Chicago's Modern Cults, the brainchild of Ryan Orda, has shared a refreshing dose of short, but undeniably sweet indie rock with new single ‘Inner Monologue’. Clocking in at just 1 minute and 48 seconds, the new single is a potent short of modern indie that will have you coming back for more.

For over a decade, Ryan, now 32, has been quietly honing his craft under the Modern Cults moniker, using it as a personal outlet for his introspective, guitar-driven compositions. What began from private Bandcamp uploads and late-night texts to friends has blossomed into a full five-piece band, eager to bring his once-private world to a wider audience. The result is a sound that deftly blends the melodic sensibilities of power pop and indie rock with bursts of howling feedback and intricately layered melodies.

‘Inner Monologue’ is a powerful follow-up to Ryan’s momentum-building single ‘Transported’, offering a brief, but beautiful showcase of his songwriting. Penned during the isolating early days of the 2020 pandemic, the track channels the anxieties and introspections of that period into a piece that feels both urgent and profoundly intimate.

It’s proof that even fleeting moments can hold significant emotional weight. Mixed by Dave Benton and mastered alongside the rest of the ‘Transported’ EP, the song is a cathartic snapshot, built on a floating indie melody that gently pulses beneath a captivating surf-rock sheen. Jangling guitar chords wander through pulsing, percussive beats, all underpinned by a joyous lilt in Modern Cults’ vocals.

With a full band now in tow and a future promising more live shows, new recordings, and ambitious collaborations, Modern Cults is clearly just getting warmed up. Whether through another EP, a debut LP, or simply more impassioned shows, Ryan Orda continues to dig deeper, not just into his own sonic identity, but into the communal power of a band that believes in the songs as much as he does.

For more, you can connect with Modern Cults on Instagram.