The moving new single from the Eureka rockers is at once arresting and thought provoking with its themes of loneliness and disillusionment.
Formed in Eureka, Humboldt County in California, Redwood Revolution has built up a reputation across multiple radio and concert appearances for striking and empowering music, passionate performances and lyrics that celebrate each other’s differences. The band consists of the group’s founder/singer/guitarist Beth Isbell, guitarist Ray Triana, bassist Josh Borgen, drummer Spencer Kennedy and singer/pianist Holly Murphy (also known as Holly Wood).
Ahead of the July 2026 release of their The Tyrant King EP, Redwood Revolution have now released the single Venus; a moving, piano-led ballad that laments on loneliness, grief and alienation. The track also celebrates the collaboration between Beth Isbell and Holly Murphy, who previously worked together on a freestyle jazz piano and poetry project, and who now channel their expert talents through the medium of stirring alt rock.
The track begins with a delicate electric keyboard intro by Murphy, followed by Borgen’s gentle bass accompaniment and Murphy’s mournful vocal performance. The singer’s vulnerable delivery throughout the track does wonders both to establish Venus’ desperate and pleading tone and to fully express the heartache described in Murphy and Isbell’s heartrending lyrics. Beginning with the lyrics “I scream against the heavens, but still I don’t fit in, Nobody’s coming to my rescue, feels like I’ve lost my only friend”, listeners are immediately greeted by themes of estrangement and being left behind by a friend or partner. Undoubtably part of the reason why Redwood Revolution excels at writing messages about both loss and empowerment is Isbell’s experience of coming out as a trans woman; passionate about standing up for her lived experiences and encouraging others to embrace their authentic selves. This only serves to make the lyrics hit even harder, with many listeners very likely to relate to the track’s themes of struggling to fit in and subsequently being left behind.
Another element that particularly stands out through the track is a church organ sound, created entirely by a reverb pedal, that adds a sombre note to the song’s verse, contributing to the song’s grief-stricken tone and helping to bring out even more emotion in Murphy’s haunting vocal performance. While the composition itself sounds deceptively simple and stripped back, the reality is that listeners would never guess that the song was edited and mixed completely on GarageBand by Isbell herself, making it quite an achievement to have ended on something that sounds so polished and tastefully orchestrated.
After an anguished cry from Murphy (“And I never meant for us to fall”), the energy of Kennedy’s drums are kicked up a notch along with Murphy’s keyboard melodies, as Isbell and Triana’s dynamic guitar additions drive a short instrumental interlude. From this point, the verse seems to target identity and the downward spiral one faces without the comforting presence of community, friends or family around them (“Nobody’s coming to my rescue, No one feels the same as me”). It’s a powerful message that feels even more poignant with each group members’ passionate performance, the helplessness expressed through Murphy’s vocals and the beautiful yet melancholy melodies of the keyboard.
Murphy’s incensed croon of “Why does life have to feel so unkind?” provides the perfect bridge for the song to transition into its uplifting chorus (“And I just want to fly to Venus…”), which describes a place where one can attain peace and love away from one’s worldly struggles. The combination of church organ, keyboard, guitar and the singer’s soaring vocals here offers a satisfying climax after the sobering buildup throughout the verses, and subsequently gives listeners an exultant feeling of joy and liberation upon this clever tonal shift. Venus is appropriately wrapped up with Murphy’s final lines (“Feels like I’ll never find the answer, Nobodies are the same as me”) to the soft notes of bass guitar, faint keyboard accompaniment and the lingering echoes of the organ. It’s really the only way to end such a poignant track that expresses loneliness and regret to such a poetic and emotional degree.
Score/Outstanding: Listeners will immediately be enchanted by Venus’ deeply expressive tone and lyrics that are bound to resonate with many people from a variety of different backgrounds. Each of the band members’ talents are clearly on display here; only serving to emphasise the sheer quality of the material on show. After such an accomplished single, there’s no doubt at all that the full release of The Tyrant King EP will be highly anticipated.
[We rank albums, EPs and singles on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, Outstanding]
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