From their truly unrecognizable early material to their unsurfaced final recordings, Chromatics’ existence was always a wild ride. Yet with the project folding last August, it’s been exciting to watch vocalist Ruth Radelet emerge as a solo artist—first with a dusky Elliott Smith cover, then with news of a debut EP—repackaging her contribution to her prior outfit as a personal and unfiltered look into her own world.
With that EP arriving today, The Other Side—a title that hints at new beginnings for the songwriter—balances themes of grief with ecstatic moments of artistic and personal rebirth. While there’s a sense of melancholy that washes over each track that feels specific to the era when Kill for Love and Lana Del Rey dominated our playlists, the overarching emotion on the release is one of comfort stemming from self-realization, which ranges in form from open-road freedom on “Stranger” to sensual R&B on the relaxed “Be Careful.”
To take us a little deeper into the lyrical and musical DNA of each track, Radelet walked us through each song on the EP. Stream along and read her words below.
1. “Stranger”
I wrote the verses for “Stranger” while living in LA, attempting to describe an elusive and poignant feeling of loneliness I would experience while driving around the city by myself. I remember being on the 101 at twilight and marveling at how beautiful the city looked, and how far away it felt.
I tried many times to come up with a chorus for the song but nothing worked, until I returned home to Portland a few months later and suddenly found the right words and melody. “Stranger” started out as a piano ballad, but as I was working with Filip Nikolic in the studio we realized it sounded best without any piano at all. I love Filip’s understated guitar on the track, and Distant Cowboy’s cello rounded it out beautifully.
2. “Sometimes”
I wrote “Sometimes” after having a particularly vivid dream about a friend who had recently passed away. I dug into the central image from the dream and created a story around it, about someone who struggled in the world, and someone who loved her.
This is probably the song we had the most difficulty with production-wise, but I’m really happy with the direction we chose. “Sometimes” has been an early favorite amongst friends, also, which was a pleasant surprise! I’m grateful to Filip for encouraging me to write a bridge,
which completed the picture and built a crescendo that would not have been possible had we kept the verse/chorus/verse structure.
3. “Crimes”
“Crimes” is a song about integrity, choices, and starting over. The sacrifices you make when you’re true to yourself, and when you’re not—how easy it can be to get lost in the game. Nothing in this world is free, and everything catches up with you in the end.
I wrote “Crimes” on guitar originally, then changed it to a synth-based song. The final version includes a bit of both vibes. It was amazing to watch the track come to life once Filip started working on it—his production absolutely sparkles, and his arrangement ideas were spot on. I had it in my mind that the song would have a four-on-the-floor beat, but when Filip played me a half tempo version it was a game changer, and now I can’t imagine it any other way.
4. “Be Careful”
This song was written at an incredibly vulnerable time for me. I was grieving the loss of my father, and everything felt tenuous and frightening. I was falling for someone new, and I didn’t think I could take it if I were to get hurt.
I had made a demo of “Be Careful” with just some simple synth chords, but I always envisioned the song with an R&B beat. I gave Filip a couple references and he nailed it in about five minutes. This track has a kind of woozy sexiness to it, and is a nice change of pace from the rest of the EP.
5. “Youth”
“Youth” is a love song in the classic sense. I wrote it about someone young and beautiful, and a yearning for an innocence I had long since lost. Some of the best times in life are bittersweet, and I think this song captures that feeling.
Some of my favorite moments during the making of The Other Side happened while we were working on “Youth.” Filip and I had been in the studio every day for almost a week, just the two of us, until the day we brought in Michael Gold and Distant Cowboy to record piano and cello. Absolute magic ensued, and it kept us inspired as we finished the record.
