Song Premiere: Delta Rae, “If I Loved You”

Delta Rae are a soul-infused rock band from Durham, North Carolina, who were signed to Warner Bros. by music business legend Seymour Stein. Stein’s previous signees include Clem Snide, Talking Heads, Madonna, and The Ramones, so that should tell you something. Delta Rae’s lineup is rather unique: of its six members, three are siblings, and they have four lead singers.

Check out Delta Rae’s “If I Loved You,” from their upcoming album Carry The Fire, written by guitarist/vocalist Ian Holljes.

“‘If I Loved You’ is about finding that person who loves you more than anyone else, who treats you well, cares for you, and the terrible moment you realize you don’t love them back,” Holljes tells American Songwriter. “The verses work as a set up — a fantasy about how life would be if you could simply overcome whatever mystic forces keep you from loving this wonderful person — while the choruses jump the octave and slam the truth back on the singer and the subject: she does not love him — not in the ways that matter.

“It’s a song that wrote itself quickly,” he says. “The melodies and first lyrics were born in the evening, and the structure and complete lyrics finished the next morning. It evolved from feeling country/rock at its conception to having more of a Motown groove by the time we started recording it for the album. Once Liz and Brittany brought their voices and emotional impact to the song, it really came to life.

“Though it’s an emotional song with an intense subject, I find it has both sadness and relief in it, like any true confession. And like so many great Motown classics, for me, it has a certain breeze and lilt to it that takes the edge off the tragedy. ”