Exclusive Premiere: Friends from Moon’s Lyric Video for Punchy New Single ‘Rage On’

New Delhi songwriter and musician Ritwik Shivam aka Friends from Moon grew up enamored about becoming a rock musician. Inspired by artists ranging from Green Day, Guns N’ Roses, Avenged Sevenfold, X Japan, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd and Devin Townsend as well as by the 2008 film Rock On, Shivam says, “The idea of being a rockstar and being in a band had fascinated me very much. It was also the theatrics and grandeur associated with rock music that really resonated with me as a kid.”

The composer/producer/guitarist would go on to be part of New Delhi metalcore/rock band Aarlon for four years before parting ways with the group last year. Earlier this year, Shivam began releasing music under the moniker Friends from Moon and dropped a four-track EP titled The Spectator. Now, the musician is out with his latest single – off his upcoming album Astray – the hard-hitting “Rage On,” accompanied with a lyric video that can be watched exclusively on Rolling Stone India below.

The new song was born out of the guitar riff heard at the top of the track before Shivam developed its structure. He says, “It came out as a by-product of my love for very direct, melodic and powerful songs.” Sonically, “Rage On” is a mesh of racing guitars, bouncing beats by drummer Prankreet Borah as well as ambient parts while growls from Pritam Adhikary add to the magic. “It [the song] has a lot to do with the idea of longing for a happy place and time in the past,” says Shivam.

Friends from Moon worked with visual artists and brothers Atyant and Akarsh Jain for the song’s lyric video. Shivam says, “[They] contributed in customizing some stock images and then adding layers of three to four textures, applying motion graphics to it and whatnot.  It was a two-day deal and a fun experience to be involved with.” According to the artist, the main reason for putting a lyric video together was so that people don’t struggle when trying to understand the words to the song. “I have a knack for burying vocals in the mix which is, by the way, a personal preference,” he says.

With the release of Astray due next year, the musician tells us that the album will consist of eight songs and shall include a concept with a “heavy existentialist narrative.” He says, “A tragic tale of a youthful man who has an inherent darkness to him that he explores more and more as we progress through the songs.” Before the record is out, Friends from Moon will drop an industrial fusion rock cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together” this Halloween.

Watch the lyric video for “Rage On” below: