The Letter Black Gives A Song-By-Song Breakdown Of New Album

Nashville, TN (August 6, 2021)
Christian rockers The Letter Black has released a new self-titled album.  The project is the group’s 4th studio album and is available through all digital platforms via Rockfest Records.

They released their first single from the new album on February 26th, 2021 and “Rise” stood at #1 on the Christian Rock Charts for many weeks throughout the summer. The Letter Black’s second single, “Born for This” featuring Thousand Foot Krutch vocalist Trevor McNevan, was then released on June 25th, with both singles hitting the charts simultaneously.

Vocalist Sarah Anthony and guitarist Mark Anthony gave us an exclusive song-by-song breakdown of the new album.

“Rise”

“We’rе gonna rise, we’re gonna fly / We’re gonna rise from the past we left behind / We’re gonna rise and look to the sky / And we’re gonna rise.”

Sarah: “‘Rise’ is a song about overcoming things that have happened in your life, and doing it in a strong way. It’s about rising from your past and being able to move forward. I hope it inspires people to be stronger and more confident, to be able to put your shoulders up,  lift your head up high, take a deep breath and go.”

Mark: “Musically, it’s a kick-you-in-the-teeth sound.”

“One More Time”

“One more time and I’ll never be the same / one more lie and we’re not going to make it.”

Sarah: “‘One More Time’ is about a relationship. It’s like listen, you’ve got one more chance. I’m going to give you another chance, but I can’t keep doing the same thing. Please change, and let’s work it out. Musically, it’s super fun— more pop with rock.”

Mark: “It’s a heavy song, but definitely more pop driven.”

“Kiss of Death”

“Your kiss of death tasted so sweet infecting me piercing through / You’ll suffocate for the lives you take / take your last breath, you’re the kiss of death.”

Sarah: “‘Kiss of Death’ is one of the heavier songs.”

Mark: “It sounds like Three Days Grace or Breaking Benjamin. It’s heavy, but not metal. People who really like the Rebuild record will really like this song. It has that kind of vibe to it.”

Sarah: “Lyrically, this song talks about suicide. That’s what the kiss of death represents. It’s almost speaking to the thought of suicide, saying ‘you’re going to pay for all of these lives you’ve taken.’ It’s an encouragement to stand up against it if you have those feelings, to get help. It’s broaching a topic that not a lot of people talk about. But I’ve felt that it’s so prevalent, it deserves a song.”

“Drowning (feat Blake Whiteley)”

“Take me back, I know You’re all I need / I’m drowning, I’m drowning, so low without You / Take me back.”

Mark: “‘Drowning’ has a very Linkin Park, early Evanescence feeling. It has that hip-hop vibe.”

Sarah: “We worked with the rapper Blake Whiteley, and he wrote his parts. I love it because lyrically, it’s talking about not knowing what your next step in life is, things not going the way you’d planned. We didn’t do this on purpose, but it captures how 2020 went. It’s that feeling when you’re just walking around, doing your thing, and then you get blindsided and have to figure out what to do. But the lyrics in the chorus are also saying, I’m not going to fall. I know the one who holds me, and I can walk in that confidence and not worry. Even though everything seems to be on fire around me, I have that confidence and faith. I think this is one of my favorites.”

“Let You Go”

“This life is hard I know / But take my hand and stand up / Cause now I’m by your side / Everything will be alright, everything will be just fine / I’m never letting you go.”

Sarah: “This one musically might be the oddest one. It’s cool, it’s quirky, it’s fun.”

Mark: “It feels like a party.”

Sarah: “It does, it’s like a rock party song. It’s chill until you hit the chorus, and then it’s super high-energy. The lyrics talk about foster care kids. It’s a personal thing for me and my family, something we care about a lot. When I was growing up, my family had foster kids in our house and helped in the foster care system. So I have a big heart for kids anyway, and just seeing how the foster care system works— it’s so sad to see broken kid after broken kid come in and out. So this song came from that place and that perspective, and it kind of talks through a couple of different kids. They’re imaginary, but it reflects the general idea of what I have seen over and over. It tells their life stories from their perspectives. Even though it’s kind of a pop chorus, I think lyrically, it’s one of the darker songs. So that’s an interesting, complicated kind of twist.”

“Unbreakable”

“Tear me apart / I’m unbreakable / Right from the start / I’m unexplainable.”

Sarah: “‘Unbreakable’ is really self-explanatory. The title says it all.”

Mark: “It’s very much a fight song.”

Sarah: “It’s basically saying that I’m not breakable, I’m just being strong. It basically reflects the overall theme of this album. As far as music goes, it’s  hard rock? A modern rock”

Mark: “As far as music goes, it’s very modern rock: think Seether or Three Days Grace.”

“Lost Remembered”

“We’re young but we’re strong enough, can’t give up til it’s done / we’ll turn this dark world around / we’re the lost remembered / let this generation rise / we’re going to change our lives.”

Sarah: “This is a youth anthem. It’s talking about the younger generation, teenagers and young adults. The chorus says ‘we’re young, but we’re strong enough, can’t give up til it’s done.’ I feel like people overlook the younger generation sometimes, dismiss them as out of their minds, or that they’re hormonal, crazy, or that they’re young and inexperienced. This song is super fun and high-energy. It could’ve been on the Hanging on by Thread record. It has more of that punky, rock feeling.”

“Throwing Darts”

“Hey, hey / I’ve got your picture on my wall and I’m throwing darts / I’m aiming straight for your heart.”

Sarah: “‘Throwing Darts’ is a break up song I wrote forever ago.”

Mark: “I think it was 7 years ago. I played a really 70s-style riff— super Led Zeppelin.”

Sarah: “This one stands out on the record as well. Lyrically, it cracks me up. It’s a song about really being confident in relationships. The lyrics are like, ‘I’m done with you, I don’t care.’ It’s fun, cutesy, quirky.”

“Born for This (feat Trevor McNevan)”

“You could never shake me where I stand / ‘Cause I was born for this, born for this.”

Sarah: “‘Born for This’ is about being unshakable— having that confidence, not arrogance. It’s saying I’m comfortable in my skin, and you’re not going to change me. You’re not going to shake me. You’re not going to move me. This is where I am. This is where I stand.

“That’s life in general— not only this past year, but with our past experiences with industry influences pressuring us. I think that it just all came to a head for us, and now, this is who we are. If you like us, fantastic, but if you don’t, that’s also great. I genuinely don’t care, and I’m happy with your choices. Before, I might have said that and not really meant it. I might have been deeply upset. Now, it’s like ‘you do you, I do me.’ You like it, great, we can jam out. If you don’t like our stuff, great! There are a million other bands, go have fun. I think that all of the stuff we’ve talked about on the record is pretty well summed up through these lyrics.”