The Ransom Collective returns with a new single, “Tongue Tied,” their first official release after a four-year hiatus. The bossa-infused, indie pop track feels like a gentle reopening of a well-worn photo album: familiar, warm, and unexpectedly alive.
The band hasn’t been together in the way they used to, but this release is a choice to look back with gratitude and to move forward with intention: a snapshot of who they were and a reminder of what still connects them.
“Tongue Tied actually lived in the studio for more than three years,” the eclectic six-piece collective shares in a press statement. “We recorded parts of it even before the pandemic. We had to shelve it as the band slowed down and some of us moved out of town. We started picking production back up remotely, recording from different studios and spaces, then eventually finished it in Manila in late 2025.”
Built on bright, earnest momentum and rich instrumentation, “Tongue Tied” channels infatuation with starry-eyed optimism. According to the band, the song draws inspiration from the simple but profound feeling of becoming ‘tongue-tied’ in the presence of someone new, an experience songwriter Kian recounts as inspired by the early days of getting to know the love of his life.
“It started with the line, You walk in the room, and I get nervous,” TRC vocalist and guitarist Kian Ransom reveals. “I randomly sang the line over some chords we were jamming, and it reminded me of the feelings I had when I was first getting to know my wife. The song started taking shape, with the lyrics describing that ‘tongue-tied’ feeling you get when you’re newly smitten by someone.”
Sonically speaking, “Tongue Tied” introduces new textures and approaches into the band’s signature indie-folk palette. What started out as a spontaneous jam around a chord progression evolved into a compelling mix of indie pop songwriting, jazzy harmonies, and bossa nova rhythms—an exciting first for The Ransom Collective.
“As a band, we’re all appreciative and inspired by jazz, but never really imagined it fitting into what we write,” the band explains. “Somehow the combination worked in a genuinely refreshing way. Lily and Jerms also ended up getting creative with the outro percussion and voicing that feels both novel and familiar at the same time.”
The Ransom Collective believes the song will resonate with long-time fans and new listeners, as it carefully balances their familiar sound with contemporary edge. ”The song itself was written back in 2020, so it’s a sound from an era our fans are familiar with and know from us. It almost feels like an unreleased track of the Traces album, but since it’s jazzier, it also feels like a standalone.”
The Ransom Collective’s “Tongue Tied” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide.
