Alt-Hip Hop Duo DRAE Explore Hypocrisy & Humanization in New Single “Sleep”
Todays Song of The Day is Sleep by Drae. Canadian duo Drae channel their explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements with their new single “Sleep”. The track speaks to the concept of looking around, seeing a society rife with hypocrisy and in a dearth of empathy, and saying “I’ve had enough. I’m tired. I’m going back to bed,” the pair say. The song is an angsty one, calling out a society that could definitely use some calling out at this point of it’s evolution. Drae’s music is reminiscent of a Canadian and more current version of Rage Against The Machine, mixing rock sounds with hip hop vocals and elements, to create politicized tracks you can not only rock out to but that leave you with some food for thought. Sleep arrives ahead of the duo’s forthcoming album, TARDIGRADE which is set for upcoming release via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records.
“The lyrics are reflective of society, the human experience, and our interactions with each other,” frontman and producer Andre Thibault explains. “They point out a lot of hypocrisy and inconsistencies in the way we behave versus how we expect others to behave. So much of growing up in the technological age requires increased human to human interaction but, as we rely heavier on technology, we lose that empathy and compassion that helps our society function.”
If you’ve listened to Drae’s past releases, you’ll notice the instrumentation on “Sleep” takes things in more of a traditional rock direction. Drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard noted “We wanted the song to feel like a rock song. We tried to stay away from samples for the instrumentation as much as possible so the music feels organic, more energetic, and has a very human element to it.”
The video further underscores themes of humanization in a very 2021 way, depicting Thibault rapping in the streets, surrounded by zombie like humans in covid style masks glued to their phones, not noticing anything happening around them. A scene I’m sure you’ve seen something similar to lately. This is Sleep by Drae on Dropout Radio’s Song of The Day. Click below to watch the video and listen to the track on Dropout Radio for a chance to win free Dropout Merch!
Todays Song of The Day (March 4th) is Sleep by Drae. Every weekday on Dropout Radio at 9, 1, 3 & 7 ET we’re showcasing some of Canada’s best independent music, from artists of all genres and all across the country. Stay tuned ’til the end of The Song of The Day on Dropout Radio to find today’s Secret Code and for your chance to win free Dropout merch!
