From Philadelphia, PA, The Right Fiction is an electrifying ensemble that melds vintage rock and roll with the classic R&B of their hometown. After writing and recording music over the past two years, the band is ready to hit center-stage with “Rumble Young Man,” their debut single.
The song, which was recorded at Rob Hyman’s (The Hooters, Cyndi Lauper) Elm Street Studios, was inspired by one of the world’s greatest icons in Muhammad Ali. The single was released during Black History Month on February 25, 2022; the date marking the 58th anniversary of when Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, beat Sonny Liston as an 8-1 underdog to win the title in a major upset that shocked the world.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with The Right Fiction about the release, adapting during a pandemic, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
We are from Philadelphia, PA and play a blend of Americana, roots, rock, and r’n’b. As music nerds, we like to dream about what would have happened if Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones hopped into the studio after the tour they shared in 1972. Our music is inspired by that concept.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
We’ll spare you a novel! To be honest, it’s not something that we frequently think about, but could say this: by the same reason that songbirds sing for survival, there’s also evidence that they sing for the joy of it. Writing music is the same for us. And in spite of the business of music being crazy (again, will spare you the tome), we continue to make music because for us, it’s not a choice. It’s part of our identity.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
While this is our first release as The Right Fiction, all four of us have had established musical careers before coming together. And the upside of that is we all have fully formed musical personalities that have a conversation on this single. Our only goal was to make something we like, and the beauty of this band is that we are ruthless and ego-less about it. When we finally lock into that’s right, everyone knows it and that’s what we commit to.
For our single, “Rumble Young Man,” we took inspiration from Muhammad Ali. Our release date of February 25th is the 58th anniversary of when Ali beat Sonny Liston as an underdog (8-1!) to win the title. The lyrics reflect holding onto your dreams, and the music tries to illustrate Ali’s strength, agility, and graceful moves in the ring. We wanted the drum solo after the bridge to feel like a boxing match.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented times? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
Musically, there have definitely been upsides and downsides. It has been very challenging to not get together and make music. And of course, we miss performing as much as everyone else. But, the time off the stage has allowed us to focus our energies on finishing our album. It’s hard to keep both the performing and recording plates spinning at the same time, so being forced to choose one was helpful, in a way. Another upside is that we decided to start a podcast during the pandemic. We mostly record the show virtually, but producing the podcast has only brought us closer and given us greater musical understanding of each other. And now, over 70 episodes in, we look forward to doing the show each week and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
What was the last song you listened to?
“The Roving” – Bonny Light Horseman
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
Vinyl. The merits of the audio fidelity question (crackle, surface noise) can be debated, but what I love about listening to a record is the interactive experience. It puts the album art medium at center stage and engages the listener in a way that streaming platforms do not. The music isn’t wallpaper on vinyl, it’s a guest in your home.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
All of the usual places blah blah blah. Our home base is therightfiction.com and you can find our podcast on the app of your choice under “The List: A Right Fiction Podcast”
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
Thank you for having us and all of the work that you do supporting independent music.
