Imagine this: you’re a kid in the back seat of your parents’ car when you experience the intricate and innovative sounds of a ‘90s rock song on the radio for the first time. You instantly fall in love and ask for the volume to be turned up. Adam Intrator—a member of the New-York based indie rock/shoegaze band Triathalon, joined by Chad Chilton and Hunter Jayne—said the goal of their new single, “RIP,” was to recreate this feeling by showcasing their strong ‘90s rock influence, drawing inspiration from legends like Pixies, Deftones and Nirvana.
“RIP” is the first single off Triathalon’s upcoming album Funeral Music, set for release on May 16. As if the album’s title didn’t already hint at its theme, the band developed the concept of writing and producing music they would want played at their funerals, after frequently saying “play this at my funeral” throughout the creative process.
The single doesn’t confine itself to one identifiable sound, but rather experiments dynamically and strategically with instrumentation and vocals. The heavy rock-influenced electric guitar almost takes on another voice of its own, dueting with the soft, eerie breathiness of Triathalon’s lead vocals. The two layers of “RIP”—hard rock and melancholy shoegaze—gracefully intertwine to sonically capture the double meaning of death and rebirth.
