September 06, 2021
Sydney singer-songwriter, Rita B has developed her own unique blend of roots and indie folk, and today she unveils ‘Travel Companion’ – her second single released this year. The single will delight fans of Stella Donnelly and Julia Jacklin.
‘Travel Companion’ explores the ideas of escapism, isolation, loneliness and “safety as a woman in those spaces, in particular, whilst travelling. It’s a relatively stripped back (singer songwriter) track – not played with the band. Layers of sound, such as backing vocals and violin are added to create a melancholy, dream-like vibe as the track progresses.”
Rita B
Watch ‘Travel Companion’
‘Travel Companion’ had a dream team bringing it to life. The emotive song was produced by Guy Fenech at Rolodex sound Leichhardt and mastered by Nick Franklin (Clews, Polish Club). Rita B comments on making the track “I wanted to write something folk/singer songwriter-esque, with a lyrical story accompanied by a simple guitar arrangement. I came up with the chord progression first, which eventually led to the idea around traveling on the road. I was influenced by moments in my life where I had been traveling alone for gigs and the lyrics are a reflection upon those experiences.”
Rita B’s music is a pure reflection of her diverse experiences and sonic influences. She spent 2017 performing songs from her debut album ‘With Pockets Nearly Empty and A Glass Almost Full’ bewitching audiences with her mesmerizing and honest vocals. Her single ‘Work’ won a place in FBi’s top 10 most played songs in 2018.
The video for ‘Travel Companion’ is inspired by Australia’s unique and arid landscape. It was directed by Maisie Cohen and shot in various locations across regional NSW.
“Maisie Cohen was the brainchild of the project, who quite literally turned a song about road tripping, into a road trip throughout regional NSW. The destination was Mungo National Park with its unique and arid landscape, visiting many quirky/colonial regional towns along the way, taking advantage of the signature architecture and landscapes there within. It was ironic as I was able to share this journey with Maisie as well as Drew Norley and Ariki Hita, who helped with the video production.
We all got along really well and were great Travel Companions. I really wanted to dance the waltz because I thought it complimented the longing feeling in the song and managed to include some scenes of beautiful Kiera dancing with me which added to the dreamlike element of the song. A few of my family members feature in the clip, my sister and her partner are mentioned in the storyline and my niece played the role of my imaginary daughter. Really proud and chuffed that they participated”.
Rita B
‘Travel Companion’ is out now
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