Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Preston Lydotes – 5 to 9 (2025)

So, my wish of not having to wait long for new music from my previous review of Preston Lydotes’ last single, ‘The Critic In Me’, has been granted with a brand new single, ‘5 to 9’.

With ‘5 to 9’, Lydotes continues to show himself as the pop poet he is. The exploration of the “9 to 5 life” we are all sold as the be-all and end-all of life in the modern world. Lyrically, once again, this young Bostonian is on point with some particular highlights including, “Killing myself thinking I’ll survive” and “Everyone makes another cent, break ourselves until there’s nothing left”, which I think today resonates with so many people who are in survival mode and just existing. It makes the holler of “Well, fuck that” even more powerful, as it delivers a blow to the ideal that this is something we are all resigned to and that if we want to, we can throw ourselves into whatever lights a fire inside us.

Musically, ‘5 to 9’ combines raw passion with a clean, well-produced sound. This is something which only the best pop acts can nail and just solidifies my confidence that Preston Lydotes is one to watch. With a brand new EP on the horizon, I can see Preston going from strength to strength.

After listening to ‘5 to 9’, it really got me thinking about the message and how right Lydotes was when he said, “Ferris Bueller knew how to roll”. How better to encapsulate the world of possibilities out there when focusing on what you love than with a quote from one of the greatest free thinkers of our time, Ferris himself – “The question isn’t what are we going to do?’ The question is, what aren’t we going to do?”


Find out more about Preston Lydotes on his InstagramTikTokBandCamp and Spotify.


Listen to more indie-rock music on The Other Side Reviews Indie Rock playlist:

Leave a Reply