Tag: Peyton Whitt

Glimmer of Hope – Rags and Riches Shares Newfound Strength on ‘Tension of the Season’ Single

Rags and Riches’ Tanner Whitt and Peyton Whitt inspire listeners to overcome the “Tension of the Season.” Photo – Christian Campbell

Backed by resilience and gratitude, Rags and Riches beautifully infuses hope into the darkest of times.

The Lexington, Kentucky EDM pop-rock duo of brothers Tanner Whitt (vocals, guitar) and Peyton Whitt (drums) shares a newfound sense of personal strength on their powerful, uplifting latest single, “Tension of the Season,” now available on all streaming platforms. It’s the fifth track they’ve dropped this year in a series of refreshing, spirited singles designed to inspire and rejuvenate a growing fan base.

“‘Tension of the Season’ was actually inspired when our grandfather experienced a nearly fatal stroke. With COVID-19 striking, no one could be with him in the hospital during this period. There were so many unknowns in our life. That’s when we knew it was time to write,” Tanner Whitt said.

The glistening, illuminative track blends echoey, wailing synths, shiny piano, upbeat acoustic strums, soft and steady drums, bouncy bass and reflective electric guitars as Tanner Whitt hopefully sings, “Oh, what a time to be alive/A mad world, another sleepless night/Hold your breath/When the tide pulls you under/Never give up, never give up/No never.”

“The words, ‘Tomorrow’s a brand new day, any second is bound to change,’ was more relevant than ever. Originally, the doctor’s prognosis wasn’t the news we wanted to hear. But day by day, he beat the odds stacked against him. Family before everything and everyone else,” said Tanner Whitt.

“There is nothing more vital and important in your life than family. We have been continuously working and perfecting everything we’re doing as a band, but also as human beings. Our love for people and human interaction has grown tremendously.”

“Tension of the Season” also features a fitting, socially-distanced video denoting the isolation, hopelessness and depravity people, businesses and communities face during the ongoing pandemic. Filmed in Elkhart, Indiana by director Christian Campbell, Rags and Riches strolls through empty high school football fields, vacant shopping malls and hidden parking lots while keeping a positive outlook.

“We started writing ‘Tension of the Season’ back in April when the stroke happened. We hope that everyone who hears this song will feel hopeful for the future, but also be inspired. Things can and will be rough at times, but tomorrow is the start of something brand new,” said Tanner Whitt, who worked with Peyton Whitt and Campbell to shoot the video.

“Christian is someone we’ve known for a few years now, and we knew he was the right person for this song. He actually took the full reigns and control of the concept and direction for this song. Right when he heard it, he knew where to go with it, and we loved the simplicity of it all.”

Continue reading “Glimmer of Hope – Rags and Riches Shares Newfound Strength on ‘Tension of the Season’ Single” →

California Dreamin’ – Rags and Riches Injects Limitless Optimism into New ‘Summer Nights’ Single

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Rags and Riches instantly revives a dormant California dream.

The Lexington, Kentucky EDM pop-rock duo of brothers Tanner Whitt (vocals, guitar) and Peyton Whitt (drums) injects limitless optimism and youthful exuberance into their new peppy, glistening Los Angeles-centric single, “Summer Nights,” which drops today via all streaming platforms.

“We needed to find the ‘right’ song in our catalog to release. From the lyrics to the beat, ‘Summer Nights’ was written to be a carefree summer song and bring some excitement in difficult times. This song fits right into a ‘summer playlist’ just for the lyrics alone, but the music felt like it could be listened to wherever you are,” Tanner Whitt said.

Rags and Riches rhythmically revs their upbeat EDM engines as clicking percussion, thumping bass, reverby synths, vivid electric guitars and pulsating drums accelerate into a warm July night. Tanner Whitt enthusiastically sings, “We could take a ride in my car/Or we can take a walk on the boulevard/I’m up for whatever, if you’re up for whatever/So tell me, do you wanna go?/So tell me, are you ready?”

“The LA inspiration was from one of our previous tours when we visited LA and took ‘a walk down the boulevard.’ Peyton was very inspired, and between the movies he had seen about LA along with the actual experience, he wanted to create something special,” Tanner Whitt said.

“Peyton actually started writing ‘Summer Nights’ alone for fun. He showed it to me and a friend, and we loved it and said, ‘It needed to be a Rags and Riches song.’ The song was actually written in a matter of an hour or two, but we didn’t actually record it until about two months ago.”

Two months ago, Rags and Riches dropped another electrifying, Stranger Things-esque synthwave single, “Don’t Look Down,” which slithers through eerie, lingering synths and haunting, slow percussion to weave an impending sense of sonic doom around lost souls. Tanner Whitt cautions, “I’m the leader/I’m the fool/Finger on the trigger/Can’t trust me for a minute/It’s doubtful you’ll catch me/I’m hiding from my demons/I’ve got no choice.”

“‘Don’t Look Down’ was another song that had been written months and months ago, but sat in the catalog to find the right time to be released. The song came from the idea of being in a mentally dark place and struggling with living. Suicide and mental illness are such real things, and we take that very seriously. We wanted that song to speak directly to people in a bad place mentally – to stay alive and keep hope,” Tanner Whitt said.

Rags and Riches also released a hypnotic, chilling lyric video for “Don’t Look Down,” which features a gold, pointy snake that quietly circles unassuming prey and prepares to suffocate any remaining positivity. Viewers nervously sit on their edge of their seats as they await the snake’s final strike.

“The snake was inspired by Medusa, who you couldn’t ‘look at.’ We felt the imagery fit perfect with the dark lyrics and the overall concept of the song. We may go back at some point and do an actual music video for ‘Don’t Look Down,’ but at this point there are no plans to do so,” Tanner Whitt said.

The Whitt brothers have steadily released a growing roster of powerhouse EDM-inspired singles since 2019. It all started with their dynamic electro-rock debut, “Speed of Sound,” and an uplifting power-pop debut EP, Arrival.

Over the next year, they dropped the inspirational “Not a Stranger,” the hyperactive “Light It Up,” the turbo-charged “Edge of Time,” and the apocalyptic “Blood Runs Cold.” They’ve also filmed and shared compelling cinematic-like videos for each track except “Summer Nights,” which will have a companion video at a later date.

While warm, memorable “Summer Nights” will linger in our minds, the Whitt brothers will continue casting their electro-rock magic later into 2020. It’s a welcoming spell during a disruptive time of change, upheaval and uncertainty.

“We do have more singles planned throughout the remainder of this year along with an EP. As of now, the next single is set for late August, early September,” Tanner Whitt said.

The Outsiders – Rags and Riches Celebrates Societal Underdogs on ‘Blood Runs Cold’ Single

In a quarantined world, Rags and Riches relishes being on the fringes of society.

The Lexington, Kentucky EDM pop-rock duo of brothers Tanner Whitt (vocals, guitar) and Peyton Whitt (drums) ventures underground and demands authenticity on their new seismic single, “Blood Runs Cold,” which dropped April 24.

“‘Blood Runs Cold’ really couldn’t have been a more perfect song to release right now. We felt not only did it relate to what we are all living in, but also the outcasts who have never fit in were very important to us. We wanted people to realize sometimes the people who never could fit in anywhere were born to stand out,” Tanner Whitt said.

Rags and Riches boldly stands apart as earth-shattering synths, blaring warning sirens, pounding percussion and piercing electric guitars erupt an underground homogeneous society. Tanner Whitt defiantly sings, “Is your head on straight/Cuz I feel like a stranger in a social abyss/Locked inside a box where my survival’s at risk/Survival’s at risk.”

The track also features a compelling video with clones wearing yellow hazmat suits and black gas masks while gathering in a deserted subway station with flashing lights. Together, they stand in single-file lines and closely monitor the station for a potential airborne virus (think COVID-19).

“We felt the hazmat suits made perfect sense with how we are living. Everyone being distant feels like living in hazmat suits. The video was more for relatability than a deeper meaning on this one,” Tanner Whitt said.

“Blood Runs Cold” also serves as the second infectious single Rags and Riches has released this year. In February, the Whitt brothers dropped the turbo-charged, anti-mediocracy anthem, “Edge of Time,” which fuses floating synths, thumping electronic percussion, frantic drumstick taps, vibrant guitars and deep breaths.

With a fire in his soul, Tanner Whitt proudly sings, “Rise, when the chances come/Move, don’t be left behind/Now, is your time to shine.”

“The lyrics came to me back in June 2019. It was spur of the moment, and they all really quickly came to me. I was outside walking around writing these lyrics down, and the melody was pretty much there. I didn’t have the overall theme for what I wanted the song to be about. It just kind of put itself together in a way. The positive, encouraging thing came, and never settling for mediocracy was the focus point of the song,” said Tanner Whitt, whose mother also sings on the track.

Continue reading “The Outsiders – Rags and Riches Celebrates Societal Underdogs on ‘Blood Runs Cold’ Single” →