Award-winning Swedish singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Alex Runo, has released his long-time anticipated debut EP/mini-album, "Living & Breathing".
TRACKLIST
No Good Gone
Living And Breathing
Paper Love
White Flag
I Am More Than This
White Flag - Live Studio Version
Alex Runo is not a new name to the industry. Growing up on listening to artists like Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding, Alex Runo grew to love the raw classic sounds of soul, funk, rock, blues and gospel music. Writing songs and performing live became his passion. He dedicated almost 2 decades of his life touring with other artists such as Shirley Clamp, Uno Svenningsson, Robin Stjernberg, and Lisa Miskovsky, as a backup singer, guitarist and bassist. He has written and produced songs for/with Asian superstars like Evan Li, EXILE, TVXQ, and Cho Yong Pil, having gone multi-Gold, Platinum and winning multiple awards for various projects. Working out of Studio 3 at RoastingHouse Music in Sweden, Alex decided it was time to put some of his own music out there for the world to hear. He released his debut single "Underdog" in 2020, and has continued to tour for the past several years with artists like Måns Zelmerlöw, Carola, Jill Johnson, and Tingsek. Alex's music is a unique fusion of his classic muses, with a modern pop twist that can cater to anyone's tastes.
“I write music that I hope makes you feel something, whatever that feeling might be."
- Alex Runo
No Good Gone
We kick off this project with "No Good Gone", an empowering track about fighting your inner demons and not giving up on yourself no matter how bad things get. Stay optimistic, because anything is better than nothing at all. Just keep searching for a light somewhere in the midst of your darkness. There is always hope. My personal favorite lyrics in this song is, "Six feet under water, sure makes it hard to breathe, but six cents and a dollar somehow bought me relief". "No Good Gone" has a nostalgic, Soul-Pop and RnB soundscape with a super funky groove. After each chorus, the song breaks down into a holy-like interlude, with a gorgeous vocal arrangements and organ. For the duration of the song, Alex sings between a powerful falsetto and grit, with a distortion effect to add to the classic quality and tone. The song weaves dynamically and emotionally, creating a perfectly crafted hit. Just when you think it's over, it busts out into a final 25 second, groovy instrumental outro.
Living And Breathing
Next, sitting at track number two is the title track, "Living And Breathing". This song is about being madly, deeply in love with somebody who you know isn't good for your well-being anymore, but you just can't help the way you feel about them. There's something inside you that knows you should let go, but you also have this unbearable feeling that you can't live without them, regardless of toxic behavior. Alex sings, "‘Cause there’s something magic in the madness that you bring / I know I’m living & breathing when I’m with you". "Living And Breathing" starts with just piano and Alex singing with soft and soulful emotion. The song builds with guitar and gentle drums, with slight electronic production elements to add some experimental flare. At the end, we get to experience an explosion of energy and passion as Alex belts flawless high notes, with new heartbreaking lyrics to bring a conclusion to the story.
Paper Love
"Paper Love" compares the fragility of relationships to the nature of paper. Paper can be both sturdy and easily destroyed. You can fold it, crumble it up, twist it... it'll be wrinkled and damaged forever but it's still intact; almost like a heart - but make one wrong move and it can rip or tear - that, you can't fix. If you put a flame to a piece of paper, it'll be gone within seconds; just like that one final disagreement right before a breakup that changes everything for good. "Paper Love" has a wide mixture of keys and synths, creating an electronic influenced soundscape with layers upon layers of beautiful vocals and cathartic harmonies. The song builds with drums and bass, eventually leading to a climax with horns, giving the song some of Alex's signature soul and blues flare.
White Flag
"White Flag" is a validating song about how giving up doesn't make you weak. Sometimes, stepping away is the bravest and smartest thing to do. In the end, that is what makes you the bigger, better and stronger person. This song gives heavy, classic soul rock vibes. It's very empowering, with strong and gritty lead vocals, singing a melody with plenty of satisfying blues notes. The electric guitar shines on this track, adding just the right amount of distortion and darkness. This song has a rhythm and beat and a background vocal riff that makes you want to both clap and sing along. It's very anthemic and a perfect crowd-worker.
I Am More Than This
I'm not gonna lie to you, this one brought a tear to my eye. "I Am More Than This" is about recognizing your worth, and wanting to do something about it. It may take a long time and lot of effort to get to where you want to be, but you're not going to sit around and let yourself be stuck anymore. It's time to take action, and live the life you've always wanted and deserve. "I Am More Than This" is a slow, emotional ballad with a swaying groove. It features gentle electric guitar, keys, drums and horns to give it that classic soul atmosphere. The melody is crafted to be cathartic and powerful, perfectly conveying the message it was meant to send.
White Flag - Live Studio Version
Lastly, we have the live version of "White Flag", which was recorded and filmed at the Wikman Drum Studio in Stockholm, Sweden. This was a part of a band project by a few of Alex's best friends, called "Therapy Sessions", in which they invite new artists to come play with them live for each show. Alex got to be in the premiere episode, showcasing his never heard before song at the time, "White Flag". This version is significantly different in a very good way. It gives a whole new mood to the song. It's both mellow and energetic; it's dynamically diverse, having it's highs and lows to really draw out the emotion. An extra saxophone and trumpet were added to create a 3-piece horn section, adding a jazzy tone to the soulful mix. The duration of the track is over 2 minutes longer, with a gorgeous and cathartic instrumental break before the last chorus.
There's a reason why soul music has it's name; because it comes straight from the soul. Alex Runo is a natural, and when you listen to his music you can tell that these songs just flowed right out of him, purely and effortlessly. The best music is made with raw human emotion, and this EP is exactly that. The style is such a big fusion of sounds all ages and backgrounds know and live, that really anybody could listen, connect, relate and appreciate it. If I had to do some comparing, I'd say if you're a fan of Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, and/or Sam Smith, I have no doubt you're gonna love Alex Runo. Alex is all about performing live, so make sure to follow him below to keep up on when he will be performing near you!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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