By Chelsea Ness
Everyone has had to adapt to new life changes over the last few months during lockdown and as much as it’s not been the most ideal of circumstances, I’ve been using most of my free time keeping up with the latest upcoming bands over the UK.
My latest discovery being Manchester’s very own alternative rock four piece, Rundown. With lead vocalist’s Grace Ellen’s unique vocal range alongside the band’s edgy contagious rock style, Rundown are certainly ones to watch out for! Their latest release consists of two brand new singles; Redefine and Save Me ( I Don’t Know Where I’m Going) that really captures the variety of their style and incredible ability within songwriting.
The first track, Redefine opens with this incredible steady rhythmical guitar riff quickly followed by the energetic drums and Grace’s soft but gripping vocals. I love the contrast between Grace’s gentle vocals and the heavy guitar hooks carried throughout the track – they both fuse together to create Rundown’s own individual sound. Certainly a band you won’t have heard before! I just love how effortlessly Grace can reach a range of different notes, it’s something that sounds so natural and really creates this cool, progressive persona of the band.
It’s not just the infectious guitar and stunning vocals that pull listeners in but also the lyrics. The opening line: ‘So we get up do the same stuff, same shit on a different day and we get lost with our heads fucked with nothing left to say. We are done, there’s no denying life ain’t no fun but you don’t see us crying.’ It fits in perfectly with the way our lives are at the moment during lockdown – a very relevant and relatable matter. We’ve all had to adapt to new changes within our ‘normal life style structure’ and there’s not denying it’s been difficult yet Redefine represents the message that yeah life has been tough lately but we’ve got no choice and it’s important to try and stay positive. I’m not sure if the song was entirely written about lockdown but I think it just fits in so well. No matter how you are spending your time during the lockdown, we can certainly all relate to Redefine. I think the overall message of the track and not just regarding being in lockdown but in general I think we as national have this mentality of always thinking the worst but it’s all about making the most of a bad situation and focusing on the positives… that’s what I take from the song anyway. Certainly a catchy track that will have you hooked from the get-go!
The second single, ‘Save Me (I Don’t Know Where I’m Going)’ embraces a slower more darker side to the band. As much as I love Redefine, I think Save Me could just top it for me with the eerie distorted guitar, raw emotion in Grace’s vocals and chilling backing vocals from the rest of the band. The song captures the real struggles and pressures of mental health with the lyrics ‘Getting late now I don’t think that I am copying, getting hate now but my feelings are all frozen‘. It’s a really honest and open track showing fans that’s it’s okay not to be okay – a message so important to get across to people. This stripped back track gives us a different insight to Rundown showing the band’s creative ability in regards to writing music. This was actually my first time listening to the band but after hearing both tracks I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us with future releases!
Both Redefine and Save Me have been released as a NHS charity single where all proceeds are to be donated to Salford Royal Hospital in support of the current pandemic! A truly wonderful gesture.
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