Tess and The Details
“Sing in the Key of the Dead” with
New Single And Music Video “RUNAWAY”
From Upcoming Debut Album RUNAWAY via Double Helix Records
OCTOBER 5, 2023 (Los Angeles, CA) – “‘Runaway’ is about knowing you’re a bad influence and going with it anyway,” says TESS AND THE DETAILS about their new single. “Lyrically, it’s about embracing the dark things that live in you and how, sometimes, what we try to run from is what we should run toward.” The title track from their upcoming album which will be released on November 14, 2023 via Double Helix Records, “Runaway” is the second single from the hardworking San Francisco-based punk band.
“‘Runaway’ was a song that instantly had the appeal that everyone looked for in a song, and that’s why it ended up being the title track,” explains lead singer Tess Stevens. “No track came easy on this record. We labored over every lyric, note, and decision related to these twelve songs.” Tess And The Details‘ distinct Bay Area Punk sound calls upon favorites such as Alkaline Trio, Rise Against, Foo Fighters, and The Bombpops.
Tess And The Details says of the inspiration for the track, “Tess spent some time in Las Vegas during the pandemic and [‘Runaway’] stemmed from looking up at the neon lights at night, seeing how people use that town to run from their problems and just end up creating more. We always try to hide the ugly parts of ourselves but the lyrics explore what happens when you just embrace them. Plus…the chorus is really fun to sing along to.”
Watch and listen to “Runaway” here:
https://ffm.to/details_runaway.OPR
The follow-up to their previous single “Canary” (whose Hitchcockian-inspired video found the band in a “Revenge of the Hitchcock Blonde” sort of plot),” the video for “Runaway” is a continuation to the performance space setting, taking place in a cavernous, industrial warehouse in downtown Oakland, CA.
“We’re all gear nerds and aesthetic freaks, so it was important for us to make sure everything in the setting was deliberate. We’re very happy with the result. We had a ton of fun performing in this video and can’t wait for people to see it,” says the band. “With ‘Runaway,’ we wanted to do what we love – play our song with intensity. We always play with tons of energy, so we wanted to have a video clip that represents that.”
Photo credit: Matthew Medina
Runaway is replete with an air of anti-establishment, kicking off with the anthemic “Blondie’s Gonna Die,” in which buzzsaw guitars catapult the listener into the world of Tess and The Details. Tess sings with a self-assured forcefulness, “When they told me I was crazy / I should’ve listened / I could have just laid down / Oh the white coats are a comin’ / in straight jackets they’ll be running / all through this damn ghost town…” “Blondie’s Gonna Die” is followed by “Canary,” and then “Runaway,” which evokes familiar bands such as Green Day and No Doubt, showcasing Tess’s powerful voice as she belts the rousing chant.
Other tracks on the record, like “St. of Purgatory” and “Johnny,” are character driven in the sense that the band took some of their own experiences and wrote about them through the lens of fictional characters. Tess describes, “We wanted to tell stories that could feel familiar to everyone, but through a witty and dark lyrical lens – like the anthemic self destruction of ‘Runaway’ or the catchy and melodically light take on mental torture in ‘Mania.’”
Runaway is full of contradictions, reflecting that humanity also embodies such dualities. “We just want to make great songs and see people going nuts to them when we play live. It’s really pretty simple – Runaway is just the start of what we hope will be a really good time.”
Tess and the Details is: Tess Stevens (lead vocals/ rhythm guitar), Gideon Berger (drums), Dustin Galecki (lead guitar), and Lawrence Hood (bass). Runaway was recorded by Tess Stevens, Jacob Light, and Gideon Berger.
Runaway will be released on November 14 via Double Helix Records. Runaway was recorded at ModernTone Studios in Lafayette, CA and produced, mixed, and engineered by Jacob Light (Tess Stevens, Michael Patrick Murphy, Tom Rican, Kat Van Morgan). The band’s new single “Runaway” is out today and you can stream/watch the song here (https://ffm.to/details_runaway.OPR).
Tracklisting:
- “Blondie’s Gonna Die”
- “Canary“
- “Runaway“
- “Take a Number”
- “Emergency”
- “Unnatural Disaster”
- “Mania”
- “Jester”
- “Johnny”
- “Perfect World”
- “St. of Purgatory”
- “No Grave”
Social Media:
Website | Instagram | Spotify
