Indie pop project Retrosaint are about to release their latest single which pays homage to their Nashville home base, called “False Start”. Fronted by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Ross, the upcoming track has an unexpected vein of Americana to it that makes it a bit of a departure. Due out on August 27th, fans should expect the unexpected.
Retrosaint formed in 2020 with Ross at the helm and backed by Jonny Lutz on electric guitars, bass and drums. Lutz also produced “False Start,” while Frances Takemoto provided the fiddle-style violins. Ross has been a musician most of his life, as he is a classically trained pianist and appeared on the reality show American Supergroup for its pilot season. Ross struck out on his own soon after as Retrosaint and released his first self-titled album in 2022.
In said EP, the Retrosaint style was straight up and down alt rock, with Ross citing Ben Folds Five and Relient K as major influences. There was always a tinge of blues there as well in songs like “Tango Tongue”, and it’s been developed further in “False Start”. It’s also a very personal song for Ross.
Sometimes good relationships come to an end, for whatever reason. And sometimes, we think we’ve reached some big milestone in life when in fact, the journey hasn’t even started yet. That’s what “False Start” is about. (No, it’s not a song about football. Har har) I was still processing a breakup, while also witnessing a loved one’s marriage fall apart. Writing this song was the best response I could come up with.
The raw emotions of the lyrics are enhanced by the Americana and rock elements Ross added to the song, and since it’s so personal, it may also be why he decided to conscript minimal help in writing and producing it.
This song is the first commercial release to come out of my home studio (still yet-to-be-named) in Nashville, a project that was several years in the making. Besides the mastering, the only people involved in creating it were close friends of mine–a departure from my past approach to the recording process. I’m super proud of this fact!
Despite minimal intervention, the end product that is “False Start” has come out even more polished than previous Retrosaint work, so it’s clear Ross is onto something. The pop elements to the song will also likely make its subject matter even more relatable. Ross can expect his exposure and fan base to grow even further, so the track will be anything but a “False Start”.