SO-CAL ALT-POP ARTIST PRESENCE 

BURSTS ONTO THE POP-PUNK LANDSCAPE

WITH NEW SINGLE

“RUNNING BACK 2 YOU!”

THIRD SINGLE FROM ANTICIPATED DEBUT

FULL-LENGTH ALBUM, DETAILS FORTHCOMING

LISTEN HERE | WATCH VIDEO HERE

Single Art (Photo by Christian Lanza) 

“[he] satisfyingly transcends genres while maintaining a mystery factor”

–SPIN

“a deep dive into our fears about loss”

–Ones to Watch

“[he’s] helping redefine the sound of the next generation”

–NBC Los Angeles

April 19, 2024 (Los Angeles, CA) — Today, So-Cal alt-pop artist Presence shares “RUNNING BACK 2 YOU!,” a bold new single that brings yearning, reflective lyrics to life with a blend of fiery post-punk, heartfelt hip-hop and earnest emo. Created with his new partners in crime—Grammy award winning producer Sweater Beats (Lizzo, Flume, Gallant) and co-writer Gianni Taylor (Bring Me the Horizon)—the bittersweet love song draws directly from Presence’s personal experience with his girlfriend and how a formative relationship can fracture, mend and evolve with the wisdom of hindsight. Listen HERE and watch HERE.

“RUNNING BACK 2 YOU!” reflects on Presence’s fear of commitment that encouraged him to break up with his girlfriend after four years of dating. But the time apart made him regret doing so almost instantly, which he reveals in the cathartic prechorus: “There’s something missing, but I made that decision / So who am I kidding? It’s all my fault and that’s why I just run to you.”

“We split and I ventured off, only to realize the obvious,” Presence confesses, “[that] I could never connect with anyone else, the way I do with her. Sure enough, I called her and told her I missed her. We met for donuts and decided we wanted to try things over. I’m grateful she let me back in; I love her more than life itself.”

“RUNNING BACK 2 YOU!” is the third single from Presence’s anticipated debut album (details TBA), where he doubles down on his signature heart-wrenching storytelling, but trades slow piano-heavy accompaniment for punchier pop-punk canvases. Presence first introduced this body of work with the January single “SCARED OF THE FALL!” (also created with Sweaters and Gianni). He followed this with the March single “PAST LIFE!,” in between nearly selling out first headline show at the Moroccan Lounge and making his debut at SXSW. Stay tuned for more information on the new music and upcoming shows by following Presence on socials.

Photo credit: Christian Lanza 

About Presence

The decade-long journey of Southern California recording artist Presence (a.k.a. Jonathon Martinez) became a therapeutic exercise to help an anxious, insular 11-year-old discover their true sense of self. His aspirations for both confession and catharsis evoke Martinez’s roots as a rap fan in Camarillo, California.

Starting at the age of 14 Martinez snuck his first “Presence Raps” video onto the internet, freestyling over “Ten Toes” by BubbaGotBeatz which got him grounded when his parents found out. Not long after, Presence went truly viral for the first time with a remix of XXXTentacion’s “Jocelyn Flores,” the success of which placed him at a crossroads, where he had to decide whether his music was a lark or a true artistic pursuit. Now, after building his fanbase as a true DIY auteur with two dozen singles, over 100 million streams, and delivering a TEDTalk titled “The Power of Authenticity and the Internet,” the difference between Jonathon Martinez and Presence lies in a newfound confidence to open his artistic process to collaboration. The story told on his new body of work resonates on a truly personal level, claiming a bold future for Presence.

Follow Presence

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