Formed by powerhouse duo Paige Kalenian (she/her; guitar/vocals) and Jax Huckle (he/him; drums), California’s Raue (pronounced Roo-AY) usher in their own era of raw, healing grunge that feels both timeless and forward-thinking.

On their upcoming EP too scared to explain, Raue chase an arguably irrational pursuit of music with unapologetic intensity. Paige describes the record as “vulnerability through a poem,” blending themes of emotional limbo and self-reflection. Paige adds, “I want listeners to feel like we’re unmasked—raw, relatable, and real.”

A perfect example of that sentiment on display is ‘Escape,’ Raue’s new song out now and the first to be shared from the EP. Inspired by a poem Paige stumbled across about grief, it is a paradoxical track that explores the simultaneously euphoric and devastating emotions that love can create. With its sweeping guitars, cinematic intensity, and therapeutic vocals, ‘Escape’ isn’t just telling a story or reciting a poem––it makes you feel every bit of it.