New Releases

The Transits return with new rock-infused punk single, ‘Renegade Hearts’

By Staff Contributor

Aotearoa New Zealand-South Africa band The Transits are back with their edgy new single ‘Renegade Hearts’, out today!

Packed with infectious synth hooks, stacked vocals and a driving rhythm section with an addictive pulse, ‘Renegade Hearts’ is a rock-infused punk anthem written for all the outcasts.

“Renegade Hearts’ is a song for those who feel like they don’t fit in,” says The Transits. “Because trying to be someone you’re not never really works out – and life isn’t about that, anyway. It’s about celebrating your true self – all of it. For all the quirks, and all the chaos. Now is the time to be the renegade and feel good about it.”

Today’s single comes after their recently released smash debut single ‘When You Went Away’; a track which reached #19 on the Aotearoa RadioScope Alternative Chart, and is currently sitting at #9 on the South African Top 40 Chart. 

Ryan Lunn (vocals, guitars, synths), Dom Antelme (vocals, bass) and Tyrone Smith (drums) recorded their parts of the track in their respective studios across Auckland and South Africa, before sending it all to Ryan in Durban, South Africa where he mixed and mastered the track. ‘Renegade Hearts’ is a track integral to who The Transits are as a band; representing where they’ve come from. 

“For us personally, we grew up in a very conservative time in South Africa where you were very much expected to act a certain way,” explains The Transits. “Play sports, dress a certain way etc. Playing in a rock band just wasn’t what you did. We could never really fit into that expectation which often got us into a lot of trouble. So we’ve always championed being true to yourself. Which is easier said than done of course but it’s ultimately worth it. So ‘Renegade Hearts’ is about that.”
 
The trio have been making music together on and off since forming their first band 30 years ago as teenagers in Durban, South Africa. “We’ve been close friends for even longer than that,” says Dom, “it’s like family.” They would practice before, after and even during school, finding inspiration in guitar-heavy pop outfits like Weezer and The Pixies. 
Since that first band, each member has gone on to experience careers that have included label signings, live, chart, radio and award success. The decision to get the band back together came about during the pandemic, when they started to write and record together, regardless of being in different countries. The band says the timing feels serendipitous, with bands such as Blink-182 announcing the reunion of their original lineup and a resurgence of the vintage pop-punk sound.
 
This is just the beginning for this epic reunion of musicians, who say “we feel like we’ve found our sound and are currently writing and recording for our debut full-length album out later this year. That said, we still have a few musical surprises up our sleeve.”
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