There are bands you listen to, and then there are those you experience. Mortez belongs firmly in the latter category. Rising from the lively city of Los Angeles, this energetic duo—made up of Rachele Royale and Brett Daniels has carved out a sound that feels less like music and more like ritual. Mortez is not simply a band; it is an invocation, a testimony to the possibility of redemption, rebirth, and the courage it takes to transform pain into passion.
On September 8th, 2025, Mortez unveiled their latest offering, “River Runnin,” a track that courses with spiritual gravitas and raw human truth. In its bones, it is about shadow work, the act of turning inward, confronting one’s demons, and finally allowing the past to dissolve into the current of something greater. The lines, “If there’s one thing that I know. Blood in the water done built these bones,” as Royale sings with conviction, capture the eternal struggle of carrying scars yet daring to flow forward.
The song opens like an invocation, with instrumentation that feels cinematic in scale. The production is layered with symphonic undertones and a rhythm section that mimics the relentless pulse of a river cutting through mountains. Daniels’ production creates a grand and intimate soundscape: haunting in its cathedral-like reverberations, yet intimate in the way it pulls you close, whispering truths you’ve long avoided.
Royale’s vocals are the lifeblood of “River Runnin.” She does not merely sing; she channels. There’s a shiver in her delivery, as if the lyrics have been pulled from a sacred place within. The refrain, “I am river runnin, take me home,” lands like a plea and a proclamation all at once—half prayer, half victory cry. Her voice moves effortlessly from delicate vulnerability to unyielding power, embodying the brokenness of confession and the fire of resurrection.
Lyrically, the song embraces biblical imagery—“Father Mary, oh who’s gonna save me. Heaven be knowin’ me. Wild one chasing that glory”—layering notions of sin, salvation, and struggle into a universally human narrative. This is not a passive spiritual journey; it’s one of grit, of “train tracks rumblin’” and “scars of the sins that I carry.” It’s about dragging that heavy cross and finding liberation before it crushes you entirely.
The performance as a whole feels like standing at the edge of a storm and deciding to walk straight into it. Every instrumental swell, every vocal rise and fall, is intentional, designed to move listeners not just emotionally but spiritually.
With “River Runnin,” Mortez has given their community, Mortezians, not just a song, but a sanctuary. It’s a reminder that even when blood stains the waters, those waters can still carve a new path home. This is symphonic rock at its most transcendental: haunting, healing, and unforgettable. With this piece, Mortez has arrived as a force. One that asks us to listen deeper, to feel harder, and to find redemption in the music.
Listen to “River Runnin” on Spotify
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