One of the great strengths of Ryan DeRobertis aka SAINT PEPSI (whom we named a Band To Watch) is his sheer enthusiasm for music. If you look at SAINT PEPSI’s Facebook page you’ll find more links to other artists’ songs than his own. Sometimes the posts can be hints as to what’s influencing him, but usually it’s just something he loved and felt compelled to share. That enthusiasm sticks out so strongly, and as this new single “Unhappy” proves, it connects with his own music beautifully.

While his stunning re-imagining of “Call Me Maybe” turned a fun, flirty pop song into a desperate lonely plea, the folk-electronica of “Unhappy” does the reverse with ’90s emo-legends American Football. American Football’s “The Summer Ends” is a total heartbreaker, one of the best tracks in their all too short discography, yet SAINT PEPSI turns it inside out. DeRobertis finds just the right moments to loop, tweak, and warp to make his track into a blissful, hopeful piece of music. It’s an excellent song and only has me excited for what he’ll do next. Listen below.

You can hear SAINT PEPSI’s recent album, Hit Vibes here via Keats Collective.