It’s hard to believe that ‘Dog In The Shade’ is the first single from upcomers THE RIOT. The maturity of the track, which sees the band paint soft R’n’B strokes before plunging into punk-inspired chaos, is undeniable. It will hopefully lead to more magic from the group, who have hit the scene mysteriously and left us all wondering where the bloody hell they’ve been hiding all this time.
What we know so far is that THE RIOT formed after guitarist/vocalist Tyler and drummer Scotty caught frontman JD chucking a sneaky and trying to crack into a venue by scaling the fence. From there, they formed a unique bond that compelled them to start working on music together. Sharing the same ideals, their message orients them in their sound. “There’s power in numbers, it’s better than being on your own” says JD. “[Together] we can get our voices that have been ‘the unheard’, to be heard.”
‘Dog In The Shade’ has been described as a call to arms in the same vein, with frontman JD articulating that THE RIOT are saying: “‘Fuck the enemy, riot the energy’ and let your voice be your voice regardless of how the world has made you feel.” With this year bringing widespread protests against injustice internationally, and a fair share of injustice in and of itself, it’s a message that needs to be taken to heart now more than ever.
The blistering song was produced by Matt Corby (yes, that Matt Corby) and long-time buddy Alex Henrikkson. Rest assured that there will be more to come from the gritty collaboration between Aussie darling Corby and the freshest act that 2020 has offered us so far. They’re the latest in a long list of artists that aren’t afraid to toe the line between alt-rock and hip hop, and we cannot stress enough how enthusiastically we are here for it.
