INTERVIEW: Ready the Prince on their new single, Pray
The New Rock Mafia are relentless in delivering us audio-based reasons to carry on living, and their most recent gift from Toronto duo Ready the Prince is no different. Brand new single, Pray, offers a more ambient and sentimental take than we've heard from them before - but it still delivers that smokin' hot heavy-rock RTP flavour that'll get your mouth watering.
Sneaking into an unexpected melancholic and gentle start, Pray entices with a rhythmic verse - one that builds at just the right pace to keep you bouncing on your toes. The pre-chorus continues to tease, giving a tantalising taste of where the track is headed, before the hunger is indulged in a sweet, short, and sharp chorus that hits you like a speeding ice cream truck. Once you've dusted yourself off, you're ready to be hit again.
Pray constantly intensifies in that classic RTP aggression that we know and love, exploding with wild energy towards the end - the journey of anticipation within this song feels like fighting a tough battle and eventually rejoicing in victory, which is reflected in lyrics like "soon I'll be washed away," and "you're not giving up tonight."
If all of that weren't enough, add in Steve's raw and delectable vocals, and Dan's awe-inspiring shredding and you've got an instant New Rock Mafia classic. With its nostalgic, atmospheric sound and message of perseverance, faith, and just doing your own thing - what's not to love?
It's been a little while since we caught up with the guys, so we thought we'd get the lowdown on the new track!
It feels like we only spoke a few days ago about Regicide (nearly 4 months, yikes), but we've missed you! How have you been doing since that last release?
Steve: Ya it does, this year has been flying by. We’ve been good. Toronto has been in lockdown almost the entire 4 months so we’ve been chilling. Feels great to be putting out music again and interacting with everyone online.
Last time you described the past year as rollercoaster - what part of the ride are you at right now?
Steve: Going down a big drop because releasing a song is as exhilarating as it gets for a band these days.
Dan: I think I’m going to be sick!
There was an absolutely incredible response to Regicide, you must've been chuffed!
Dan: Chuffed is definitely the right adjective to describe it! It’s always really cool to see people vibe and connect with our music but the anticipation and immediate reaction we got from Regicide definitely made us feel blessed. Especially with the pandemic, the response has motivated us to keep pushing forward.
Steve: I’ve never seen the word chuffed before in my life but I love it.
So now you're back with Pray - what was it about this song that made you decide to release it as the second track in the trio of your new era?
Steve: It’s the most dynamic song of the 3 and also the most hopeful, so it fits well in the middle. Musically, we try to keep people on their toes with what’s coming next.
Dan: Pray also made the most sense as the second single in regards to the story we are trying to convey visually.
We're loving the track! Can you tell us a little bit about the message behind it and what inspired you to write it?
Steve: Pray is about struggling to the point of despair and finding a way to stay afloat.
Dan: It’s always felt like a bit of a throwback to some of our older songs mixed with the new sound we have now.
It must feel so strange to be releasing stuff that you haven't been able to play live!
Dan: Yeah definitely! It’s cool to be able to play an unreleased track during a live show to see how people react and to see how well it fits in the structure of the setlist. At the same time, I think it’s exciting to release a track no one has heard before. Pray is the only song we haven’t been able to play live so I’m very interested in seeing how this goes.
Any hints on what we can expect from the final single?
Steve: We played it live on our last UK tour and start to finish it’s easily the biggest mosh song we’ve ever recorded.
Dan: Dead Roads has been surpassed.
Thanks so much for your time guys, we look forward to hearing more from you soon!
Thanks for having us!
Listen to Pray on Spotify and Apple Music
Review and interview by Courtney Myers
Photography by Flee Normality
