My Inspiration: Red Remedy – WAIT

Sunderland alt-rock quintet Red Remedy hail Sunderland drop their debut single, WAIT, a driving rock anthem with roaring guitar, soulful vocals and haunting harmonies.

Here, the band tell us what inspired the track…

Our first single, WAIT, contains many themes of abandonment and want. The song first came from a Johnny Marr-esque riff by our guitarist Dean, which we just looped for ages, eventually layering and layering. I (Zach, Lead guitarist) wanted the song to have another hook with a sense of urgency, which is where I created a riff to go over the top that is almost reminiscent of sirens wailing as if there is no time to WAIT. 

When it comes to the lyrical content of the song, we wanted the listener to be able to have their own interpretation of what they could be waiting for. The song does have very strong themes of a love gone wrong, gradually deteriorating. It’s really a heartfelt melody of longing.

The song opens with the character portrayed in the song introspecting in solitude, gazing at their own reflection in the mirror—the vivid imagery of walking around feeling broken highlights the emotional turmoil they are experiencing. The yearning for the presence of the person they miss intensifies as they long for their comforting presence to mend their shattered state of mind.

The chorus is really about just craving reassurance and connection. It’s a heartfelt plea, revealing the overwhelming desire for the person to return and fill the void in the character’s life. The urgency in their voice is palpable as they implore their beloved to “come and hold me.” The lyrics encapsulate the profound need for reassurance as time passes slowly and loneliness engulfs their existence.

In the second verse, the artist finds themselves wandering aimlessly, haunted by the memories of their shared experiences. They yearn for the person’s return, questioning if they still care or if they have moved on. The conflicting thoughts in their mind create a delicate balance between longing and the realisation that they might have to let go.

Towards the end of the song, the escalating desperation of the character’s plea is highlighted. They acknowledge the absence of their loved one and the unbearable loneliness that accompanies it. With a poignant statement, they convey how time feels endless without the presence of their beloved.

We wanted WAIT to be something nearly everyone has experienced to at least some degree, as it taps into the universal theme of longing for emotional connection. The raw emotions conveyed through the lyrics paint a vivid picture of heartache, solitude, and the desperate need for the return of a loved one. Through its melodic composition and heartfelt words, the song captures the essence of human vulnerability, reminding us of the power and importance of meaningful relationships in our lives.

Even though the lyrics are a fictionalised account based on a character we have all drawn from our own personal experiences and we always try to have a part of each of us in all the songs, as we all write music and the lyrical content for our songs.