REASON TO LEAVE do or die

REASON TO LEAVE

Do or Die

Self-release 28/02/25

Southport’s finest purveyors of heartfelt skate-punk amp up the melody and urgency whilst trimming the fat on lean and mean new single Do or Die.

A funk bass line and tom-bothering halftime  groove precede the tight riffing and snappy songwriting which we have come to expect from RTL. Whilst the verse rips along in customary fast-punker fashion, the chorus smashes together a street-punk rhythm with gorgeous 80s new wave backing vox, a neat twist on the gruff call and response gang vocals usually heard in these circles. It’s almost elegant in execution, adding a yearning quality that acts as a counterpoint to the frustration felt elsewhere in the song. 

Lyrically, the song explores the everyday frustrations of walking through the mirrored walls of our minds in 2025. Rather than drowning in a swamp of self-pity, our narrator rallies himself to seek positive action and pushback against the grain, imploring anyone who is listening to, indeed, do or die. It’s another chapter in the band’s book of relatable stories that encompass both the personal and political in a manner that is non-preachy and open to anyone individual interpretation. 

Not a second is wasted across the 1m47s run time, with this craftily crafted banger at home on your headphones, car stereo… and of course in its natural habitat of a basement dance floor.