Megan Slankard’s “Next To You (A Nuclear Love Song)” — Exclusive Premiere

Here’s a quirky, fun song from San Francisco alt/rock artist Megan Slankard.

“Next To You (A Nuclear Love Song)” appears on Slankard’s upcoming release Running on Machinery, due out May 19, 2015.

Produced by Alex Wong (Vienna Teng, Delta Rae), it is an edgy, spirited rock record with a “healthy mix of stories about the end of the world, bank robberies, prison escapes, failed relationships and other adventures,” muses Megan.

This song sounds sweet enough, but its apocalyptic view is slightly disturbing. The delicate ukulele arpeggiations and strings offset Slankard’s lovely voice, right up to the abrupt ending!

"This is a love story at the end of the world. And the only thing there is time to do in the moments that are left before it all turns off and falls away into nothing, is to hold the hand of the person standing beside you and squeeze as everything goes dark,” she shares.

Find out more at http://meganslankard.com

Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.

More about music releases

Jimmy Page (left) and Rich Robinson perform onstage at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in 1999

“The experience of our work with Jimmy in a vibrant, electric, mystical, and powerful perspective”: Unreleased Jimmy Page/Rich Robinson composition set to feature in upcoming deluxe version of Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes: Live at the Greek

Joe Bonamassa and Sammy Hagar – Fortune Teller Blues cover

“The king of modern blues getting down and dirty (musically) with a former Van Halen singer”: January 2025 Guitar World Editors’ Picks

Don Felder performs onstage during the Eighth Annual LOVE ROCKS NYC Benefit Concert For God's Love We Deliver at Beacon Theatre on March 07, 2024 in New York City

“I started the introduction for Tequila Sunrise, and was like, ‘Wait a minute. This feels like acid.’ I just felt like I'm leaving my body”: Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder speaks out after mid-performance medical emergency

See more latest

“Malcolm said, ‘I've got this riff, it's driving me nuts.’ It's three o'clock in the morning and I'm trying to sleep. I said, ‘It sounds fine to me.’ That was Back in Black”: Through 50 years of triumph and tragedy, they remain hard rock's greatest titans

“That move from F to Ab is either a clever allusion… or it’s an accident!” He’s one of the most influential bassists of all time, but did Motown’s James Jamerson make a mistake on this 1969 hit record?

“I sold all my stuff. I even left my car out on the street!” When asked by Miles Davis to move to New York and play some shows, bass great Dave Holland didn’t blink

“They told Gibson four days before the performance. I know they were working on the guitar nonstop”: Chappell Roan’s guitarist reveals the story behind the Grammys’ show-stopping – and last-minute – mirrorball Gibson Les Paul

“I have two sources of sound: the guitar pickups and the one in my hand. The less effects there are, the better I feel”: Thurston Moore hailed Nina Garcia as noise guitar’s secret weapon – and an unusual pickup is key to her otherworldly explorations

“I’ve brought that chef mentality to whatever I do. There’s not a lot of standing around and admiring my work. It’s, ‘Right, this needs to get done’”: Meet JWJ’s Rich Jones, the chef who turned luthier – and is serving up some mighty fine acoustics

“Metal suffers without dynamics. DADGAD can help without having to think about it. You can play chords that aren’t possible in standard tuning”: John Browne hasn’t played in standard tuning for 20 years. He explains why DADGAD is perfect for modern metal

“I’ve worked on pop sessions with artists who have a squeaky-clean image, but what’s behind the scenes is a lot darker than people’s perception of the hip-hop world”: How bassist Mike Elizondo brought low-end and soul to Dr. Dre’s superstar productions

“Technically, it’s for sale – I’ve priced it at a point where I hope nobody will ever buy it because I know I’ll never see another”: Why the 1960s Fender Bass VI is a tone machine that (almost) defies categorization

“Someone once gave me an old Danelectro guitar they bought at a garage sale for $10. I still have it and used it on a bunch of my records”: Shred hero Vinnie Moore reveals his greatest gear hits and misses – and why the best guitars are free

“My ethos is, ‘Choose any guitar you want.’ It doesn’t matter at the end of the day. I’d rather spend the money on pedals”: Introducing Ditz, the UK post-punks who don’t mind fighting their equipment to achieve their vicious six-string bite

Get The Pick Newsletter

Most Popular