Behind the Song: Let It Rise

It was around-about August 2009, I think, when the band had just finished a practice and we were talking about that thing that makes some bands so special. After going through all our various likes and dislikes, Roberto pointed out that the common denominator in all of our favourite songs and bands was that they had groove.

I remember milling over this for quite some time, because it suddenly clarified much of what I had intuitively gravitated towards my whole life. Songs that get stuck in your head – songs that move you, songs that get a party started – are all about groove.

Having said said all that, I would classify this song as groove… truth be told, I just needed to vent.

I’d been listening to Maroon5 after their concert in Durban. Musically, it was some of their riffs and elements that influenced Let It Rise, along with rap-rock Gospel superstar tobyMac and one of my favourite local bands, rock ‘n roll act the Southern Gypsey Queen. Musically, all of those elements came together in one form or another. There’s a lot of rhythmical changes in this song, and when we were recording it, I could feel, listening to Rudi’s drum tracks, that it had something very different about it compared to the kind of music we have always made.

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The song was birthed out of a similar mindset to the first track on the album, On The Edge. I found myself looking at the state of the world and had to ask some hard questions about me, my family and those around me. The opening line “Stop the commotion” is in response to the seemingly relentless onslaught of bad news we’re subjected to as normal South Africans.

In response to this idea that “bad news sells”, I penned this song with the intention of it being an encouragement, to spur all of us on to bring some good news to the world around us, and to get up and give to those in need. The whole song hinges on this inherent idea, in essence a deep-seated sense of altruism. Once the music fades, I hope that this idea pesters you as much as it pesters me.