From Nevada, Las Vegas, pop-rock duo Mortez is rising from the desert sands and into the spotlight. Their sound is a mix of pop thickly threaded into the fabric of alt-rock. Vocalist Rachele Royale's voice is a powerhouse that keeps you pulled in while Brett Daniels' guitar playing guides you on a journey that keeps you guessing and waiting for what the duo will do next!
On the 13th of October, Mortez released their new single, "CHAINZ."
"CHAINZ" may have a circus vibe to the aesthetic, but at its core it's a resistance song. With a strong hook of "Tie me up in chains / Well you know you got me caught up in these chains / Come and get me locked up in your chains / No you don't own me, I'mma break these chains" for the chorus of this track announces its purpose as well as makes it sound like a fun alt-rock jam. This, alongside the aesthetic for the visuals of this song, cements it as a revolution song to light your Molotovs to.
This song is a full-on experience, as you may not expect the circus-style visuals to go with the track at first listen and then see them, but it rounds out the overall brand and makes you want to explore more of what they have going on. This visual concept continues from their single "Reaper" that came out on July 10th.
Speaking of "Reaper", while the single came out earlier in the summer, they just released their banger music video for the track. So, let's dissect the music video, shall we?
It starts with a twirling black-and-white umbrella and the track name, then cuts to a pair of black platform stilettos and a woman's legs walking down what seems to be a church aisle, with a mesh black veil hanging in the camera view and the head of a small bouquet of black roses. Short clips of a woman, covered in a thick red veil, pointing at us as she watches alternate with the woman in black heels making her way down the aisle.
Suddenly, the scene changes, and we have Rachele as Freya emerge from the shadows; the lights cut on as she performs between two black-and-white umbrellas similar to the one in the beginning. After that, we get a mashup of Rachele as "Freya" and Brett as "Reaper," alternating between white lighting and red lighting as dancers pull out full choreography alongside Rachele.
Finally, we meet the red-and-black bride as Reaper, and she dances around the stage surrounded by dancers and contortionists who dance and twist around them as they dance together now in a grand gesture of struggle and romance.
This video is fun and has a gritty, home-filmed vibe without it actually seeming low quality, which I personally love! With a mix of more performance-style clips and story-based theatrics, this video is one you can simply enjoy and watch again and again.
Photo Credit: Victor Hughes
Mortez is a fun find for me! I love the circus themes on the new singles, but even their normal rockers aesthetic is compelling and shows that they can adapt to new styles with ease. Both tracks are ones you can jam over and over, but still hold deeper meaning.
I am excited to see and hear what Mortez does next and if we'll carry on the concepts from these singles as they move forward. This duo has a lot of promise, so I know they'll give us great tracks with each release! Keep your eyes on Mortez; don't be late to the bandwagon!
Meet The Members of Mortez!
Rachele Royale - Vocalist
Brett Daniels - Guitarist
