Rikas recently released their new album, “Soundtrack For A Movie That Has Not Been Written Yet” and the band are here to break down each track.
Bike in L.A.
As the first song on the album, Bike In L.A. opens the record with an important topic which is pretty consistent on most of the songs. First of all it relates to being in motion and trying to move forward but it’s also about looking back in the manner of self reflection or self awareness and in the end making reconciliation with all of the doubts that life can offer. To us what this song inspires is to be in the present.
Some things are not meant to be and Bike In L.A. gives us a clear example of that in a storytelling form. An analogy could be like this: One’s owning the best boat humanity can build. In the mighty waves of the ocean it may bring you forward in a very elegant and sportive way but on the other hand in the dusty dunes of the Sahara it won’t be useful at all.
In 2022, we went to Los Angeles to record our third EP and what we found there is a city which breathes through gasoline. It’s built to be explored by car and for us coming from Europe and being used to large public transport systems and walking distances even in metropolises like Paris or Berlin we were kind of shocked about the distances within the city and thereby the amount of cars that hit the streets.
To us there is so much hidden in the predominant chorus phrase, Cause it’s okay, you won’t get anywhere with a bike in L.A.“. As for the story of our band it means that finding our path, shaping our art and growing our relationships takes patience. Because you have to find out how your vehicle works and therefore where it belongs. For this record we may have found it and that’s why we consider it the perfect album opener.
Driving Down Slow With My 505
We have dealt with a lot of strokes of fate the last couple of years and sometimes felt controlled by them. To us gaining power and freedom of our own creation is one of the most important premises of working together as a band. Sometimes we tend to overthink too much which leads to resignation. This song functions as a reminder to hit things off again. It tells us that it’s okay to spiral back into a doubtful state of mind but the most important thing is to keep going.
You can have your doubts but if you look around and try to recognize that everyone else is struggling as well can be very peaceful. You should consider to keep going at a pace that you’re capable of pulling off at the moment. So this song for us is strongly about growing up and figuring out what the important aspects of life really are..
Barcelona (Learning To Love Myself)
I should move to Barcelona, a song about moving on. It started out with a guitar chord melody then turned into a dance beat and finally became a song during the final stages of recording. When the main chorus line about moving to a European center of art and culture was written we felt that the last piece of the puzzle was found and everything certainly glued together.
The lyrically strong and vivid verses, the danceable pounding drum and bass pattern, the sentimental guitar melody and the convincing as well as convincible hook. This song indicates energy and standing for something, especially behind your decisions even though they are connected to suffering.
Strangers
This song captures an attitude of stepping out into the first rays of sunlight in early springtime. Waking up from a monotonous and gloomy winter you still have to get used to being out there again. Feet not as light as you remembered them to be. Trying to find your groove again but still feeling confident about moving your body and breathing in the fresh air of freedom. Even though you’re still reminiscing. Three stages of a relationship. From strangers to friends, from friends into lovers and back to being strangers again. A very common journey especially in early youthful relationships.
Back when it felt like you finally met someone you can share your whole life with, trying to be as close as it can get. And then this person becomes like a stranger after the break-up, at least in your own perception. But in the end those kinds of experiences bring you closer to your inner self. That’s why we wanted to take a playful turn on this theme and make it a 70s inspired slow-disco track sparkled up with a bit of 90s R’n’B and Trip-Hop.
The first verse was written around the word „strangers“. We felt good about playing with a narrative of becoming non-strangers out of nowhere. With that in mind we tried out chorus melodies on top of the same chord structure. The words we found intuitive felt familiar but we stuck with them. We recognized that they were used before, but they felt so precise and perfectly matching. So we kept them. A quote by Celeste turned into a fun but still thoughtful dance track about romance.
Heartbreak Big Mac
Written on a cold but sunny autumn day in Vienna, Heartbreak Big Mac captures the essence of longing. To us the feeling of longing plays a huge part in all of our lives, as individuals and as a group. And this song carries a large space inside our hearts because it feels like one of the more important ones, maybe because of the sentiment, but mostly because of the way it came to life. We wrote it together as a group in a small studio room that was more like a small library. It was just a room full of books. And maybe this room encapsulated a sense of longing within its walls.
As for this emotion it is the source of all action and progression. Especially we as musicians are obligated to perceive it. In this case it is about a person who has left the protagonist's life. We don’t get to know under which circumstances the leaving has happened but through the song we get to know what this turn of events still feels like and leads to the conclusion, we need to turn back the time. There lies a Weltschmerz in it but it also has a very healing sentiment. Just like crying can implicate sorrow and pain but at the same time can be indeed deeply curing.
Passenger
After the longing hopefully comes the journey. Passenger is an invitation: „Will you wanna be my passenger tonight?“ is being asked with a clear vision in mind. Deciding to go on a journey together with a person even though the final destination may not be known yet means something. It implies that it’s rather about the person than the trip itself. So Passenger paints the picture of life as an endless highway. Some people might join you for a while taking the passenger seat and then exit again when it’s about time. Some might stay for longer and even decide to take the same exit as you to take a new route.
This is the last song we wrote for the album after we were on holiday. We came back together after we took some rest from recording the other songs and we felt like there was a message left to be sent out. Being in a band constantly feels like being on a road trip but we decided to live through it together because in the end we love what we do. And via this song we ask the people out there if they might wanna join us on this absurd ride, with all its emotional ups and downs.
Souvenir Shop
"Someone here who can dust me off ´til I shine again?“. Like the classic song „Help“ by The Beatles this song asks for someone. Someone to remind them what it felt like before. Before one lost their connection to what they love.
The souvenir shop acts as a key point. As the uncomfortable place where one was put aside, until someone picks you back up with a new use. The protagonist finds themselves between mostly cheap and trashy objects covered with dust. They are at their „lowest lows“, still they can reflect on their situation but all they can do at this point is search for somebody.
It is this story of being left off on the shelf. Like a toy which is not worth playing anymore, maybe its owner lost interest. Which can also be related to a very Hype-Driven business which the pop music industry in fact is. Asking for help, asking to be seen, asking for someone who’ll bring back a meaning to life. Aiming for new connections.
Opposite Opinions
We got opposite opinions on the front line, and I wish I could be honest in the meantime.“ A very strong and metaphoric line, with lots of space for individual interpretation. We live in a modern world full of conflicts, personal fights, international wars, and everything in between. It feels absolutely absurd when you sometimes think of the very core problem of an ongoing conflict, leading to so much anger & pain.
Most of the time we keep on blaming the others, even though with open hearts and minds, stepping back a little and looking at the things from another perspective, we should & could be more honest with ourselves and admit our own fallibility.
The song emerged from a session in which we didn’t really have a certain reference or feeling in mind. We just built a beat that was supposed to be a little different from what we’re used to in our other songs. Very quickly we liked the drive of the automated drums and added the strumming, rhythmically supporting acoustic guitar. The final lyrics also came very quickly and spontaneously, which is a rare case for us in songwriting sessions. The song feels very modern, not only due to the instrumentation and the programmed drums, but also because of its structure.
The verses are basically the same as the choruses, the melody doesn’t change. Even the lyrics stay the same for verse 1 & the chorus. Still it doesn’t feel too repetitive or looped. We think that’s a quality :) The drive of the song is very forward-going and has a lot of energy, while maintaining a certain easy going, relaxing vibe. A perfect song to listen to in your convertible, cruising down the esplanade.
Just Like Ice Cream
Just Like Ice Cream“ feels like a hot summer’s day in New York City. You might be melting away in the concrete jungle and overwhelmed with the city life you found yourself in. We recorded the demo on a techno beat and tried to recreate this feeling in a band context. The production is upbeat and colorful and should be played at a Daytime Disco in Brooklyn.
Even though the music is shining bright, the track deals with depression and its darkest forms. The chorus, Just Like Ice Cream, I’ve been melting“ might also be a metaphor for global warming and the lifestyle we keep living even though we might have a due date in some way.
Where Do You Go?
Where do you go?“ is a classic Rikas-example for a song in which the lyrics deal with a rather serious or not so easy going topic, while being supported and underlaid with an energetic, happy & dancy beat.
It’s a song coping with the feeling of a healthy dose of indifference. Sometimes, you just get overwhelmed by everything. By all the events, good or bad, by your feelings, all the things you should or shouldn’t do. Sometimes, the sheer amount of choices & possibilities in life make you numb and unable to decide. It feels like „nothing really matters at all“. You ask yourself what your place in this world is supposed to be and what you want to make out of it.
Jude Bellingham
A song about childhood dreams and playfulness. Jude Bellingham reflects on losing connection to football/soccer and also on the joy, hope and excitement this sport still inspires across generations world wide. The youth especially look up to their role models which do have a huge impact on how the game is regarded. We as children grew up watching our heroes trying to copy their moves and shared the dream of making it in the same way as they did.
In the manner of previous soccer anthems this song sings the praises of a current uprising superstar, Jude Bellingham. A young talent with his whole career ahead. A career that could be written in a storybook or in a children's dream. Experts predict him to be one of the few superstars of his generation. Will he live up to these predictions and expectations?
It’s a Beautiful World (When I’m on My Own)
Beautiful World - as it’s also known - closes the album with warmth and pureness. I think it’s because of its child-like/childish approach. People will love it, and I secretly love it too!“ Benny Sings commented on this song when we wrote it together in the first place. We jammed around on the chords and melodies very intuitively and used all these small guitar and percussion instruments which might be considered as being sweet. We found this very innocent melody and recorded everything very quickly, without thinking about it too much. And the song you hear on the record is exactly the version that’s been recorded back then on the first day.I think Bennys sentence sums it up perfectly.
For most of the time child-like behavior is seen as something inappropriate, something we as a society only tend to live out in private. Because it is evaluated as naive. But on the other hand - and people know that too - it is very pure and open. Some might call it wide-eyed. And these are the connecting traits of childsplay. Everyone can relate. And many of us feel warmth when they think about childhood. In this case music can be a hideout or shelter. It can be very healing and all of us need it.