Today, experimental R&B singer-songwriter rum.gold returns with a tender new single, “Walking Dead”. Part of his forthcoming two-part album, Is There Anybody Home? (out March 27th via Independent Co.), “Walking Dead” captures the disorienting grief of a relationship ending, the feeling of losing someone who is still alive, and the ache of knowing they’re still out there. Sonically, a melancholic melody unfolds beneath airy vocals that drift weightlessly through soft, humming instrumentals, evoking a quiet, aching desire for closeness.
“Walking Dead” follows the release of Disc 2 (Act of God), the first half of rum.gold’s forthcoming two-part album, featuring three new singles that ushered in the album’s vulnerable and powerful world. Known for blending soul and R&B into emotionally-charged soundscapes, rum.gold made a resounding return in September with the release of a haunting single and video, “Is It Something I Said”. The track and video (directed by SpencerClark&RobbieVicencio and rum.gold), explore generational trauma through an intimate and moving narrative of a mother and son overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, and unresolved grief, filling their home with a lifetime of collected objects. As the video progresses, it shifts into a surreal reimagining of an early 2000s Hoarders episode, now centered on the adult son, who inherits both her belongings and her compulsions. Blurring the lines between reality and performance, “Is It Something I Said” reflects on how the emotional environments we grow up in often become the ones we recreate as adults. Listen to “Is It Something I Said” HERE, watch the music video HERE, and read rum.gold’s interview with Office Magazine about the single HERE.
Rum.gold’s second single “Love Me Better,” followed in October, offering a glimpse into the next evolution of his artistry with ethereal falsetto floating over lush, immersive production that turns personal reflections into universal resonance. Listen to “Love Me Better” HERE. Third single “Act of God / Force Majeure,” accompanied by a video directed by Andi Lipo, unfolds in a single, intimate scene, with rum.gold performing in the rain alongside two bandmates on a torn-up wedding stage. As the storm intensifies, rain-soaked close-ups heighten the song’s raw vulnerability and its meditation on enduring love through chaos. Listen to Disc 2 (Act of God)HERE, watch the video for “Act of God / Force Majeure”HERE.
Growing up in D.C.against the backdrop of 90’s R&B, Drumgold’s songwriting taps into topics that are native to the genre. He sings of trauma, blackness, queerness, love, pain– but Drumgold’s atmospheric production leaves meditative moments for each equally. Since his arrival on the scene in 2018, rum.gold has been illuminating the alt-R&B world with his angelic voice and deeply introspective songwriting, earning him praise from The New Yorker, Billboard, Complex, Paper, Vice, The FADER, and more, as well as TIDAL and Pandora playlist covers, and Spotify’s New Music Friday placement. Beginning his journey by uploading tracks anonymously on SoundCloud, rum.gold soon drew acclaim for his haunting falsetto and minimalist production style which often explores themes of identity, family, and personal growth. His early EPs, yaRn (2019) and aiMless (2020), showcased his nuanced storytelling, paving the way for his acclaimed debut album, ThickerThanWater (2021), which explored the complexities of chosen versus biological family. His most recent project, U Street Anthology (2023), paid tribute to the Black cultural legacy of his D.C. hometown while weaving in his personal journey of healing and reconnection. In October, rum.gold hit the West Coast, performing intimate acoustic sets as the supporting act for Ry X in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. On February 24th, he will make his festival debut at Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco while on a national headline tour that kicks off on February 20th in Los Angeles at The Echo.
With each release, rum.gold continues to prove himself as one of modern R&B’s most soulful storytellers. His forthcoming album Is There Anybody Home? marks the next chapter in a body of work defined by emotional honesty, nuanced storytelling, and a fearless exploration of the human experience.
