Australian DIY duo Peace Ritual channel heaps of angst and ecstasy into “Seconds,” an impassioned, invigorating alternative anthem of liberation and sweet release.
follow our Today’s Song(s) playlist
Stream: “Seconds” – Peace Ritual
Most of us view time as a crutch; a cruel and unforgiving mistress.
We’re forever caught up in her web, destined to fall prey to her whims again and again, until there’s not a shred of us left.
But what if we flipped the script, grabbed the reigns, and took control of time itself? Sure, it’s ambitious – but what worthwhile goal isn’t the slightest bit lofty or aspirational, especially when the reward is so worth the risk? On their latest single, Australia’s Peace Ritual don’t just traverse time zones; they rise above the fracas and fray, the white noise and discord, blocking out disruptions and subverting expectations to unearth a hard-won space of serenity, security, and self-confidence. The Australian duo channel heaps of angst and ecstasy into “Seconds,” an impassioned, invigorating alternative anthem of liberation and sweet, seductive release.
It’s the kind of song that induces smile after smile, no matter how many times you’ve heard it before.
close my heart now
get away from this town
time takes its toll
keep heading to the ground
Would you say in high notes, time slows
We let dice and time go, I froze
Coming out of time zones, I mean
Counting down the seconds still…
Released back in mid-March via Last Ride Records, “Seconds” is a sweaty and spirited fever dream. Peace Ritual’s first (and to date, only) 2024 offering follows the band’s acclaimed self-titled debut EP, an immersive rush of alt-rock and dream pop wonder that established the duo as one of Atwood Magazine‘s 2022 Editor’s Picks.
While Joel Martorana and Thomas Elliott come out of Australia’s hardcore scene, their project is undeniably alternative-leaning-pop, with soft and sweet songs that still manage to have quite a bite – and an edge.
“Seconds” roars triumphantly from the jump as Peace Ritual boldly build an emotionally charged wall of face-melting sonic wonder.
“We started writing ‘Seconds’ on a weekend away in Tom’s childhood hometown Melton (Victoria), which helped us channel the nostalgic feeling and soundscape of the song,” Peace Ritual tell Atwood Magazine. “It evolved into a love song about timing and dealing with the unknown, and reminds us to slow down and breathe through the noise. James Goodson (Dazy) and our best friend Sam Bassal (Ocean Grove) then also jumped in to refine the melodies and structures until everything organically seemed to fall in place.”
“We recorded it remotely, bringing in the idea of ‘time zones’ from the lyrics right into the making of the song. Self-recording played a crucial role, giving us the freedom to take our time and experiment with instrumentation, textures and sound design–and push through our own boundaries.”
“We spent months trying to figure out our best option for recording, and ultimately decided to take the DIY route. We reached out to James Goodson as fans – we really love his raw production style and knew he would understand the sound we were trying to achieve, while also guiding the self-recording process. It was great to collaborate with him for the first time – we really feel like he’s a kindred (DIY) spirit, and we are excited to share a larger body of work that we have been working towards behind the scenes!”
And time will tell… and time will tell… if I will count down forever.
We will never be fully free from time’s grasp, but there’s something to be said about shifting our mentality away from time as a drag, and toward time as opportunity – and perhaps that’s the ultimate takeaway from “Seconds”: We can count down forever… or we can start to count up. We can take stock of all that we’re gaining with each passing moment, rather than all that we’ve lost.
It’s a subtle, slight change, yet it can make a world of difference. Stream “Seconds” below, and stay tuned for much more to come from Peace Ritual – easily one of the most exciting indie acts coming out of Australia at the moment!
Would you say in high notes, time slows
We let dice and time go, I froze
Coming out of time zones, I mean
Counting down the seconds still…
— —
:: stream/purchase Seconds here ::
:: connect with Peace Ritual here ::
Stream: “Seconds” – Peace Ritual
— — — —
Connect to Peace Ritual on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
© Tahmid Nurullah
©
:: Today’s Song(s) ::
follow our daily playlist on Spotify
:: Stream Peace Ritual ::
