Venice Wayland "Playing for Keeps"

Sounds from the USA

26/05/2026 |

Venice Wayland’s debut single, “Playing for Keeps,” is a haunting, midtempo excursion through 90s-inspired indie and alternative rock that perfectly captures the tension between caution and longing. Clocking in at 3:42, the track wraps Brandon Buhr’s weathered vocals around an ethereal, hypnotic groove that feels both trippy and deeply grounded, mirroring the song’s lyrical exploration of navigating new relationships in the aftermath of profound loss. Drawing from a musical upbringing steeped in Texas church bands and a personal journey reshaped by love, family, and divorce, Buhr channels raw emotional honesty into a debut that balances doubt with an undeniable need for connection. Bolstered by a tight, collaboratively recorded arrangement featuring bassist Brian Keim and guitarist Chad Erb, alongside Jonah Marc Levine’s atmospheric production and Drew Pelisek’s nuanced drum work, “Playing for Keeps” doesn’t just announce a fresh project—it marks the poignant return of a songwriter who has transformed heartbreak into a shimmering, genre-blurring anthem of hesitation and hope.