Right at the cusp of summer, funk-pop band Ripe released “Settling,” which was their first release of the year. It contained cheerful horns and a rebellious spirit that encourages those who listen to take a chance and live life to the fullest. The track was definitely on many playlists this summer, as it now has over one million streams on Spotify alone. As fans have had plenty of time to get cozy and “settle” with the song, Ripe are ready to share their next single, “Noise in the Forest.”
With “Noise in the Forest,” Ripe give us another exultant-sounding track that defies its conflicted lyrics. Over the feel-good groove coming from the steady percussion, lead singer Robbie Wulfsohn depicts the fear and uncertainty that occurs in times of anger or frustration. Tenderly, he sings, “You wait for the sunlight that comes after the rain / Hope you know I’m grateful every times you stay,” aware that his actions have pushed people away in the past. In the end, he finds, “It’s just noise in the forest / Can’t tell the shadows from the trees,” pushing away that aggression. You can check it out below.
Telling us more about “Noise in the Forest,” Robbie explains,
“I remember the initial catalyst for this song being a conversation in the room about the capacity for anger. If memory serves, after a particularly great House of Blues Boston show in February 2020, I was sharing a story about when I was younger and my anger went from 0-10 in a way that was shocking to remember. I remember that tour feeling particularly wonderful and I think I wanted to use that good mood to take a loving look at anger. Where that led me was a love letter to the band, the community, and the symbiotic relationship that we have.
This record that our listeners have allowed us to make gave us a body of music that has certainly raised my individual spirits a number of times this last year and we now get to take this thing that (both in the making of and now in the release of) makes us feel better and bring it to our extended family to make them feel better too. If we do that successfully, they’ll turn right around and feed us again. That’s the feeling I find myself getting joyfully lost in, and feels like what I was trying to capture with the image of ‘Noise in the Forest.’”
You can listen to “Noise in the Forest” on platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Catch Ripe on tour here.
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