Riot for Romance Shares Insights On Songwriting & Latest “Karma Police” Cover
Up-and-coming post-punk band, Riot for Romance, has captivated audiences with powerful tracks, including “The World And Its Weight” and “Less For Regret.” Following the release of their self-titled EP and a stirring cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police,” Jason Hansen, Brett Miotti, and Kelly Nunn have confirmed that they are working on a new full-length album, set to further cement their place in the music industry.
When discussing their songwriting process and the personal subjects they tackle in their music, Jason shares insights into the band’s approach and the importance of vulnerability in their work: “It starts with recognizing that singing is like any other instrument. For me, that means singing with authenticity and passion. I tend to look at an intimate topic and try to extract the emotion it evokes.”
He continues: “So, when I write lyrics, I want them to specifically connect to an emotion – one that everyone experiences so that anyone can relate that emotion to something in their own life. This way, it can be personal to each person listening. At the same time, I am writing from my own experience, so it’s always personal to me.”
Brett adds: “The three of us have a very close personal relationship and sometimes song topics or lyrics will just spill out naturally from those conversations. Jason seems to just write what he knows… and has a gift for making it relatable to a larger audience or open to different interpretation. So, I think vulnerability, and maybe passion, play a huge part.”
Miotti discussed their approach to covering songs, explaining how they select which songs to cover: “We’re all big-time music “heads.” So, we are often sharing music with each other that we enjoy—whether to connect on something or challenge each other musically. This band kind of started solely on the premise of combating boredom during the pandemic and learning a song by one of our favorite artists.”
Kelly also said: “Generally, we’ll look at songs that are classics or deep cuts. These are songs that have room to be sonically reinterpreted as well as in how they are played. We tend to put our spin on covers the same way we write our own music – putting it out there for each of us to contribute ideas.”
In addition, Jason shared: “There is something satisfying about putting your own spin on a classic song you love. It’s one thing to simply cover a song exactly as it was first released but interpreting it in your own ethos while still paying homage to the original is its own artform. Honestly, it puts yourself in a vulnerable spot as a musician, because you’re being judged through the lens of the original.”
Listen to Riot for Romance’s music below:
