Broke Royals jumped out of their comfort zone most recently in order to rev up a new album that adhered to their live show principles of spontaneous and combustible energy that heralded them as one of the mid-Atlantic’s most exciting live acts. As they began work on their third album, they knew they had to discard the old process and step out of their comfort zone so the group enlisted fellow D.C. artist and renowned musical chameleon Bartees Strange to take Broke Royals into new musical realms.
Together, Broke Royals and Bartees Strange began building up and breaking down ideas. Nothing was sacred and the safe choices were often the first ones to get cut. In this style, the group wrote and rewrote slowly throughout the pandemic, sometimes altogether and sometimes individually. The result is Broke Royals’ most exciting collection of songs to date. At the heart of the new record is a rock & roll band grooving in lockstep, melding the sounds of today with those of their heroes. The influences of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty shine through with particular clarity when the band trades pristine pop for the raw energy of a live band that has put in its 10,000 hours. In keeping with their previous records, the music still explores the heavy themes of love, heartbreak, religion, and anxiety in the modern world.
Glide is premiering the scorching new single “Revivalism” that scores with up-tempo anthemic power chords next to an unrelenting punk ethos falling between Buzzcocks and The Replacements.
“People forget that, especially in its earliest inception, rock music is dance music. Rock music is party music. In October 2020, right as we first started working on the song, Eddie Van Halen died. It was a gut punch for all of us but an extra inspiration to stay true to the mission: make a fun rock song about bringing the party back to life,” says the band.
