The Rupert Selection let the riff blossom into a trip with Taking Turns

Last updated: January 27, 2024 9:25 pm

Divine Magazine 5 Min Read

It, like most songs of significant sonic magnitudes, began with a simple riff. But the early seeds of “Taking Turns,” the latest single from The Rupert Selection, now streaming on all major platforms, eventually grew to an impactful final form that belies such humble beginnings.

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The same can possibly be said for the Boston alt-rock and psych-grunge band, which continues to find its sound as it travels down a heavier musical evolution, and the contributions of vocalist and guitarist Reilly Somach, bassist Sam Bouvé, and drummer Peter W. Bartash coalesce into a dynamic musical force both on stage and on recording.

The Rupert Selection Taking Turns Cover Art — ***Art Credit: Crystal Araiza***

“‘Taking Turns’ started from a verse riff and melody I’ve had forever but for whatever reason could never really find a home for,” says Somach. “One day in practice I just started playing it and Peter and Sam jumped in and it started coming together. I started playing the chorus riff after and 30 minutes later it was done.”

Recorded at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts, and mixed by Brian Charles with additional engineering by Annie Hoffman, “Taking Turns” officially hit the streams on June 15. It lands exactly a week before the trio plays The Middle East in Cambridge on June 22, following a trend of immediately releasing new music without much build-up or promotional fanfare. For The Rupert Selection, the trio wants the music to do the talking – and resonate with its audience – much more loudly than any social media post or desperate quest for online engagement.

And so far, the plan is working.

The whirling “Taking Turns” is the follow-up to last month’s seismic “I Saw God” single and video, which pair with two late-’22 singles in “Then Again” and “Astronauts” in starting to reveal the musical identity and sound of a forthcoming album. As The Rupert Selection continue to crank out new music, one heavy single – and comparisons to Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and other gone-but-never-forgotten ‘90s rock luminaries – at a time, “Taking Turns” serves as a pummeling track that displays another noisy, bombastic piece to a full-album puzzle set for release later this year. The album could hit in late summer, or it could hit in early- to mid-fall. The focus in this moment is to create music that best reflects where The Rupert Selection is creatively right here and right now.

“Following ‘I Saw God’, this song definitely continues the heavier musical path we’ve been on,” adds Somach. “The theme of this album was definitely to make things bigger, heavier but also emphasize we’re a three-piece. Trying to do more with less. Keeping things simple and not overthinking.”

Ironically, there is a bit of heavy thinking across the lyrics of “Taking Turns,” which applies the band’s tripped-out psych-rock leanings and applies it to a head trip. Somach is usually reserved when it comes to opening up about his lyrics, but the musician reveals “Taking Turns” asks the listener to look a bit inward as the song reaches cruising altitude.

“I think the lyrics give off drug-induced anxiety vibes, maybe a situation where you feel like you’re out of your body and meeting yourself for the first time, viewing yourself from another person’s perspective,” he admits. “Being lost in the void or something.”

The Rupert Selection take no responsibility for those who step into that void during their live performance, as the band has been known for taking show attendees on a long sonic trip. Blame the riff.

“So far, our live set is pretty much all new songs with maybe two or three older ones sprinkled in,” Somach concludes. “We’re really enjoying playing these songs live and they are definitely getting the strongest reactions. We can’t wait to keep adding more throughout the year and finally share this new album in its entirety.”