Being a musician is anything but easy, but especially in the year of 2020, where live music, recording studios, and other music related trips have been put on an indefinite shut down as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

But where there is hardship, there is also hope- and Detroit’s Random Ties are here to prove that they are not going to let the odds get them down as they push forward and continue making their own path in these uncertain times.

From releasing their debut EP Believe back in June to their recent single “Thawra,” in August, Random Ties have begun getting their name out there and we were fortunate enough to get to chat with the band and catch up on how their year has been going, what they’re doing to stay busy and find out more about what they wish fans knew about them.

You can read our full interview below, and be sure to stream Believe, out now and linked at the bottom.

Second Society Report: How are you holding up during this insane year that is 2020? Hopefully your friends and families are staying safe and healthy!

Random Ties: Hey everyone Youssef here the frontman for Random Ties a heavy hitting rock band based in Detroit.

We are all safe. Thank you for asking, we’re trying to do our part to overcome this pandemic.

SSR: Did you have any big releases or tours that were put on hold because of the pandemic? How has that affected the band? (could be personally, financially, morale wise, etc.)

RT: We’ve been very busy this year despite the pandemic, we released our  EP “Believe” in June with a couple of music videos on our Youtube channel. You can stream our EP  on Spotify as well. This was the EP I put on hold for many years.

We also had an East coast summer tour that ended last month at the Goose Lake festival 50th anniversary in Michigan.

SSR: How have you been spending your newfound “downtime” while the world has been essentially shut down?

RT: Spending a lot of time with family making up lost time for all those years ☺ & changing diapers.  

Working as much as possible on some new material that we are looking forward to releasing.

SSR: Have you picked up any new hobbies while quarantining that you’d like to share?

RT: As a matter of fact I expanded my cooking repertoire to more than just omelettes & spaghetti, so now when we get back on tour the guys can expect a gourmet meal 

SSR: Have you worked on any new releases during this time? Any that are already out or that we can get a sneak peak of?

RT: We released our latest single “Thawra” a couple of weeks ago inspired by the deadly explosion that happened in Lebanon on August 4th that rocked the nation, leaving over 300,000 people displaced & thousands still missing or dead.

This humanitarian crisis really hit me hard, the blast is only second to the Hiroshima bomb, this prompted me to write “Thawra” & work with the uncredible Layal @Ipr1ncess who produced the video with the most authentic shots.  We hope this song will shed light & raise awareness of what’s going on down there. 

All proceeds will go towards supporting the Lebanese Red Cross so if you do decide to contribute would be to purchase the single via our Bandcamp page https://randomties.bandcamp.com/track/thawra.

SSR: If already out- what was the inspiration for the release? Have you written any songs specifically about the state of the world right now?

RT: On September 27th we released our latest video for our Song “Why” aimed at raising awareness on mental health & suicide prevention, we lose too many people each year because of this & wanted to write this song to celebrate the lives of those that are no longer with us.

SSR: How has it been being an artist in a time when you cannot tour? How have you been working to promote your music and expand your reach?

RT: We turned to social medial & are relying heavily on it to get our message & songs across, we are very active on Instagram so if you’d like to follow us & hop on board our journey do check us out on https://www.instagram.com/randomtiesofficial/ 

SSR: Do you have any words of advice for fans that are feeling particularly bummed out about the live music world coming to a halt?

RT: Music will be back, this too shall pass so hang tight.

SSR: When the world returns to a safer spot and we are able to (hopefully) attend live shows again- say in 2021- what do you hope to achieve?

RT: Get out there & fill some seats for our venues that are really struggling right now, our industry continues to take a beating with no helpline so its up to us to help one another.

SSR: Is there anything you wish your fans would know about you or about the current state of the music world?

RT: As fans you have no idea how much you mean to an artist, you can lift our spirits & inspire us to keep on pushing in a time where most of our revenue streams are cut.  

So next time you see your favourite band or are connected with them on social media, drop them a thank you message- it will mean the world to them.

You can stream Believe out now, and be sure to connect with Random Ties via the social media links below.

YouTube / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram