Kevin Bronson on December 6th, 2019

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By the time Will Hammer moved cross-country from his native New York four years ago to attend UCLA, he’d already laid the groundwork for his music career, releasing original tunes and remixes of artists such as Goldroom, Disclosure and Young the Giant on Soundcloud under the name GARLYN. Now the 22-year-old is working as Billy Hammer, making music that falls under the broad umbrella of what’s called indietronica.

His music combines instruments he learned as a kid — he plays guitar, violin and piano — with his skills as a producer with an affection for house music. His latest single “Glow,” out today, speaks to the push and pull in his life and music through a series of vignettes, starting with his leaving home to come west. “Glow” falls into a tasty groove before Hammer’s restrained electric guitar licks and wandering violin take it someplace mystical. It’s not surprising the songwriter cites desert imagery as one of his influences; this song would work at a certain festival staged there, late at night, clinging to somebody special.

“Glow” is the fifth single Billy Hammer has released this year (they’re all here), and it certanly lives up to its title.

||| Stream: “Glow”

||| Also: Stream “The End” and “More Than Friends”