Singled Out: SIMA's Runaways

Israeli/American hard rock solo artist SIMA (Sima Galanti) recently released a new single called, "Runaways," and to celebrate we asked her to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

"Runaways" was written before the COVID-19 stay at home orders and the protesting for racial injustices but its message resonates with the chaos and uncertainty that we are all experiencing right now, the despair, anger, and pain that people are feeling. "Runaways" affirms that life as we know it will never be the same and that it's time to create a positive change in our lives and society that pushes us outside of our comfort zone. There is a massive need for people and society to go through a deep evolutionary and revolutionary growth and I believe that "Runaways" captures that spirit.

"Runaways" started with a rough idea that I worked on at home. I wrote the verses but I didn't have a solid course. I did some basic pre-production and I played it to Evan Rodaniche in the studio and we started to talk about the sound we want to create and then we started molding the song. I just wanted to make something undeniable with a huge sound. Something better than what I did so far musically and creatively. Evan is an amazing producer and he came up with this great riff, mean guitar parts and the song ended up sounding completely different than my basic idea but the lyrics of the verses and melody stayed the same.

When it comes to producing "Runaways" music video, I spent a couple of months thinking about visuals, concepts, looks, and doing styling. The song reminded me of the movie Mad Max, so I wanted to bring that feel into it and create something that fits the rebellious vibe and lyrics of the song. The song is super powerful on its own, so I wanted to create something captivating visually. It's also important for me to pass a message and empower through visuals. I wanted to own my sexuality and my strength and celebrate all those things without apologizing for it. As women, we are often taught to be ashamed of our bodies, to dress a certain way so we won't attract attention, dim our light and strength, or change everything about ourselves in order to fit an ideal. I wanted to liberate myself from other people's opinions and judgments.

I also wanted to bring symbols, rituals, and tribal elements like a fire that symbolizes burning down the past and present and everything that doesn't serve us anymore in order to discover something better and new. I wanted to create a transformation visually. It's like when you burn a letter or something from your past that energetically blocks you, you create space for healing. Also, I've known the fire girl, Kim Manning, for many years. We used to practice Kundalini yoga together and I knew that she's an amazing contortionist and roller skater so I asked her if she also uses fire when she roller skates. She said yes and it turned out to be exactly how I wanted it to be; fierce and fiery. The chains in the fiery video show an empowering need to break free from all that holds someone back from achieving their full potential including old ways of living, habits, fears, and pressure from society. I remember going to buy the chain you see in the video. It was funny to see men's reactions when they saw me walking down the aisle at Home Depot with my small, white dog and this big, heavy chain in my hand. The comments were super funny.

The band performance added to that rebellious, rocking in your face vibe that I wanted to bring to the video. The guys did an amazing job bringing the high energy feel of the live performance to the video. Ben White, the bass player, cut his finger while playing and was bleeding. It was 100% all-in rocking vibes.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below