A fresh banger from Rooftop heroes smoothly brings together several genres and styles into one massively addictive op song that incorporates rock, pop, and plenty more as the song plays out in a theatrical and anthemic tonality.
"I Can't Breathe" is completely refreshing and inspiring at times as the song breaks out into a freeing and open style and the approach let's it take on this massive and emotional standpoint.
The song has a deep groove and really sort of bops with a heavy handed stomp as the drums slam and vocals roll oiut such a catchy hook that it sticks in your head hours or even days after the song has eneded.
This track has a lot going on and the way it was formatted and arranged was actualy quite smart.
it lets the song breathe and build as it plays through and this is why you get sort of attached ot it so much.
This track has a perfectly performed set of vocals as they come through with passion and a touch of aggression but are smoothly melodic and catchy as all hell.
Again, this was cinematic and theatrical to say the very least of it.
But that pop aspect is gorgeous and you really do pay attention to the song and all of its incticaciers.
And there are details that were very focuised on and paid attention to throughout this track.
This was built and put together by a mastermind for sure.
With such an intesne sort of dark-pop single, we wanted to actuallyu have a chat with the band to find out wehere ewxactly this all came from.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Okay so let's start with "I Can't Breathe". This track had an impactful and cinematic feel to it! Where did this single come from?
With Rooftop Heroes, we've decided at a quite early stage to not only write about love and happiness, but also about social and political topics. In 2020, we really realized that as white people, we're highly privileged in comparison to even some of our friends, who are people of color. In their daily lives, they have to fight against prejudices, (hidden) racism and mostly what's been in people's minds for hundreds of years now. When George Floyd died, we decided to tell the world that even most of the white people aren't ok with what's going on. We were fast to compose the instrumental for a song which should take you into the middle of a demonstration, but because of the critical topic, it took us about 2 years to find the right words for the song.
RAG: I'm hearing some great styles on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
We love listening to OneRepublic, Coldplay, The Script or Imagine Dragons. But there are also a lot of influences coming from earlier stages in our lives, where all of us played in punk pop or even metal bands :). RAG: So how did this all begin for you really? When did you fall in love with making music?
That was a long time ago. Mike and Dani played in a quite successful pop punk band for more than 10 years. They both fell in love when they still were kids and founded their first band at the ages of 12 and 14. They bought their first guitars by themselves and learned to play it without any lessons.
Sam also premiered playing music in bands when he was pubertal. After his apprenticeship, he started studying music at college and successfully graduated as a professional drummer last year. Just a year before, all three members met for the first time and since then, they've spent nearly every minute in their free time on this musical journey called Rooftop Heroes. RAG: What's next for you as a band?
We're currently recording the last tracks of our upcoming 2nd album. We have been really surprised by winning this big contest in the U.S. with the song "I Can't Breathe". To be honest: We couldn't even imagine that this is possible as a Swiss band! RAG: What inspires you to write a song?
Emotional stories in our lives, everyday topics as well as people telling us about their experiences. We think it's the most important thing to sing about what moves you, what catches you emotionally. Often, it's also kind of a therapy, when you can't handle a situation first and then start to write it down. You can let it out and feel better most of the time. RAG: What are you all doing when you're NOT working on music?
Mike is the classic Swiss banker. Dani is a computer scientist and Sam is a professional drummer for other projects as well. RAG: Who are you all listening to right now?
Music is with us every day. One day without just isn't that cool! Some favorites at the moment: Holly Humberstone, Glass Animals, Philine Sonny, Rapture Boy RAG: Are you doing live performances?
Yes! For the first time after COVID, we can play again! We also have a concert set on June 10th, when "I Can't Breathe" is released! So happy to meet the people again at concerts! RAG: This single seems like a big undertaking. What kind of advice might you have for other up and coming bands out there?
Never give up your dreams! It's still a long and tough way to take when you want to get exposure for your music. And it's also a business thing. We know that a lot of musicians hate this word. But without even knowing what's going on in the biz, it's impossible to move forward. And it's sooo easy to get a lot of information for free today. It wasn't like this only ten years ago. RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
We're still overwhelmed by feedback we're getting on our music! Thank you so much for supporting us, for listening to our music and for getting in touch with us! This isn't possible without you! Thank you!