Young Rising Sons Restore Hope with New Single "Passenger"

The best thing about listening to Young Rising Sons is the feeling of nostalgia that runs through most of their discography.

The band, which comprises Andy Tongren (lead singer/guitar), Julian Dimagiba (bass), Max Iantorno (guitar), and Steve Patrick (drums), collectively hail from Red Bank, New Jersey, has managed to develop a sound that makes us feel like we’re hanging out with our high school friends in our parents’ house and talking until it is way past our adult bedtime.

With their new single, “Passenger,” featured on their latest EP of the same name, this feeling is even further amplified. The single mirrors the fears that many young people have experienced during the pandemic, feelings such as loneliness, stagnation, and helplessness. “Passenger” not only makes it feel like we’re not alone, but also that we have the power to make a change. We do not have to be a passenger in our own life - we just have to put ourselves out there (wherever “out there” is for you!) and participate.

This was a conscious effort on Young Rising Sons’ part, as younger millennials and Generation Z are feeling as though they are in a state of limbo. Now the group is choosing to shift perspectives by reminding both themselves and their listeners that above everything else, we are so lucky to be here in this moment. For the most part, “Passenger” starts up tempo and stays up tempo, until it culminates in a contemplative last act (“nothing in life comes for free, but I know that there’s something waiting - waiting for me,” they say) that brings their message full circle.

"Passenger is about living in the now and making the most out of life, despite the uncertainty we've lived through over the last two years," the band describes. "It can sometimes feel like life is out to get us, but writing this song served as an exercise and a sign for myself to take a breath, and realize that while we can't change our past, if we focus on the now we can still progress."

With this single has also come the announcement of Young Rising Sons’ debut album Still Point In A Turning World, which is set for release on March 11.

Listen to “Passenger” below.