'WHEN IT ALL GOES DOWN' AN INSIDE LOOK WITH RAE RADICK
When It All Goes Down
Her hands wore tired and soul was sold
To a bleeding hand that life dealt cold
She drove a taxi to wage the fare
Such a fiery girl with auburn hair
A strongheld voice but dreamt of love
And knew she'd never measure up
To the east side missies and front doorman
But she's just sticking to the plan
When it all goes down life isn't very pretty
In this dog eat dog town city
To clear the smoke out of your eyes
You lose and totally twisted
To seek the gold sun kisses
Where dreams are meant to ride or die
And getting high
He was a third rate rockstar with beach blonde hair
With the wink of a smile and valiant stare
He talked of love as his soul ran dry
Gave his soul from far and wide
Shut up now his vagrant foes cried
Not knowing he could change their lives
A quick left hand as the right drew close
Where he would be nobody knows
When it all goes down life isn't very pretty
In this dog eat dog town city
To clear the smoke out of your eyes
You lose and totally twisted
To seek the gold sun kisses
Where dreams are meant to ride or die
And getting high
Na, na na na, na na na, na na na
When it all goes down life isn't very pretty
In this dog eat dog town city
To clear the smoke out of your eyes
You lose and totally twisted
To seek the gold sun kisses
Where dreams are meant to ride or die
And getting high
Oh, I said it’s gonna be it’s gonna be alright
You’ve gotta take your time
Just getting by
I said it’s gonna be it’s gonna be alright, it’s gonna be alright
What are your favorite lyrics from your latest single?
“Where dreams are meant to ride or die” – The song takes place in New York City, during the 70s, and is written about two characters trying to “make it.” The American Dream was still alive at that time and the rags to riches story is still a glimmer of hope they cling to.
It’s my favorite line because it still rings true to me even in 2022– people move to NYC, Nashville, and Los Angeles to pursue a dream that will either ride or die.
What kind of pull did you feel about making the single?
It was written during the pandemic lock down and the dark tone is apparent throughout the lyrics and music. I wanted to write something that was grounded and about life’s struggles– since that’s what everyone was experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic. So it was a way to express myself and what was happening at that time through a song.
Are all your writing sessions collaborative or do you go off on your own? Do you have a preference?
Most of the time I write alone because it’s just easier to write a song that way. If need be I’ll reach out to someone about a line or word I’m unsure about, but I do enjoy writing alone. Collaboration sessions are certainly fun, but it takes scheduling and give and take. What I mean when I say give and take is: Some people are more music driven and I have total freedom with the lyrics and melody, and other people want a say in the lyrics and melody so I have to rewrite a lot.
Do you ever compare the work you bring to the table?
Yes, but with grace. Each song is like a child– they have their own world, personality, and intention. When I do compare them it’s mostly based off of the chorus and how catchy one is compared to the other. I don’t really like to compare my songs to each other, however I do have my favorites.
What is standard practice when it comes to if the song is really finished?
You just know. After the foundation of the lyrics and melody are recorded, the band records their instruments, and the production team sends a mix– you rely on your ears and instincts to decide if the song is finished or not. Sometimes I’d listen to a song and feel something is missing but wouldn’t know what, and have to sleep on it until the answer came to me. Other times the production team would send me a song and it was perfect.
What was the goal for making the latest track?
I just wanted to write a song that was parallel to what was happening in the world at that time. COVID-19 was all around us, life was hard and people lost their jobs, disease was all around us, etc. So my first line of the chorus, “when it all goes down life isn’t very pretty” seemed to ring true.
Challenges to the new music that no one would know about?
We made this remotely because of the lockdown, and it was a very slow and challenging process. We had many Zoom sessions, phone calls, virtual recording sessions, and vocal takes of this song. I much prefer to make a song with the producer in the same room now that I have tried virtual.
Favorite memory in the making of this music?
The music video. We decided it was to be set in the 70's in New York City, and it was super fun! I loved putting on those clothes and playing that taxi driver character.
Is there anything off the table when it comes to bringing yourselves into your music?
I won’t do anything with too much cursing or pornographic language. I think there’s other ways to say something without being so coarse. It’s funny because in real life I curse a lot, but I don’t like to put vulgar curse words or erotic language in my songs.
Leave us on a high note! And share some good news!
I’m so excited to release my new single in the spring! It’s a fun, upbeat tune and I’ll be directing the music video as well
Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rae.radick Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raeradick Website: www.raeradick.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OOH09nkytxfFVeTfBRlP8?si=5QVpyhfATE66RvF0hFsXCw YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/raeradick Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rae-radick/1509126173 Music Videos: Keep ‘Em Guessing- https://youtu.be/Un22DfLyKPI In A Memory- https://youtu.be/i_hCqaZ63os Sorry’s Not Good Enough- https://youtu.be/DOqTyeEYpRc The Soldier and the Bombshell- https://youtu.be/VhVXYMetExQ Circle Game- https://youtu.be/HG4nEkItsLg When It All Goes Down- https://youtu.be/q8Bju75pjIQ