The Los Angeles-based Alt-Pop duo RAINNE hits back at the liars and cheats with their empowering single, "Nosebleeds."
Drenched in emotional catharsis and darkness, RAINNE consists of the classically trained stylings between Singer/Songwriter Annie Dingwall and Saxophonist/Engineer Justin Klunk. Having had the privilege of opening at the Hollywood Bowl for Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Camila Cabello, and more, RAINNE is quickly garnering attention from all corners.
Their recent single "Nosebleeds" offers an empowering message of standing your ground. Through high octane saxophones from Justin Klunk and Annie Dingwall's powerful vocals, the single pushes through as a force to be reckoned with. When speaking on the single, Annie Dingwall mentioned, "I wanted to write a song that hit back hard and served as a reminder to always know your worth and never lower your standards for someone else."
"Nosebleeds" opens with bright electronic drum patterns and uplifting acoustic guitar strums. As Annie Dingwall begins singing with her layered vocals and serene harmonies, she quickly increases in energy and drops her powerful vocals at the chorus.
With her lyrics surrounding being too good for a bitter low-life, we're blown away by the spice and attitude within Annie Dingwall's engaging vocal delivery. The surrounding instrumentals push through with Justin Klunk's melodic and hi-fi saxophone, punchy electric guitar bursts, and fiery drum patterns that blast the song out of this atmosphere.
Through RAINNE's quick-witted and empowering lyrics, "Nosebleeds" takes the cake for exhilarating tunes we've heard this year. Annie Dingwall and Justin Klunk have not only provided listeners with a heated groove but a sound reminder to stand firm in your inner-worth.
Hello RAINNE and welcome to BuzzMusic, thank you for joining us. Was there a particular moment that inspired the empowering lyrical concept behind your single "Nosebleeds?"
Annie Dingwall: I have to admit, that like many songs, this one was inspired by a breakup. Shortly after it happened, I ended up in a writing session with my good friend Nico Collins and we ended up writing this sassy song about reclaiming your worth. Looking back, I realized how much I had let myself lower my standards and get taken advantage of in that relationship and vowed never to let it happen again. We decided to create a song that serves to remind me and everyone else that they are worthy of love and respect at the highest levels and don’t have to take scraps from anyone.
Seeing as Annie Dingwall is the group's songwriter, and Justin Klunk is behind the board and on the saxophone, how did the two of you merge your creativity to make "Nosebleeds?" How did your creative/writing process go about?
Justin Klunk: “Nosebleeds” has actually been a part of our acoustic repertoire for the past year or so, and we have played it at numerous Sofar Sounds shows across the country. It has been one of our favorites to play since it evokes such strong responses from the audience - laughs or “ohs!” at the witty lines and the sax/vocal harmonizing. When everything shut down, we decided to record an acoustic EP and include our acoustic version of “Nosebleeds” on it since many people had been asking where they could listen to it after shows. Annie reached out to Nico about including it on the EP and that sparked a conversation about doing a fully produced version. Since we are still in the midst of the pandemic closures and social distancing orders, most of this song was recorded remotely or with limited social interaction. We definitely kept a lot of the elements from our original acoustic version in this song, like the hits and vocal/sax harmonization in the post-chorus, but Nico was able to bring a fresh perspective and really drive this song in the upbeat pop direction.
We noticed that you also released a thrilling music video for your single "Nosebleeds." How does your video compliment the empowering message within the single?
Annie Dingwall: I think pretty much every artist is trying to figure out the answer to this question! If I had to put my finger on one thing, it would probably be that people can tell we genuinely love making music with each other and want to share that joy with others. When creating, our drive is always to make an honest and authentic song that connects to real human emotion and is engaging to perform. Chemistry is something that is difficult to fake, and I think people latch onto the honesty of the songs, stories, and interactions between us and form that connection.
Justin Klunk: Listeners are smart and they can 100% tell when someone isn’t genuine, both on stage and record. So we just try to be the most honest versions of ourselves while we create and perform, and we’re happy to say that people have supported us doing just that!
We've heard that your duo has had incredible success throughout the country. Why do you personally think that your music has been so successful and well-received? What makes your music so engaging?
Justin Klunk: It definitely goes without saying that this year has been brutal to the music industry. But it has also had a lot of unexpected upsides. In a sense, this situation has put everyone on a new playing field and everyone is helping each other figure out how to navigate it. That *socially distanced* camaraderie is really inspiring. A lot of us have acquired new skills that we might not have, and it's ironic that something that’s forced us to stay home had made us more aware of what our friends and colleagues are up to and actually led to collaborations that otherwise might not have come about! Seeing all the ways people have been able to turn this situation around for the positive has really helped keep us going.
