Boston trio yearns for a personal connection through a breezy and vibrant new indie alt-pop single out Friday, March 20
A long time ago, a wise man once said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” That person likely never stared down a voicemail inbox, eager for a connection that may never be reciprocated – and a call that ultimately may never be returned.
But it’s the hope that the next time might be the time that drives the glossy, emotive appeal of The Ringer Soundtrack’s new single, a summer-fling, sun-kissed indie alt-pop bop called “Voicemail,” hitting the streams on Friday, March 20.
Leading up to the release and beyond, the eclectic Boston trio have set up a hotline for fans to call, 617-652-0506, and leave their own message after the tone.
With a shimmering mood, panoramic rhythm, and breezy, late-summer-night vibe, “Voicemail” is a grand fit of evocative sonic nostalgia, one skillfully assembled through disco bass lines, slashing modern indie guitarwork, and an earworm vocal hook that imprints on the brain like a phone number acquired at the bar.
It finds The Ringer Soundtrack – the longtime collaborative and BFF trio of Mick Coyne (vocals and piano), Brandon Forbes Dalrymple (guitars), and Ross Goodwin (bass, production) – reaching out for personal connection at a time when we all need it most. We’ve all made that call, and our hearts have sunk as the ringing quickly gives way to an automated message and a cold, heartless beep.
“‘Voicemail’ could be about making a phone call, and to your amazement, they’ve set up their voicemail – which is rare these days,” says Dalrymple. “Maybe it’s about the consistent pain of unreciprocated love in life, and all of its fleeting reminders – yet you still want to hear it again. Maybe, just maybe, they will love me back if I call once more – but they never pick up that call, do they?”
They sure don’t. Getting sent to voicemail is a rite of passage for any would-be lover in the 21st century, just as frustratingly getting the answering machine after repeated rings on a landline was for many of us back in the previous one.
The technology may change, but the efforts on both sides – from the overzealous caller to the distant recipient – remain rather timeless, as depicted on the “Voicemail” single artwork, where a colorful cascade of shadowy neon pinks and blues, inviting by nature and warning by nurture, illuminate a classic shot of a long-gone phone booth. The scene was snapped by the band at Alchemy in Providence, capturing the spirit of the sentiment that swirls throughout the song.
“Will traditional telephone use make a comeback?” asks Coyne. “We have become a broadcast-only society, no reception or communion. Will work from the office make a cultural comeback? What about the truth, will the truth make a comeback? We have to force all these conversations, but people don’t want to talk out of discomfort, or fear, or being confronted with it. People don’t want to have those convos but maybe taking a look at that phone booth will remind us how far off track we are. We used to be a wholesome TGIF society! WE USED TO LEAVE A VOICEMAIL AFTER THE TONE.”
Produced, mixed, and mastered by Goodwin, “Voicemail” came together after the band huddled for an impromptu songwriting session last summer. The band lit Dalrymple’s scented Jimmy Page candle as a gift to the songwriting gods, and the trio, armed with only a Yamaha acoustic and a cacophony of melody and hooks in their collective heads, posted up at a picnic table outside Dalrymple’s home studio. From there, with just the right amount of moisture in the air, bugs flying all around, and that perfect New England temperature just begging for outdoor activity, the song came together with a relative quickness.
“We literally plucked the song out of the air as it was whizzing by like a firefly,” says Coyne. “We caught lightning in a bottle the night it popped out of us.” Dalrymple agrees, adding: “It sounded a certain way on a summer night with a voice and an acoustic, and we had to recreate that.”
“Voicemail” also reflects a bit of a full-circle moment for The Ringer Soundtrack, who leaned back on their DIY roots to write, record, and produce the song in-house. After releasing a string of songs over the past few years with some notable producers behind the big board, “Voicemail” takes the mood back to the band’s 2006 debut album Wake Up World – which may get the 20th anniversary re-issue treatment this summer, as the band finished their next full-length for release later this year or next – where the start-to-finish creation of the track was a result of the trio’s long-standing chemistry.
It also found the trio rekindling their creative process, with three dominant personalities rediscovering the strength in a shared vision, not unlike when they just started out as bedroom producers and friends as young adults back in the 2000s.
So the air of sonic nostalgia that runs rampant across “Voicemail” is matched not only by its theme, but understanding the long and winding road The Ringer Soundtrack have endured as they painstakingly create music that transcends their own individual efforts.
“It’s a pure representation of The Ringer Soundtrack’s signature sound,” Goodwin admits. “It’s not held back, or a representation of us being us. The song features jangly summery guitars, keys, and Mike’s vocals, with a hook about voicemail that we feel is extremely relatable. ‘Voicemail’ also ‘has the goods,’ as Mike would say, because it is highly singable and effectively captures a blend of sparkly guitars with a darker tone we love to make.”
That was also true on a pair of singles the band released last year, from the bouncy, synth-driven “Last Lie” to the yearning alt-rock crush of “In Real Time.” While stylistically varying, each carries The Ringer Soundtrack’s adept knack for extracting human emotion in times of difficulty, taking real-life events and lived-in scenarios and widening the scope to be reflected and relatable to the listener.
“We all take those songs maybe a little more seriously than some of the songs we wrote for other records or EPs and partly because it feels like time is running out,” Coyne reveals. “There’s an urgency to writing the songs, but then identifying the good songs and bringing them to fruition. While all three of those jams have a little ‘80s feel to them, you should hear some ‘90s style arrangements and some ‘00s production in there, too. We effort to kinda diversify the output across eras. Don’t pigeonhole us — don’t expect us to stay in whatever lane you’re putting us in.”
Now, the idea of frustrations in trying to reach a party that may or may not be interested – did they receive the call and ignore it, or are they just super busy? — takes on the universal theme of feeling desperate for the person on the other line to answer. It might be insanity to keep trying, whether a jilted lover, or simply a band eager to write the official “Song of the Summer.”
“This song has the goods,” Coyne concludes. “The guitars, the vibe, the words left unspoken (or never spoken). There are lots of good songs but not many songs are singable anymore – this one is. Let us come sing it for you or with you!”
All you gotta do is take the call.
The Ringer Soundtrack is:
Mick Coyne: Vocals and piano
Brandon Forbes Dalrymple: Guitars
Ross Goodwin: Bass
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‘Voicemail’ production credits:
Written and performed by The Ringer Soundtrack (Mick Coyne/Brandon Forbes Dalrymple/Ross Goodwin)
Produced, mixed, and mastered by Ross Goodwin
Photo and artwork courtesy of The Ringer Soundtrack
The Ringer Soundtrack short bio:
Known for their seamless blend of analog warmth and digital precision, The Ringer Soundtrack crafts sparkling, dynamic pop songs that transcend era-specific labels. Drawing on both vintage synthesizers and cutting-edge production techniques, the band’s work taps into the energy of pop icons while pushing boundaries into contemporary realms. Their music captures the essence of unforgettable pop melodies. Put simply, The Ringer Soundtrack creates a sonic world where the past and the present are not at odds but exist in harmony.
Connect with The Ringer Soundtrack:
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