by Jillian Jaramillo
Atlanta-based alt-rock band abandcalledlove, comprised of Ryan Chandler Love (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Ian Joshua Riley (producer/guitar/keyboards/vocals), Blake Aldridge (guitar/vocals/keyboards/percussion), Brooks Roberts (bass/vocals), and Austin Yagle (drums/percussion/keyboards/vocals), released their debut album Thriving Season. The album features their powerful single, “The Love I Can’t Let Go.”
“The Love I Can’t Let Go” captivates with its raw emotion and haunting melodic synth-pop rhythm. Written from a vulnerable and personal place of addiction, Ryan Chandler Love says candidly of the song: “There was a period where I literally couldn’t sleep without drinking, and I articulated that just as literally in the chorus. I wanted to paint a vivid, intentional picture for people who don’t or can’t understand what dealing with alcoholism can feel like by framing it as something a wider audience can relate to.”
Love wrote the track with “a rhythmic, darker, and moodier synth-rock idea with a simple groove.” “The Love I Can’t Let Go” evolved into what Love says is his favorite track on the album, “Despite the stark awareness of what I was doing to myself, I found myself coming back to it daily, drinking excessively with seemingly no control. As the song’s composition and production—especially the moodier electronic elements paired with the poppier chorus—began to take shape, the rest of the lyrics fell into place, despite the habit’s heavy toll. I remember feeling so broken one day, sitting in front of my studio computer and crying my eyes out while typing the lyrics into a note on my phone. Reflecting now, after celebrating two years of sobriety, I can confidently say I couldn’t be more proud of a song on this EP than I am of ‘The Love I Can’t Let Go.’ ”
For more abandcalledlove, including teasers and updates, follow them across all social media platforms.
*Cover art courtesy of Earshot Media.