Cardiff quintet Red Telephone’s latest single “What To Believe” started life as one thing and emerged as something else entirely. Released September 13, this exploration of modern overwhelm transforms from Lana Del Rey-inspired piano ballad into pulsing darkwave, mirroring its own themes of metamorphosis and uncertainty.
The song’s evolution during Cornwall recording sessions proves particularly fitting. When bassist Dom and drummer Luke introduced their urgent rhythmic foundation to Declan’s originally melancholic composition, they didn’t just change its tempo – they embodied its message about transformation and questioning one’s path.
Opening with a funk-infused bassline that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Pet Shop Boys record, the track builds into something more celestial. Layers of synths create an expansive atmosphere that makes space for Declan’s meditation on information overload. His lyrics, written in a burst of inspiration, paint abstract pictures of drowning in content and competing narratives.
The central question – “Are you still in charge or are they running you?” – speaks to anyone who’s ever wondered if they’re following their own path or one inherited from their past self. It’s a particularly resonant theme for a band balancing creative ambitions with day jobs, adding weight to their exploration of faith and manipulation.
What emerges is a distinctly Welsh take on the darkwave genre, pulling threads from MGMT and St. Vincent while weaving something uniquely their own. The track serves as our second glimpse into their sophomore album “Delay The New Day” (due early 2025), suggesting a band that’s both expanding their sonic palette and honing their existential focus.
As information continues to flood our daily lives, Red Telephone offers not answers but solidarity in questioning. “What To Believe” stands as proof that sometimes the most truthful response to uncertainty is to turn it into art.
B-Side Guys 
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