Singled Out: reaLation's FYI
reaLation recently released a music video for their latest single "FYI", from their "What Lies Beneath" EP, and to celebrate we asked Vincent Lane to tell us about the track. Here is the story:
Steven and I usually have a pretty succinct recording process. In the past, we either have created a musical piece together at our rehearsal space or he had cooked up something on his own (a guitar line with a sample bass line and drum part). He'd send it along to Matt and me and at this point I would get a feel for the tone of the musical piece. I would come in with a lyrical concept pretty much written out and we would go from there, writing out melody and harmony parts on the spot. This system has served us well in the past, so I think we all thought it best not to tamper with a good thing and keep the template in place.
"FYI" was a bit different. Steven wrote a solid musical guide for Matt and me. In fact, it was basically done when we got it. Matt re-recorded his parts to add his flare. I decided to leave the bass parts as they were in the scratch. In my mind, they were perfect, so why waste time recording a new part when that part served the song so well?
I had a lyrical piece entitled, "For Your Information" that I had written years ago. Other than the title, there were only a few lines we actually used from that piece. Instead, we borrowed this concept: the protagonist has his eyes now wide open to all the gas lighting and narcissistic behavior that's been going on. He's been damaged by similar actions in the past and would rather stay his distance, reveling more in the game and dance of it all then subject himself to the possible pain of another failure which is captured in the lines, "I lust the want, but despise the get" and "No one is allowed in here".
Writing off the cuff wasn't a very comfortable thing for me. I usually like to get an idea of a melody line, spend a bit of time thinking about it and hammer it out at home. "FYI" opened up a whole other option for me as a writer and I will be forever grateful to it for proving to me that a solid lyrical concept can be born in the moment.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about the EP here
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