Burlington, VT is not usually a place you expect to harbour many musical inspirations, least of all of the neo-soul kind. The Renegade Groove, however, begs to differ with its four-piece band hell-bent on bringing funk back to its hometown. Their newest single "Nobody Knows" embodies all the slow movements of a Sunday afternoon along with all the highs of a song that pierces right through your soul.
Using every instrument in their arsenal, The Renegade Groove expertly blends warm saxophone notes with buttery smooth drumming. Intricately layered, "Nobody Knows" finds its groove in all the subtle ebbs and flows. The tempo picks up ever so slightly in the bridge, as Hannah Pitkin's vocals dance over the instrumental arrangement. Just as effortlessly, the tempo breaks, and Danny Whitney sidles up to the microphone again to coo "Nobody knows" over a lush landscape of jazzy guitar chords and a swaddling bass.
"Nobody Knows" is the follow-up to the band's debut album, released last year. Though written several years ago, it's been tampered with recently to fit their new sonic aesthetic. "We worked our butts off raising the money for [our debut album] through Kickstarter and it was really important for us to get those songs recorded, some of which we had playing live for almost a decade," the band shares. "That said, 'Nobody Knows' is a really exciting step forward for us and just the first foray into creating music that's a little more sincere without sacrificing any of our signature grit and soul."
Adding a twist to the age-old idiom, The Renegade Groove prove that home is where the soul is, even if that home is in Burlington, Vermont.
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