daly's way with a hook and the stage-honed chemistry of The Planets, shines through on this week's single!