The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new world, with all new problems and responsibilities. That’s why it’s our job to usher in a new kind of hope. In their latest single, “Tension of the Season,” released today, Rags and Riches does just that.
Formed in 2017, Lexington-based Rags & Riches is made up of brothers Tanner and Peyton Whitt. Over the course of their career, the band has released countless hit tracks, including “Speed of Sound,” their debut single that collected over 650,000 streams on Spotify and over 500,000 views on YouTube less than three months after its February 2019 release.
Rags and Riches is Keeping Things Real
Since, the band has released other hit tracks like “Don’t Look Down” and “Blood Runs Cold.” Now, with “Tension of the Season,” the duo explores a very personal topic within the COVID-19 era.
“The title ‘Tension of the Season’ has been in my head for over a year,” Tanner says about the band’s newest track. “Peyton and I never could find the right music or the right words to write the song. In April, our grandfather experienced a nearly-fatal stroke. With Covid-19 striking, no one could be with him in the hospital during this period. There were so many unknowns in our life. That is when we knew it was time to write.”
The result? “Tension of the Season” is one of Rags and Riches’ most subdued tracks, but also one of their most impactful–also one of my favorites so far!
The track’s accompanying music video tells the story of a girl living in the “new normal,” accompanied by the music of Rags and Riches as she walks a school track and sits in her bedroom. Interspersed with images of Tanner and Peyton grooving to the track, its aesthetic suits the audio’s upbeat tempo and hopeful lyrics: “Never give up, never give up, no never.”
The instrumentals of “Tension of the Season” are bright and steady, serving as a beacon of light for those lost in their own personal storm. Tempered by emotion, Tanner’s voice rings clear and careful, perfectly-balanced with Peyton’s light, rhythmic percussion and the other instrumentals.
Weather the storm with Rags and Riches’ new track
The care and thought put into “Tension of the Season” is evident not only in its instrumentals, but its lyrics. “The words ‘Tomorrow is a brand new day, any second is bound to change’ were more relevant than ever” for Tanner and Peyton when their grandfather was in recovery. “Originally, the doctor’s prognosis wasn’t the news we wanted to hear,” Tanner admits. “But day by day, he beat the odds stacked against him.”
When listening to “Tension of the Season,” Rags and Riches’ love for their grandfather is palpable–and relatable. With so many stories of loss coming out in the past few months, it’s a truly inspiring change of pace to listen to a song that shares the complexities of sadness and joy in such a personal way.
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Love Rags & Riches? Read more about them in A Summer Night Q&A , When Times get Tough, Rags & Riches Reminds You: Don’t Look Down, Explore the Social Abyss with Rags & Riches’ New Single, “Blood Runs Cold”, and Best of 2019!
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