With unparalleled joy and exuberance, I am pleased to introduce the incredible indie rock band called Reetoxa to you, readers, once more. When speaking about Reetoxa, it becomes clear that this phenomenon is a result of the stubbornness and dedication of its founder, Jason McKee. For almost three decades now, McKee has been the loyal protector of his musical passion, writing songs based on his most personal, vulnerable experiences even before sharing them with the world. After years of determination, luck played its part, allowing him to connect with the legendary producer Simon Moro, who was nominated for the ARIA award. And that resulted in the creation of two amazing tracks: “War Killer” and “The Lisa Song,” the latter being stuck inside my mind for months now. Fortunately, Reetoxa keeps surprising fans by releasing new music, including the upcoming single “Love Keeps Burning Still,” which is coming out on June 5th. Let us dig deeper into this exciting project together!
The song begins with a chilling piano melody that is almost heartbreaking because it seems like the music is making the air in the room freeze in time. It is a remarkable beginning, but it is not until a few seconds after that that the real show starts when McKee’s voice shatters the calm silence. What we have here is not just the opening of a song but rather one full “deer in headlights” moment. Not only do we hear something, we feel it. This is one of those mesmerizing performances that takes us by surprise. If you are anything like me, you’ll be hooked right away.
To grasp the essence of “Love Keeps Burning Still,” you need to see what is going on behind the scenes – the bizarre, dream-like process of its conception. The story sounds like a fragment from an old novel penned by an experienced author, stemming from a period marked by constant creation. During the height of the pandemic, Jason McKee created music in the highest of his states of artistic inspiration, creating ten songs a day, driven mainly by the caffeine buzz, one lonely croissant, and the lack of sleep. This is where the mysterious instruction to craft the song was born from the furnace of isolation. A voice, whether it was one of divinity or something else within himself, demanded that he compose a song about breaking up that could surpass anything else out there. While at first the request to beat out Taylor Swift left him stymied and seeking something, he simply attributed it to his failing body. Yet the spirit or the requirement would not leave him alone; instead, it moved to something more personal and precise: he was asked to compose something about the truth that had come out of his ten-year marriage to Lee, that even though he wanted nothing more to do with her, they were actually meant to be friends. It was the point of no return. For McKee, recalling that particular painful truth, a small rush of warmth shot up his spine, and in that instant, in that blinding flash of electricity, the song began. It was from that very real experience, from the knowledge that this love will not die even when lying still as stone, that McKee crafted the heart of the song. It is a perfect illustration of McKee’s alchemy, showing that the best songs do not merely come alive but are actually lived through.
The creation of “Love Keeps Burning Still” perfectly exemplifies the belief that the most powerful pieces of art emerge from chaos. Having been born amid the claustrophobic reality of the pandemic lockdowns, this track was the fruit of an era in which McKee was constantly pushed beyond the boundaries of what he was able to achieve. Working at the rate of composing ten songs every day, McKee was not simply writing tracks. In the process of doing so, he was literally purging his soul. All of the intensity involved in the writing of the lyrics is reflected in the song’s unique sound. Featuring all the features of the tumultuous period in which it was created, the song shows the unique, singular focus of a person who sees no way out other than expressing the truth.
Working with this band is, by and large, a vibe, this kind of kinetic force that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. It is this element that brings me back to this group and makes me listen to everything that they come up with over and over. What fascinates me the most is the unique storytelling that characterizes their discography. The opportunity to watch them weave stories from their life into their songs in such a creative way is something that I do not want to miss. Every album takes you closer to their inner world and the complex story of who they are and how they came to create such masterpieces. This time around, Reetoxa has really hit a home run with their new song, “Love Keeps Burning Still”, and I am excited to see where we go next on this awesome journey.
Stream “Love Keeps Burning Still” on Spotify
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