Atlanta-based band of persephone, fronted by singer-songwriter Sarah Rae, has gained local and international attention with their unique genre, siren rock. Their debut album, 'Bridge to Neverland,' released in early 2022, showcases Sarah's love for synthesizers, pop/punk, shoegaze, and operatic vocals, all blended together in a mesmerizing and ethereal sound.
One of the standout tracks from the album is "Rainbow Road," a song that takes the listener on a journey down a path of self-discovery and freedom. The lyrics encourage the listener to break free from the mould, escape the norms, and pursue their dreams. The reference to Alice in Wonderland is apt, as the song's theme of falling down a rabbit hole of self-discovery is reminiscent of the classic tale.
Sarah Rae's vocal performance is impressive, and her operatic style adds a dramatic flair to the song. The band's instrumentation is equally impressive, with sparkling guitar leads and a driving rhythm section that propels the song forward. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Rainbow Road," is catchy and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on the listener.
The song's production is top-notch, with a crisp, clean sound that allows every instrument to shine. The arrangement is well-balanced, complementing each element to create a cohesive and powerful whole.
"Rainbow Road" is an excellent representation of persephone's unique sound and style. It's a song that inspires the listener to embrace their individuality and pursue their dreams, and it does so in a way that is both uplifting and musically captivating. With their debut album and successful live shows, of persephone is a band poised for great things, and "Rainbow Road" is just the beginning.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Sarah Rae! Sparkles, confetti and cheers for your latest magical drop with "Rainbow Road," a magical and dreamy song. Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the lyrics and what message you hope listeners take away from it?
Thank you so much for having us! "Rainbow Road" revolves around my experience with coming into my power. I wanted to create what it sounds like to realize you’re safe. You’re free. You don’t have to be in fight or flight mode. So many people are constantly battling a fight-or-flight mentality, victim complexes, and imposter syndrome. One day I woke up and realized I was above that narrative of myself and experienced true freedom for the first time. That’s when I started writing the "Rainbow Road" album, and I hope anyone who hears its title track truly hears the sound of freedom. I want it to make the listener feel like running without aim through an open meadow, stripped naked with sparklers.
The vocals and guitar work in "Rainbow Road" are particularly impressive. Can you walk us through the creative process for this song and how you approached crafting the sound and feel of it?
Siren rock is my creative child that I’ve bred out of my operatic and classical training, where I blend together bright, theatrical vocals with shimmering and soaring guitars and synth work! One of my favourite things about indie rock is always when there’s a dissonant or noticeable arpeggiated guitar. Many tracks on the 'Rainbow Road' album are composed that way, but "Rainbow Road" specifically has its unique pattern written to be a driving force behind the “feeling” of freedom. I have a tendency to write the guitar lines as more of a dragging chord pattern, with the bass line arpeggiating over everything. Still, I felt more glimmers were needed for this particular song's goal! Broken chords, whether in a major or minor key, are always magical and uniquely embody feelings.
As a band that has only been together for a year, what was it like recording and producing your first record, "Bridge to Neverland?" How did this experience inform the making of "Rainbow Road," and what can fans expect from the upcoming album?
Our rag-tag family has a unique situation! We joined as a musical family when I was still known as the Sarah Rae project! They wanted to play my music live solely because they believed in it. As we’ve grown, named our genre-bending sound siren rock, and taken on our Persephone moniker, the one thing that has remained the same is myself composing and recording the music! Once I have the demo done, we all begin working together on it to rehearse for live shows! My experiences growing up with my live band have truly shaped how I compose all of my music now. From the beginning, we’ve created such magical live renditions of each track, and "Rainbow Road," being the brighter and better predecessor to "Bridge to Neverland," was written with a lot of inspiration from how we do every track from Bridge to Neverland in a live setting! Our listeners can expect a lot of arpeggiated guitars and bright synth driving forward messages regarding self-love, soulmates, accepting time as a partner instead of an enemy, and wondering what it is that truly makes Roger so Jolly!
Your music has been described as a blend of different genres, including pop, punk, and shoegaze. How do you balance these influences to create a cohesive and unique sound, and how does "Rainbow Road" fit into this mix?
I love talking about the birth of siren rock! Starting with the Sarah Rae project, I was unsure what I wanted to sound like. In my first single, Dancing Sun, I had no idea what I wanted to sound like! I was writing out of pure emotion, and whatever sound that led to is exactly how it was released. It wasn’t until I wrote one of our hit siren rock tunes, Shadow Girl, that I started to truly hone in on what I wanted our sound to be. Somewhere between our indie-pop love song full of irony, Poison Ivy, and Dancing Sun with its somewhat muted vocals full of dissonant emotions that only resolved at the end of the track soaring over the synth-like guitar. Bridge to Neverland started that track with its far more dark story and post-punk elements. I also listened to many fans' feedback about how much they loved Dancing Sun and wanted to hear a love child of Dancing Sun and Bridge to Neverland. Thus, my inspiration for the brighter, more evolved siren rock began! I wanted "Rainbow Road" to solidify what I believe siren rock is and everything it could be! I want listeners to not only be moved by the emotion of each track but also feel the urge to dance it out. I want listeners to know that when my siren rock hits their ears that it’s time to release whatever is lying dormant. "Rainbow Road" and siren rock as an entity will have you crying while dancing because you can still dance and smile even in your most emotional hour.
"Rainbow Road" is just the beginning of a journey that will take listeners on a complete album of 7 journeys down the of persephone rabbit hole. Can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from the upcoming releases and what themes or concepts the album will explore?
Absolutely! 'Rainbow Road' as an album will be released as Part 1 and Part 2, in 13 unique and aptly named tracks! During 2023, 7 tracks will be released as singles building up to the full release of Rainbow Road: Chasing Honey which will have seven tracks from "Rainbow Road" itself to an introspective track, “Jolly Like Roger,” and the message about ignoring what those who watch from afar wishing for your downfall aptly named “Glass Unicorn,” and more! In 2024, Rainbow Road: Pot o’ Gold will begin its release roll-out featuring the remaining 6 tracks, including a self-love anthem, “H.E.R.O,” standing for “Happy Ever Realistic Onward” to tracks like “Tick Tock Croc” hurdling the notorious battle we all face with seeing time as a friend instead of a foe! We are so very excited for the world to hear all of it! If you can’t tell, childhood wonder is also a frequent theme!
