Emma Ruth Rundle has unveiled a never-before-heard song, “Staying Power.” The track was recorded as part of 2018’s On Dark Horses studio session but didn’t appear on the paramount recording. It will appear on Bandcamp with all sales proceeds will going directly to the artist this Friday, July 3 – stream/purchase/download here.
Emma Ruth Rundle comments: “There is very little mystery as to what this song is about. The lyrics are not metaphorical. It’s about being a touring musician and trying to survive, to conjure the self discipline to go on without sacrificing sensitivity. How we can become hardened as a result of constantly selling our feelings, how I didn’t want that to happen to me but could feel the callousness building. It’s also about the financial feast or famine and whether a little immediate monetary gain is worth the expenditure of youth. It’s about wondering how long I might be allowed to do this and the fear that it could end at any moment— with Covid, the song has some renewed relevance in that regard. It talks about what it means to endure and what the rewards and consequences of such persistence might be.”
Listen to “Staying Power” below:
As it’s been for many artists, 2020 was cut short for Emma Ruth Rundle; she’d just finished a North American tour with Cult of Luna when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in the states, and was confirmed as a curator of the monumental Roadburn Festival that has since been rescheduled to 2021. With the newfound time at home, Rundle decided to release previously unheard “Staying Power” as its lyrics rang true once again.