Featuring driving, melodic elements of electronica, synth-pop and new wave guitar, “There For You,” the second single from electro indie-pop artist Riotron, directly encapsulates the concept that those we love are always within us. According to the man behind Riotron himself, indie-pop rocker Jeff Fettes, the single is about how we can manifest those closest to us through the simple act of remembering.
“It doesn’t have to be spiritual or metaphysical,” Fettes says. “When you can’t be with them physically, they can still be there for you across time and space. It sounds cosmic but it’s really kind of simple and comforting.”
He’s absolutely right.
To half-listen to the single one might think it’s a breakup song, a one-sided, semi-pathetic plea about an inability to move on. Were that the case, the chorus would function as a desperate, redundant promise as the other person moves further away physically and mentally. But Fettes’s comments and a deeper-dive into the lyrics paint a far more hopeful picture.
The opening verse addresses the concepts of changes and goodbyes. It focuses on a core pain in life, that even with those to whom we’re closest we won’t always be together physically or philosophically. The words might ring sad, but the song holds its own promise, circling back to thematic, foundational notion of hope that weaves its way throughout the music and lyrics of this song and, I would speculate, Riotron’s forthcoming LP.
The chorus is its own mission statement, different iterations and versions of “I will always be there for you / even when you’re not with me / there for you, always.” On first listen it sounds one-sided, but Fettes doggedly implores it with an utter confidence that those he holds closest mirror him in echoing this sentiment, that no matter what or where the bonds and memories between them will be enough to sustain them through loving support of and harmony with one another. The repetition of “when you’re not with me” and “when you’re not for me” line acknowledges absence, but it’s moot compared to years-long spiritual bonds built on love, shared experience and camaraderie.
“There For You” is the second single from Riotron. The first, “I’m Sorry (On and On),” was released in September 2019. A lyric video for the song currently has over 1.1 million views on YouTube.
The songs will both be featured on Riotron’s upcoming Dark Highway LP, set to release later this year and feature several “highly personal anthems,” ultimately focusing on “how our darkest moments eventually lead to hope.”
