Raviner is taking listeners “By The Throat” on their heavy & soulful new single.
The Nashville heavy alternative band’s latest song is a powerful call to mobilize. Vocalist Kamber Kigin uses grit and soaring notes to drive urgency into the track.
“Our time is bleeding out / Our voice is breaking down,” she repeats in the chorus. Kigin explained the inspiration for that cry:
“‘By The Throat’ came about after taking some time to observe and absorb the world around me – the pandemic and the deep financial and mental health concerns in my friends and family in the aftermath. This song rages and wars against all of it… It’s aggressive, driving, and at times, chaotic.”
Raviner utilizes dynamics in the song to contain its energy masterfully. Ambient cleans and tight, composed percussion bleed into the inspiring chorus. Yet, the band shows their ability to command mayhem – a chunky 8-string guitar & alarm siren kick off a breakdown before the final chorus.
Two seemingly unrelated songs served as reference tracks: “No Ordinary Love” by Sade and “Like A Villain” by Bad Omens.
The duality is not lost on Kigin and the band as they each lent their piece to the track: “Underneath the anger, rage, frustration, is a deep yearning for something more hopeful, something lighter. Our bassist & backing vocalist Jordan did a stunning job writing the second verse lyrics that dig into this – ‘Finding something / A ray of hope on a different day / Guide me, slowly / Before it all drifts away.’ Truly my personal favorite part of the track, aside from the killer breakdown that our drummer Christian and guitarist / producer Matt absolutely crushed in writing and composing.”
“By The Throat’s” video flows brilliantly with the track’s movement. Soft blue and pink pastels and semi-transparent overlays create a dreamy state during the verse. A dark void surrounds the group and disruptive static breaks in as the chorus forges forward. Themes of light vs dark, order vs disorder are tied together sonically and visually.
“I definitely think there is a certain dystopian, sometimes futuristic, theme throughout the track sonically and lyrically – wrestling with timeless human concerns as well as modern unknowns. Films, shows, and books like Bladerunner, The Handmaid’s Tale, and 1984 were highly influential in the visual aesthetic of the music video as well as the lyrical themes and production motifs in the track.”
BVTV hosted the video’s premiere at 10 am PT today.
“By The Throat” is Raviner’s first single in 2 years, following 2022’s “Mania.”
