With the May 31, 2025 release of “These Are The Times,” Los Angeles-based indie rock duo Social Gravy step into the light with a warm, shimmering single that shows off their softer, more heartfelt side without losing the edge that has defined their journey so far. After the fiery grit of their recent release “Lone Wolf,” this new track feels like a soulful exhale—a love letter wrapped in sunlit guitar licks and polished pop-rock hooks, delivered with the kind of emotional vulnerability that’s become a hallmark of the band’s sound.
The brains and hearts behind Social Gravy—Brad Kohn and Vee Bordukov—have never been ones to stay in a sonic comfort zone. With a catalog that spans from rugged rock anthems to introspective indie ballads, they’ve carved out a space where classic sensibilities meet modern songwriting in a way that feels both timeless and refreshingly current. “These Are The Times” is no exception. It’s a song that doesn’t shout, but sings with quiet confidence and an easy melodic charm that lingers long after the final chorus.
Inspired by a fleeting, beautiful moment with Brad’s former girlfriend, the track is infused with a personal truth that can’t be manufactured. The title itself comes from her spontaneous, offhand remark—“These are the times, Bradley, these are the times!”—spoken in the golden afterglow of an award ceremony in Santa Monica. It’s a lyric born of love and lightness, and it radiates through every layer of the song. There’s something universally resonant about the sentiment: that even in the chaos, in the noise of daily life, there are perfect moments worth stopping for—worth remembering.
Built around breezy guitar rhythms, punchy drums, and lush vocal harmonies, the track leans into a cleaner, more pop-inflected direction than Social Gravy’s recent heavier releases. But it’s still undeniably them. There’s a clarity to the production that lets each element breathe, and the chorus—hooky without being cloying—is the kind of melodic gold that instantly takes up residence in your head. Kohn’s vocals glide with both restraint and rawness, effortlessly walking the tightrope between polished delivery and unfiltered sincerity.
Musically, the track draws from both past and present. There’s a hint of 90s alternative rock in the guitar work, a bit of early 2000s pop-rock polish in the production, and subtle nods to current indie trends that keep the sound feeling fresh. Yet at its core, “These Are The Times” is pure Social Gravy: rich with emotion, unafraid to feel deeply, and crafted with a respect for both melody and meaning. It’s romantic rock’n’roll in its most accessible form—a song for long drives, quiet nights, or warm conversations at the end of a good day.
What sets Social Gravy apart isn’t just their ability to write a catchy tune—it’s the authenticity behind every chord. You don’t hear a label strategy or market trend in their music. What you hear is two musicians who care deeply about what they create, who lean into sentiment without apology, and who understand that the best rock music has always been about more than just noise—it’s been about truth. It’s about being honest with your emotions and putting them into the world in the hope that someone else will hear their own story in yours.
With “These Are The Times,” they’ve added another standout to a growing discography that includes highlights like “Fools,” “Behind Every Yes,” and “California.” The single also serves as a preview of what’s to come, as the duo gears up for their long-awaited new EP. If this track is any indication, fans can expect a body of work that’s as emotionally rich as it is musically daring—something that bridges the intimate with the anthemic, the romantic with the rebellious.
Critics have rightly pointed out that Social Gravy are rare in today’s musical landscape: a band unafraid of heart, unafraid of craft, and unafraid of walking the line between indie edge and radio-ready appeal. The Big Takeover called them “a band keen on tapping into the Top 40 market without sacrificing their integrity,” and “These Are The Times” is the perfect example of how they achieve that balance. It’s a track with real commercial potential, but one that never feels manufactured. It’s too honest for that, too lived-in.
In the end, “These Are The Times” is a celebration—not just of a memory, but of music’s ability to freeze time, to bottle a feeling and send it out into the world. It’s about recognizing the beauty of the present moment and daring to hold on to it, even as life rushes forward. Social Gravy have given us a track that feels like a soft anthem for the everyday dreamers, the lovers, the nostalgics—and yes, the believers in rock’n’roll’s enduring heart.
These are the times indeed. And Social Gravy is the soundtrack to them.
