Rufusking - Motel Stardust (single)
A solid base of rock. Bits of indie and acid. Rashers of grunge and blues. The four members of the band Rufusking prepare a musical meal for you with their very own ingredients. And they are ready to serve it to the world... Since 2017, the Dutch four-piece band has been working on their own repertoire. In February 2019 the band broke loose from the rehearsal room and released their very first single – Vinegar Joe – on September 26th of that year and played many shows in local pubs and clubs in The Netherlands. On December 18th 2020, Rufusking released Poor Mister Lee. The band members are inspired by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, Oasis and the Stereophonics. Versatile, but recognizable.
It is 2020 - the pandemic is in full-swing and none of us has any idea if, how and when we will get out of this situation that has the world in its grip. In this scorching hot summer, and because of all kinds of restrictive measures, the possibilities for outdoor (cooling) activities are very limited. In Texas, near the town of Marfa, a weather-worn sign marks the place where the weary traveler can spend the night after a long journey. The sign raises questions about the quality of the establishment that bears the name 'Stardust Motel'. However, when traveling further under a star-studded sky isn't really an option, the prospect of all that is ordinary is enticing. A remarkable detail: there is no motel on the site of the sign. The suggestion of such a welcome, safe place to catch your breath turns out to be non-existent – except for parking your car. Only the sign, referring to the resting point in the journey, marks this place with the sole purpose of misleading the daily passers-by.
Rufusking's Motel Stardust describes a period when the ability to do what is normal and obvious is non-existent. A time when nothing is what it seems and in which the heat and measures make daily life feel like a hopeless trip across a vast plain. The invisibility of preventive measures that are so tangible, distorts the paradoxical reality. Although daily life at a distance does not seem to change, this is only the suggestion of something that once was and of which it is questionable whether it will ever return.
The idea for the song was born when the band stumbled upon the story of the motel road sign. Until Covid it was nothing more than a sign with a compelling story, but during the pandemic pieces fell into place: being forced to stay at home because of a lockdown, not allowed or able to do anything that used to be so obvious, made the place where one lives starting to change from a salvaged place into something that imprisons, even though the place itself remained the same.
The melody carries a haunting aura about it and reminds the listener of the Wild West, all the possibilities and dangers. There's darkness hidden beneath, enhanced by the drums and the guitar riffs, suggesting you shouldn't believe everything you see, we all know the saying "looks can be deceiving". The layered storytelling in the song is open to listener's interpretation.