[LISTEN] “Composure” – Kasper

If there’s one thing we’re a sucker for here at Left of the Dial, it’s a good 2000s pop-punk inspired track. Luckily for us, New York’s Kasper (a.k.a. Michelle Gorman) is delivering the goods.

Her new single, “Composure,” is clearly inspired by bands like Yellowcard and New Found Glory. With its power-pop guitars, catchy chorus, and relatable lyrics, this could have easily played on Fuse’s music video rotation back in the day, right in-between “crushcrushcrush” and “Honestly.”

The song itself is about the start of a new relationship, and the mix of joy and anxiety you feel when meeting someone new. “Composure depicts the excitement and butterflies at the beginning of a new connection,” Gorman said in a statement. “And how it can be tricky to maintain composure when not knowing if the other person likes you back.”

A music video for “Composure” also just premiered, which you can watch below.

This song is a bop and a half, so we’re definitely looking forward to hearing more from Kasper. It’s a strong debut, and I’ll be humming that chorus to myself for the next few days… “Because you don’t care / if you smear my lipstick all over / we’re getting closer / don’t lose composure.”

In addition to fronting Kasper, Michelle Gorman has also been playing guitar with Highwind, whose debut album Something Right Inbetween released earlier this year. You can read our review of that here, and watch a video of her jamming on-stage with Highwind at their record release show.


Check out Kasper’s website, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, or peep this handy dandy list of all the places you can find her on the web.

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