Although his career in music started a while back, the year 2013 was a 'ground zero' of sorts for Rikki Lee. He caught the eye (and ear) of many as the voice of Gypsy Genes, and his performance at Rockestra that same year further boosted his profile. It is however as a solo artist that Rikki Lee’s career has really taken off, with 2014 debut single Lies kickstarting a series of releases that have seen Rikki go on to achieve chart success both locally and abroad.
Last year, his raunchy Naughty Girls single (and equally raunchy video) attracted a great deal of attention, further to which he was also setting up his own recording studio, which meant he had to take a temporary step back from recording. Now, with the Gilkicker production house now up and running, Rikki has picked up where he left off and has been working on new material, the first of which, Blood Runs Thicker was released a few weeks ago.
In stark contrast to the typically feel-good factor present in all of his previous releases, Blood Runs Thicker bears a different kind of message. “The song is about losing someone dear to you”, he explained, adding that it was inspired by his own personal experience of losing a member of his family who is very close to his heart. “It is about someone I will never forget, which is why I decided to have the words Blood Runs Thicker tattooed on my arm in remembrance. It was a song that had to be written and listening back I am very proud of this piece of work”.
Dedicated to anyone who has loved and lost, Blood Runs Thicker is a piano rock ballad with strong pop tendencies, which one could say took Rikki back to his musical roots, having originally recorded it in 2009 with his UK band 51/50's. “I’ve always been into different sounds and styles”, he commented. “This song was something I really needed to revisit and share again with everyone, as I’m sure a lot of people can relate to it”.