The self-proclaimed “little king of cosmic folk” Ryan Rickenbach is back at it with a wistfully beautiful new single, “Adelaide”, which arrives on streaming platforms this Friday, July 26th.
You might first be asking yourself, “What is cosmic folk, and what makes him the little king?” As Rickenbach explains, “Well it sounds nice. It makes people stop and think a bit. I don’t know if I can elaborate beyond cosmic folk being a unique expression of the universal.”
And the little king thing? “I was born Ryan, which is Gaelic for ‘Little King’. You can either choose a new name or live up to the one given to you,” he explains. “By forgoing a more traditional path in life in favor of creating music, I feel like I’m meeting that challenge. I’m my own little king, creating my own little cosmos.”
“Adelaide”, produced by longtime collaborator Cass Dillon, packs plenty of emotion both musically and thematically. Ryan wrote the song for a close friend who courageously quit his job, cashed in his retirement, and embarked on a cross-country journey—only to have his life cut short in a car accident along the way.
The accompanying music video for “Adelaide”, which premieres today exclusively via Live For Live Music, takes listeners on a dreamy, reflective journey that reflects how that friendship remains a part of Ryan’s existence to this day. Directed by Rob Dezendorf and Phil Sokoloff, the video for “Adelaide” also explores the picturesque forests, streams, and waterfalls through which his friend traveled in his final days.
As Rickenbach tells Live For Live Music, “His passing was a seminal moment in my life. He was an extremely intelligent and deeply loyal friend. The word ‘Adelaide’ is a beautiful sounding word to me, one I think aptly represents a paradisiacal hereafter.”
“I didn’t want the video to be sentimental or macabre,” Rickenbach recalls. “I wanted it to have vibrancy. To be full of life. Whenever you’re surrounded by an abundance of life you’re also surrounded by the mystery of it, so through this I hoped to emphasize the gravity of existence. Phil and Rob shot a ton of beautiful footage with a concept in mind, but the hard part was putting it all together and making the narrative coherent. We passed drafts back and forth, but it wasn’t until the three of us sat down for a marathon editing session and put our heads together that we were finally able to look at each other and say ‘this is it’.”
Check out the Live For Live Music premiere of Ryan Rickenbach’s new video for “Adelaide” below:
Ryan Rickenbach – “Adelaide” [Official Music Video]
[Video: Ryan Rickenbach]
Ryan Rickenbach – “Adelaide” [Audio]
Tonight, Thursday, July 25th, Ryan will offer up an intimate “Adelaide” release show at New York City’s Bowery Electric. Fans can head here to grab your tickets!
Head to Ryan Rickenbach’s website for more information and to stay up to date with his upcoming show announcements.
