When I first heard the newest song by Missouri hard rock band Etched In Embers, “good friends”, and saw the music video that accompanies it, I knew I had to write about it. This awesome song, which was released November 22nd, has quickly become a favorite of the band’s loyal fan base, and I think it’s actually mine, too. I’ll talk more about the song and the video later in this blog. First, I want to share some background on the band, which is well-known and loved by The Sound 228 team and listeners of the station.
Etched In Embers is from Lake Of The Ozarks, Missouri. Band members include: Russ Rhodenizer (vocals, guitar); Tyler Kenyon (guitar, vocals); Chance Rhodenizer (bass, vocals); and Josh Newlon (drums, hard vocals). The band was originally formed by Russ and Tyler in January 2020. They’ve known each other for about twelve years. The two had been involved in another music project together previously. Tyler was originally the drummer when they started Etched In Embers, but Russ’s plan all along was to have him play guitar. Chance was influenced musically by his dad when he was younger. After serving in the Marines for four years, he got the desire to play music, and when Etched In Embers was looking for a bass player, he tried out and was accepted into the lineup in June 2021.
The newest member of Etched In Embers is their drummer, Josh. Russ had been a fan of his for a while when he was in other bands, and he actually hoped he’d get to hook up with Josh on a music project at some point. Chance had been communicating with Josh over time, and when the band needed a drummer earlier this year, Josh hopped on board. He’s been a perfect fit! Not only is he incredibly talented, but he is driven to connect with fans and push the band to a higher level. He’s also a fun guy to hang out with!
Behind the scenes, “good friends” was engineered and produced by Kile Odell at Sienna Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The track was mastered by Mike Kalajian at Roque Planet Mastering. Although the whole band contributes to writing Etched In Embers songs, the lyrics and music for “good friends” were mostly written by Russ. The other band members and their producer Kile filled in the gaps in some parts with what Russ calls “the magic they all bring to the table”. He sent his bandmates the demo, and Josh re-worked the drums and sent it back to him, while Tyler and Chance worked on their parts, adding in guitar, screams, and so on. They took it to the studio, where Kile and the band worked on the final track, making any edits and additions, and polished it up to send out to the world!
If I had to describe “good friends”, I would call it a bop AND a banger. It’s got a fast tempo, but also musical elements and hard vocals that make it heavy. Tyler does backing vocals, while Josh does the screams with Chance adding some in there also. Russ is a very passionate singer, and shows his emotions on everything he sings. It’s no different with “good friends”.
Despite the fun, playful nature of the song musically, it has a deep meaning. My interpretation of “good friends” is that it’s a song about being mindful of who you can trust and who is in your corner. Some people say they are “friends” but turn out to be the opposite, so you have to watch your back. It’s fine to have a lot of “friends” (sometimes more like acquaintances), but it’s also a good idea to know who the people in your core circle are because they’re the ones who will stay with you through good times and bad times. It is, however, okay to open yourself up to making new friends, because sometimes a new friend will work their way into that inner circle.
Russ confirms that “good friends” is about the “riskier” side of friendship. The band, however, has chosen to include their loyal fan base in their circle of friends who have passed the test! I will say that, as a follower and fan of Etched In Embers since summer of 2021, they definitely treat their supporters very well and make us feel special. I’m honored to be a part of the Etched In Embers circle of friends!
The stick figure concept for the single artwork and video is unique and interesting. Russ says the stick figure thing goes back about a year or so, but the actual idea for the artwork was presented by Josh. Russ changed his profile picture to a quickly drawn stick figure last year, and changed it back to that earlier this year. Josh thought it was great, and did one for his profile picture, too. Both received great reactions, so they created a band stick figure t-shirt. That was long before the song “good friends” even existed.
After the song was written months later and they recorded it, one day the guys mentioned the stick figures while they were in the van. It was decided then that they would pursue using a collage of stick figures of their fans for the single artwork, and Jason Catlett brought it to life. The band is stoked with how it turned out and they love having their fans forever a part of the song. I know I’m excited to get my t-shirt with the art on it. I’m pretty sure this will be my first time being on a t-shirt!
The music video for “good friends” is energetic and fun! It was directed by the brilliant Juan “J.T.” Ibanez at Stage 27, who Etched In Embers has worked with on previous videos. Russ shares that he had formed the concept for the video in his head, but he also says that until the band actually gets to the studio, they never quite know what they’ll do ultimately. He built eight brightly-colored LED lighted stick figures out of steel rebar and wire, and took some pictures of them and sent them to J.T. prior to the shoot. J.T. loved it! Russ says the stick figure “good friends” were the stars of the video! He was so happy with how it turned out, and he hopes to have the stick figures on stage with them at some point
What’s coming up in 2025 for Etched In Embers? They are planning on dropping a new song every eight weeks or so for the next two or three releases, with a possible full-length album the middle or end of the year. There will also be a couple more videos. The new tunes have an Etched In Embers vibe with a heavier edge, but also include some throwback guitar riffs reminiscent of earlier EIE tunes like “Crown”.
The band has been in the album cycle lately, so they have not been actively booking too many shows. However, it was recently announced that Saturday, May 3rd Etched In Embers will open for Fozzy, LILIAC, and The Nocturnal Affair at The Royal Grove in Lincoln, Nebraska. Tickets are only $25 and can be purchased on the Etched In Embers merch website. The plan is to start setting up some more shows in February for the rest of 2025, and the band expects to do another tour or two in the summer or fall. The band also has more studio dates set up to continue working on upcoming new music.
Even though they’ve been “off", the Etched In Embers band members have been focusing on some production aspects of their live show, including changes to the lights, set flow, and other elements. I have had the pleasure of seeing Etched In Embers perform live twice, including back in August at The Sound 228 Dirty Thirty Fest, and they put on a wonderful, high-energy performance!
The band is stoked about the new music that is coming, and are working alongside Riff Media Group, who they joined up with in October, to come up with exciting plans for sharing it with their fans.
Etched In Embers can be found on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and the band's website.
Written by: Annie Schlottman
Photo credit: Faith Marie Photography LLC
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