It's a lead vocal with a big natural vibrato and a cynical smirk. Lyrically it strikes a tone of urban alarmism, a message of getting woke for the esoteric among us, with more nuance and cerebral smoke signals than a simple cry of 'wake up' or some poster about police brutality or military hegemony.

At the same time that Luke Hawley's lyrics paint images of little animals and the call of the wild, they also weave in a message of self-reflection and the raw need to connect with other people. It may be the end of the world, but that doesn't matter if you have no one to share it with.

The Ruralists are an Indie Rock band from Sioux Center, Iowa. They are currently featured on our CHILL NEW Songwriters playlist.