Rising (EP)
Released July 2021
Rising is a collection of four songs that tackle important, ongoing issues we face as a community. Easing into a heavy and reflective experience, the EP opens with ‘Holiday’, an intimate reflection on personal time and space, asking whether ‘getting away’ from a daily work schedule is enough or if it is even possible through our endless connectedness. Putting our online lives into the fold, ‘What a Waste of Time’ follows with a direct condemnation of hate and ignorance; ideologies bread out of fear; fear of being seen as weak if one were to change their perspective for the better. ‘Messed Up’ is a stark reminder of privilege that so many have. Messed Up asks what we can do, suggesting that challenging and often frustrating conversations need to happen at the family table with loved ones. The EP wraps with its title track ‘Rising’ which is Rich’s love song to Mother Earth. “The idea that ‘We need the earth to survive, but the earth does not need us’ has resonated with me for years. I am reminded that though I am one person, there are things that I could be doing day-to-day to reduce my footprint on this earth. There is a reason why all of us feel better mentally and physically when we step outside. This place is beautiful, but it is eroding at the hands of our greed for more.”
