Outlaw Country Gets A Dark Twist In Tim Brink & The Rising’s ‘The Boy Was Right’

Tim Brink & The Rising are all about grit.

The band’s latest single, “The Boy Was Right,” captures that raw, unpolished spirit that pulls you right into the world of dark country.

It’s the kind of track that could easily score a scene in Sons of Anarchy or Peaky Blinders—a song that feels right at home in a smoke-filled bar at last call.

With a mean balance of country and rock and a bluesy backbone, “The Boy Was Right” is all heart, no pretense. Brink delivers each line with a storyteller’s edge—you can feel the weathered, lived-in experience that defines outlaw country: brash, unapologetic, and a touch rebellious.

Brink’s voice itself is like a worn-in leather jacket: rugged, rough around the edges, and full of character. Brink’s journey to this moment has added layer after layer to his sound. He’s fronted the Quebec-based band Pete Möss, toured across Canada and Europe, and even won Best Singer at the Emergenza Festival in Germany.

Later, he was a finalist on La Voix IV in 2015 and even came close to stepping in as lead singer for The Stone Temple Pilots. Every experience has shaped his voice and stage presence, adding to the gritty authenticity that Tim Brink & The Rising bring to each track.

Lyrics like “You be you, and I’ll be me / We’ll get along fancy-free” and “If you don’t like how I get down, pick up your shit and just turn around” capture the song’s no-BS spirit. “The Boy Was Right” is an anthem for anyone who stands their ground and isn’t about to bend for anyone.

We’re happy to celebrate the release of “The Boy Was Right” with you. Your music, including the band’s latest release, leans into a darker, unpolished side of country. What draws you to this style, and how do you define “Dark Country” in your own words?

I like the rasp of it—it’s raw, gritty, and close to the ear...so much so that it’ll give you shivers. Dark Country is all about the unpolished and darker sides of the desert hero for me.

How important is it for you to keep your music raw and unfiltered? Do you find it challenging to maintain that authenticity, especially when refining your songs in the studio?

Aside from layering backing vocals, there’s not a lot of polishing going on. I’ve actually asked the studio to cut back on the polishing they did at times to keep it gruff and imperfect.

How does the band collaborate when creating songs like “The Boy Was Right?" Can you walk us through your creative process as a group?

For the first time in my career, I am writing to music that’s delivered to me. I feel it out and create my story and melody on top of that. It’s different—not birthing the whole song from your own cells—but I like it. It has allowed me to focus more on being a storyteller theatrically.

In “The Boy Was Right,” you sing about self-assurance and staying grounded in your identity. How do you personally stay true to yourself in an industry that often pressures artists to conform?

Easy. I’m not built to conform. I’ve always had a little trouble with authority and anything that’s not authentic. We have so little time on this bone ride that there’s just no sense in wasting it by doing something that’s not true to you.

Looking ahead, how do you see Tim Brink & The Rising evolving, both musically and as a band? Are there themes or genres you’re excited to explore in future work?

I see myself collaborating even more with my musicians to get that “first riff to last mix” feel. I can see us telling stories of a hero who’s a mix between Han Solo and Clint Eastwood on an intergalactic justice crusade—or delving even deeper into the spirit of wrong and right and the idea of justice at any price.

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