Vancouver alt-rock duo Dear Rouge has released a new milestone in their music history, “Black To Gold (Stripped).” “Black To Gold” is the theme of this waves-heavy and synth-dynamic by Dear Rouge, who called on their musical peers, producers, and friends to take on this unique cover.
Initially appearing on their 2015 album “Black To Gold,” the re-release peels back the intricate layers of production to reveal the song’s core message of resilience, self-worth, and conquering life’s struggles. The result is a stunning interpretation that injects new life into a well-loved favorite, centering on the evocative lyrics and tender treatment.
Danielle McTaggart’s voice is raw yet empowering on the track, reflecting the song’s message about how strength and love remain even on the other side of mistakes and hardship. And in its stripped-down arrangement, where everything falls away and brings listeners into close contact with each note, its emotional clarity had always been so, even if obscured in the original. With its tender build and stripped-down instrumentation, “Black To Gold (Stripped)” is an intimate type of song, speaking words of hope and healing in its simplicity.
McTaggart stated that this stripped version takes them back to why they wrote it. To share the hope that even after you make mistakes and lose your path, love is still the answer, and strength comes from within. Her voice is, as always, a plaintive reminder of the song’s meaning and its all-encompassing theme of forgiveness and love. “Black To Gold (Stripped)” is an aural pivot into introspection, as Dear Rouge proves they are not afraid to slow things down while simultaneously showing that they haven’t lost their touch of grit and grace.
“Black To Gold (Stripped)” is written by Danielle and Drew McTaggart with Ryan Worsley, produced by Jordan Klassen and Daniel Klenner, and takes what feels like a bold step into the world of introspection. It’s an emotional nod to where they began and a joyful reminder of how far they’ve come and the rock-solid bedrock their music is built upon.
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