Blackpool-based trio Rendered delivers a poignant musical meditation with their new single “If a Boy, Still Believe”. Recorded at Berlin Recording Studios, this emotionally charged track weaves together personal joy and profound loss into a soaring alt-rock ballad that pays tribute to the complexities of fatherhood while honoring a departed friend.
The song’s genesis is as layered as its arrangement – born from frontman Chris’s reflections on his newborn son Alfie’s innocent honesty (“It’s actually pretty good, daddy“) and deepened by grief over his friend Danny’s tragic passing at 43. This duality gives the track its remarkable emotional weight, with lyrics that balance paternal devotion with raw vulnerability. Musically, Rendered crafts a slow-burning epic that builds with Roy Orbison-esque grandeur – jumbo acoustic guitars ring out beneath phased and chorused textures, while Dave Sadler’s punchy bass lines anchor the arrangement with staccato precision.
What begins as a tender acoustic confession gradually swells into what the band describes as “one of those holy fck moments” – not through heavy distortion, but through pure emotional crescendo. The ’90s influences shine through in the track’s DNA: the snare’s subtle ring recalls Nirvana’s Unplugged intimacy, while the dynamic arc channels Audioslave’s cathartic power. Yet “If a Boy” remains distinctly Rendered’s own – a testament to their ability to synthesize inspirations into something fresh and deeply personal.
More than just another rock ballad, “If a Boy, Still Believe” stands as a moving tribute to fatherhood’s joys and struggles. Rendered has crafted that rare song that feels both intimately specific and universally resonant – a musical embrace for anyone who’s ever loved, lost, or tried to be better. Connect With Rendered on Instagram and Spotify
