By Linc Bradham
Atmospheric, ethereal vibes driven by skillful piano and vibrato-laden guitar akin to that of Radiohead, The War on Drugs, and Coheed and Cambria…DMV local Rugan Lewis has done it again with his spectacular new single “Fall Gracefully.” There is so much to like in this track, from the stellar production value to the songwriting savvy. With “Fall Gracefully,” Lewis has created a song that draws you in from the first strike of piano. It continues to keep you enthralled as the tune builds, sustains, and falls – much more gracefully than the artificially constructed gods that the song centers on lyrically. Says Lewis, “The song is about a loss of innocence. Recorded between two apartments and a studio in Long Beach, CA, ‘Fall Gracefully’ features Rugan Lewis on bass, all guitars, and vocals; Brandon Corn on production and percussion; and Brian Andrews on keyboards.”
The background vocals on “Fall Gracefully” are sweet, the cymbals are crisp, and the guitar and synths are both melodic and rocking simultaneously. It’s clear that Lewis is skilled as an instrumentalist and songwriter…here’s to hoping he starts gracing us with live performances very, very soon.
Rugan Lewis is an up and coming independent artist who is a self-described “tryst of the personal and political, coming on like Steely Dan the morning after…augmented with synthetic sounds redolent of The Flaming Lips.” He just released his debut single in January 2021, and is continuing to create and share his music regularly. It is clear that he has much to say and much to share with his music, but hear for yourself here, and follow our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Linc Bradham is an American multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, audio engineer, and songwriter originally from Savannah, GA. He has resided in the DMV for the last three years and has served in the active-duty Army for the last 12 years. He is in the process of switching Army careers into the Army Field Band as an audio engineering professional, with long-term goals of promoting music education in America and the Middle East.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
