The Rallies have unleashed their ultimate album upon the world. No ifs, ands, or buts about it! “It Must Be” is a power-packed explosion of everything that makes Power Pop irresistible: infectious melodies, hooks that stick like glue, lyrics that hit the spot, and an unwavering air of confidence. In an interview with the Sweet Sweet Music blog, Steve Davis spills the beans on how this gem came to be.

How did this record come together?

I guess in retrospect the COVID pandemic had some part to play it in. The band didn’t get together for well over a year during that time, and I pretty much didn’t even really pick up my guitar. But after some time when I did, the songs just started coming out and the thought of making a record seemed possible. You could maybe say that taking some time off from music got the creative juices flowing.

As an artist, you choose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?

I’ve always tried to write songs that have a positive vibe, that feel true and honest, and possibly are something others can relate to and connect with from their own experiences. This album’s songs though for me were influenced somewhat more by what was going on at the time, the pandemic and some personal emotional loss. So in that sense writing these songs was a bit therapeutic for me, and playing them for others helps in that therapy.

Lyrics are too often taken for granted. What is the line of text or are the lines of text that you hope listeners will remember? And why?

If the listener still hears the lyrics in their head after the song is over then my work is done. As far as interpretation I actually prefer to hear what others think and feel about the lyrics. I also like writing lyrics that are a bit ambiguous, and then can be interpreted in many different ways. If lyrics are adaptable then they can also take on new meaning based upon one’s own life experiences. For instance the song ‘No Other Road’ is an example of that, where the song took on an entirely new meaning for me after an emotional personal loss.

What compliment you once received will you never forget?

Connecting with others through music is a very cool thing. I know from personal experience that music can move you, lift you up and make you feel better. So it’s really special to hear that your own music’s reaching others in that way and giving them that same positive feeling.

I do remember a couple live shows where afterwards people came up to the stage and expressed their genuine emotional connection to the music. It was quite moving to hear that our music can have that kind of a heartfelt impact on people.

Those magical moments when you’re working in the studio. Which moment was the most magical?

For this album we tried out several new things; a new studio, a new producer, a new way of recording the band together, and finally bringing in other musicians to play on some of the songs. These musician’s contributions to the recordings were kind of magical for me. I had no expectations, no idea what it was going to sound like, and in the studio it was the first time that I heard it. One of my favorite quotes is by Tom Petty and it goes along with this question, “Music is probably the only real magic I have encountered in my life. There’s not some trick involved with it. It’s pure and it’s real. It moves, it heals, it communicates and does all these incredible things.“