Deriving their name from Wallace Stevens’ 1934 poem “The Idea of Order at Key West,” in which Stevens examines the creative powers of the human mind, and “to what extent artists are capable of creating, redefining or mastering the natural world around themselves,” Brooklyn-based indie outfit Pale Ramon features two grizzled, New York scene vets — Emanuel and The Fear‘s Emanuel Ayvas (vocals, keys) and former Monuments and Oceanographer Kevin Plessner (guitar).
Last February, the duo went to The Isokon in the Catskills to record their recently released sophomore album Annie with D. James Goodwin. When those sessions ended, they left feeling elated and continued production when they returned to Brooklyn. With pandemic related shutdowns, the duo continued working on the album in their home studios separately. Every few weeks, the pair shared their individual production work — while living through the unease, uncertainty and turmoil of the past year or so. After a few additional days at The Creamery Studio with Jeff Fetting in September, they sent the tracks back to Goodwin for the final mix and mastering.
Annie‘s latest single “Keep Going” sees the duo crafting a textured yet arena rock friendly song that sonically brings Who Are You and Who’s Next era The Who to mind: The song features glistening synth arpeggios squiggling, delay pedaled guitars, thunderous drumming, Emanuel Ayvas’ plaintive vocals and a rousingly anthemic chorus. Much like the material on their full-length debut, “Keep Going” is politically charged capturing the urgency of unique moment with an unerring accuracy. At its core, the song reminds people that although things are difficult and exhausting, that we’re all going to have to be determined to fight for the world we want for ourselves and for the future — or there will be no future.
Produced and edited by Mark Sanders, the recently released video for “Keep Going” employs the creative use of stock footage — g of small children in black and white, shot between the 30s and 50s based on the kids’ outfits; of suit-wearing businessmen; factory workers making candy and other goods — and its paired with psychedelic imagery to create a hypnotic, fever dream.
