Singled Out: Bayside's Anthony Raneri's Bones

Keavin Wiggins | 08-28-2024

Bayside frontman Antony Raneri is showing fans a different side of his music personality with his upcoming solo EP "Everyday Royalty" (out Nov 15th), and to celebrate we asked him to tell us about the just released lead single "Bones". Here is the story:

I have been writing songs and singing in my band, Bayside, for almost 25 years. You can label it any sub-genre you like, but it's decidedly a rock band. Heavy, fast and aggressive. It's always been important for me that our band always sound like our band, innovating and expanding our sound without ever losing the identifying characteristics. Some years ago, I decided a wanted an outlet for the songs and ideas that I have that don't fit into the band's theme and so was born my solo project. A place where there are no rules and I can write whatever with whoever and create anything comes to mind on any given day.

I was born and raised in Queens, NY but I've lived in Nashville for 12 years now. There wasn't a lot of country music where I came from but my time here has taught me that, much like in rock music, there are so many different styles and subsets of what can be broadly classified as "country" and I began to figure out where I could fit into those as a musician and as a fan.

The story of "Bones" really starts in 2021 when a mutual contact at SESAC, my performing rights organization, introduced me to Sam Tinnesz and suggested that we should write together. Fast forward a few years and my daughter and Sam's daughter started going to school together. As they become friends, so did we. We've written a few songs together over the last few years, including 2 other songs from my upcoming record. It was about a week until my record was to be turned in to the label to go out to manufacturing and I said, I should do one more with Sam and Austin (Bianco, who also co-wrote and produced more songs on the record) to see if we come up with anything that beats what I already have. With days until the record was to be turned in, Sam, Austin and I met up at Sam's house and in about 5 hours before we had to go pick the kids up from school, we wrote and tracked "Bones" in the studio above Sam's garage. Fueled by Dunkin Donuts and Mojos Tacos, we wrote every chord, melody and lyric and played every instrument on the track between the 3 of us in those 5 hours. I've never had a song come together so quickly and feel so natural. It was like the ideas were so obvious. We didn't have to labor over any thought. Everything that we were doing just felt right. I've heard it said but rarely experience it, but it was like the ideas were flowing out of us.

The verses, I feel, are quintessentially me. Dark, brooding, cutting lyrics over a sad progression. I knew it needed an anthemic "Sam Tinnesz" chorus, and that's exactly what we got. Sam had the strongest whistle, it turned out, so naturally he did the whistle. All 3 of us contributed guitars and Austin came in with the drums and keys. It was a last minute suggestion where I said "Sam, you should sing the chorus with me". He said "sure", and the collaboration was born.

It's funny how things happen sometimes. Sometimes labels, managers and executives collaborate to move the chess pieces in a long game. Sometimes, something beautiful can come from 3 guys above a garage who had a few free hours before they had to pick up their kids from school in the eleventh hour of a record.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about the album and see his just announced solo tour dates here