We’re pleased to premiere the new single from Canadian band Jessica Rhaye & The Ramshackle Parade. Taken from the forthcoming album ‘Sunshine Baby’, due to drop on 5th May 2023, ‘I Won’t Break’ is an intense and defiant song about remaining strong in response to the end of a relationship. The song opens with atmospheric electric guitar and acoustic finger-picking, before other musical layers swell, introducing Rhaye’s gorgeous voice. Her vocal performance is excellent throughout, displaying great range and carefully managed changes in pitch and pace and volume. It’s especially captivating when her voice is intertwined with the contrasting backing vocal.
The concept for the video came from Rhaye, who also helped with production. Co-producer Jordan Mattie, who filmed and edited the video, has created an atmospheric, moody visual that reinforces the feel and strength of the song. It’s full of tension and drama, artfully and stylishly produced. The band members emerge from the darkness and there’s a particularly effective moment when the song builds and explodes, Rhaye’s voice soars and the video bursts with sudden, unexpected colour.
Rhaye says of the song: “‘I Won’t Break’ is the darkest and heaviest track on the album, with incredible string arrangements by Jon Estes. I started writing this song on an electric guitar, which is not an instrument I normally play, but the edgy vibe I felt and heard in the chords on this instrument became the backdrop for this song. Every member of the Ramshackle Parade added something special to the arrangement, from the guitar riffs to the dramatic drum hits and we all worked on the lyrics together. It was fun to write and record this rocker! When I was a teenager, I was part of a school choir and one of the songs I used to sing lead was Lesley Gore’s ’60s classic ‘It’s My Party’, a sad song lyrically for an upbeat pop tune. It came to me when we finished writing ‘I Won’t Break’, that our song is a modern twist on Gore’s character. Instead of crying over an unfaithful lover in ‘It’s My Party’, in ‘I Won’t Break’ they are taking a stand and showing no sign of weakness, no crying, no backing down.”
This is a powerful new song from an artist who is steadily gathering a large fanbase online. While waiting for the new album, absorb this and check out Rhaye’s excellent cover of Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, which now has more than 10 million views on YouTube. Enjoy.
