Following a series of newfound music milestones, Auckland pop-punk band Club Ruby are returning with new single 'Komorebi'
Premiered at Studio 1 Vintage Guitars, fans will soon be formally introduced to the gently sunlit track that's illuminated by the sonic comfort of fall. The song is an acoustic-electric ballad that pivots away from its high-octane predecessors to express more abstract, picturesque lyrics grounded in gratitude.
'Komorebi' is about President Ruby’s (Jade Lewis) love for nature and the forest ecosystem. The Japanese word refers to dappled sunlight streaming gently through a canopy. Club Ruby paints the maple trees in the song as the solid roots of family, where the smaller shrubs and trees grow and thrive from the protection of the tallest timber.
"The maple trees protect the rest of the plants and animals from too much sunlight, wind and rain," President Ruby explains. "The trees represent my family like my mother and godfather, and my realisation that I can feel safe to pursue something as unstable and confusing as the music industry—because I know their love and support is always there," she adds.
In the shifting pre-chorus, Club Ruby sing,"Kito maples always grow to protect everything they know, such steadfast dependence may come with a sentence of no one giving back or saying so, so I'll wait patiently, to let you know I see..."
“As for the phrase Komorebi, I just like exploring different languages and seeing concepts that don’t exist in English, and seeing how word connotations or lack of words may shape someones perspective on the world,” says President Ruby.
'Komorebi' came about from President Ruby and Vice President Hon's childhood with anime and manga. President Ruby even worked at a Japanese hobby store, reading Junji Ito, Attack on Titan, and Spy X Family.
“It’s the art, and the heightened reality and characters, representing feelings that we all may have that we normally don’t express in such extreme manners. I also just love the manga art style, showcased in my drawing for the cover 'Dear Diary'," she says.
“One show I love and I relate a lot is the character and show Aggretsuko, cutesy and shy during daily life, with a heaviness that comes out when I scream and release my anger onstage," she recounts. "Sometimes, I just want to sing soft and reserved too! Genres are like different facets of emotion."
It was also inspired by both the soft and heavy elements that Mannequin Pussy experiments with, especially in the Philadelphia group's song “Romantic”. The ballad's "distorted breakdowns" also take from President Ruby's earlier influences like Radiohead, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Beabadoobee — resolving into "feelings of elation that flowers when you’re feeling really present, whether with a family member or just taking a walk in nature.”
Club Ruby have been tirelessly gigging recently, including supporting Hans Pucket at Whammy Bar and Leigh Apparently at BIG FAN; playing a Silo Theatre gig for DocEdge's Immersive Wrap Party, Rat World's Issue Eight Launch, NiceGoblin HQ's 7th Anniversary; and Auckland Zine Fest beside Phoebe Rings and Clementine.
Next up is Illuminated Horizon's Wordcore Wayfinders on 'Komorebi' release day: Friday, August 22nd at Te Puna Creative Hub. Tickets are available here.