Range Life, the passion project of The Stolen’s Mike Chiarappa, was born in the summer of 2020, with the release of the single “Runaway.” Though that first song’s lyrical content was centered around uncertainty and change, one thing was for sure - though the project was new, this was not Chiarappa’s first rodeo.
Described by some as a “seasoned” member of the east coast music scene, the musician was previously only known as a member of The Stolen, a New Jersey indie-pop band whose self-titled album just turned two years old this week. Both Range Life and The Stolen could be classified as “indie” music, but their sounds are extremely different.
While The Stolen falls on the M83 and The 1975 side of the genre, Range Life is Father John Misty with a little less narcissism, Mac DeMarco with a little less romance and a little more reckless abandon. The aforementioned “Runaway” is the perfect song to start a road trip, let alone a discography, with its opening sounding straight out of a coming-of-age film.
Chiarappa’s writing gets a little more vulnerable on “bleeding for help” and “2001.” In a universe where all of these songs are connected, “Runaway” introduces the protagonist’s desire to get away, while the next two singles explain why they feel that they need to do this.
This musician’s tenure and versatility were never in question, but it’s confirmed on these later singles. Working your way through Range Life’s discography is like getting to know a friend better, learning more about their past and their motives as they slowly open up to you.
The project’s third single, “i don’t wanna be here anymore”, takes the creativity up a notch, with Chiarappa writing from the perspective of a senior citizen, someone whose coming-of-age has come and gone long ago, something that would seem foreign for a 25-year-old like himself. So, amongst all of these musical think-pieces, where does Range Life’s latest single “another day” fit in?
What makes “another day” special is that, while it holds the same upbeat acoustic charm as the artist’s previous work, it doesn’t take itself as seriously. There’s room to breathe on this track, a far cry from the urgent emotion expressed in his earlier work.
When asked about the new track, Chiarappa said, “‘another day’ is about taking life one day at a time and trying not to get hung up on the negative aspects of everyday life. I don’t take myself all that seriously and I wanted to put that in the music.” This sentiment certainly shines through in the song’s carefree, playful lyrical content, as well as in the music video, which, as he promised, shows Range Life not taking himself too seriously.
While not as emotionally heavy as his past work, Mike Chiarappa further proves just how versatile he is as an artist, both musically and lyrically. Music doesn’t always have to be a rollercoaster of feelings, and showing this new side of the project is just as valuable for Range Life as the sadder, deeper songs are.
Range Life’s debut full-length is expected before the end of 2021, and each of these singles has helped to set the stage for its release in its own way. Based on these tracks, listeners can expect a full-on experience of an album rather than just a collection of songs to mindlessly stream.
Along with Range Life’s entire discography, “another day” is available to stream wherever you listen to music. You can keep up with Mike and the project by following @RangeLifeBand on Twitter and Instagram.
If you checked the song out, feel free to let me know what you thought by tweeting me @JENSESSlON! For more coverage on Range Life’s upcoming releases, be sure to follow the blog on Instagram @StrawberrySkiesBlog, Twitter @StrawbSkiesBlog, and Facebook @StrawberrySkiesBlog.