With a name that translates to the Vietnamese word for heal, Han Gan formed in the summer of 2017 as a new project from J. Brian Nicewander and Matt T. Eng, crafting songs from a high-rise in Virginia with views of the Potomac River and U.S. Capitol. Brian and Matt, who grew up in coastal Virginia, draw inspiration from their memories of local punk acts playing in dive bars and basements, their paths converging years later in Washington D.C.
As they open the track with the distant roar of distorted guitars and a half-sung, half-shouted vocal performance to energise the frequencies, Han Gan’s latest single ‘Pull The Pin’, is vibrant and immediate in its performances. Steadily building their punk-tinged performances, adding in more riffs, heavier drums, and more grit in their vocal performances, the band led the track towards climax after climax, harnessing the raw energy of the bands that inspired their existence with riffs built on pure energy.
The duo adds, “‘Pull the Pin’ comes from a mediative and spiritual place, which transcends any religious or political doctrines; it started with a question of how to operate from a place of heart-centred love for all, but also be prepared to take the actions necessary to challenge the harms selfish leaders and exploitive economic and cultural programming impose on us all personally and on our world.”
