RISE is a four-piece out of Liverpool, and they’ve just dropped a reworked version of their track “Hard To Leave You“—the Barbarian mix, to be exact. This thing hit the airwaves on July 24th, and it’s a serious upgrade from the 2024 version that first appeared on their Memories and Possibilities EP. The band wasn’t happy with how that original captured the song’s bite, so they went back into the studio to wind the energy up to match their live show. And you can hear it immediately.
The lineup here is tight. Sam Kinley—who also goes by stayMellow—handles bass and vocals, and his range on this track is absolutely fierce. Paul Kinley is on keyboards and backing vocals, Alex Mahoney pounds the drums, and Brian Petch’s guitar work is a standout—detailed, sharp, and slotted perfectly into the mix.
The song itself dives into the messy territory of trying to end a relationship—or maybe not. There’s no clear answer, and that’s the point. Should they walk away? Should they stay? It’s deliberately ambiguous, and that ambiguity gives it a weight that stays with you after the final chord.
Recorded at Whitewood Studios in Liverpool, with production handled by Rob Whiteley and Paul Kinley, the track has that polished but powerful RISE sound. They’ve been working with Rob for years, and you can tell—he knows how to capture that unique blend of melodic rock with hints of prog. It’s rich, complex, and instantly recognizable.
If you’re tired of predictable breakup anthems, give this a spin. RISE proves that a remix can actually breathe new life into a song. The Barbarian mix takes everything that worked in the original and throws gasoline on it. It’s driving, it’s aggressive, and it doesn’t let you sit still. Go check it out!
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