PREMIERE: Sacramento's Flourish Releases Personal Track, "Blue Lights"

In solidarity with April’s Sexual Assault Awareness month, Sacramento band Flourish has released a personal track titled “Blue Lights” 

The song is a vulnerable look into front-woman Amber DeLaRosa’s personal experience with reporting sexual assault. The lyrics remain vague enough for listeners to relate in their own interpretation, yet so stark that no stone is left un-turned as she recalls the line of questioning from police, friends and family. 

The song opens first with grating strums on an electric guitar, then all at once the ensemble joins in to introduce the weight of the content to come. Equal parts light as it is heavy, the melancholy nature of the melody enables DeLaRosa to bear her anguish in a way that allows her to present the difficult topic of sexual assault. Make no mistake, listening closely to the lyrics of Blue Lights, there is no sugar coating. 

DeLaRosa’s voice echoes the questions asked of her, in genuine quest for understanding yet contempt and confusion. For each time she is asked “What were you wearing?” or “Was there anything you could have done?” You can hear DeLaRosa grapple with the shifting blame tossed upon her. 

As the song continues, her docile cooperation grows into an empowered rejection of the way the questions deny her pain, and imply her fault in the matter. By the time she is asked, “Why didn’t you run?” DeLaRosa roars the line back, leaving all involved to question their own responsibility in the events unfolding. In the chilling last line, DeLaRosa’s voice carries on without musical accompaniment, leaving listeners with a sense of how alone she’s felt in the aftermath. More importantly, sharing with other survivors of sexual assault that they are not alone in this pain and confusion. 

For any that follow Flourish, know that DeLaRosa’s story is not of tragedy but of triumph. As she lays each song to rest, listeners heal alongside her.