There’s a calm radiance at the heart of You Gotta Know, the latest single from Stratford’s collective Collaborations, founded by Ed Daniels. Rather than reaching for volume, the song leans into stillness; a reminder that conviction can be soft and still carry power. Built entirely on live musicianship, it unfolds with warmth and sincerity, each note breathing like it was meant to.
The track opens gently, with shimmering guitars and the steady pulse of Scott Spray’s bass creating a grounded rhythm. Tim DeHuff’s expressive guitar lines weave around Tommy Naggy’s subtle drumming, while producer Vic Steffens captures the organic cohesion that defines the group’s sound. Matt Oestreicher’s orchestration adds cinematic color, giving the arrangement emotional depth without overshadowing its intimacy.
At the song’s core is Anais Preller, whose soulful performance transforms reflection into revelation. Co-writing the piece with Daniels, she sings with clarity and grace: never forcing emotion, but letting it surface naturally. Her delivery feels lived-in, her phrasing honest. Behind her, Kevin Monroe and Devotion offer luminous harmonies that rise like a quiet choir, affirming the song’s central message: awareness begins when we truly listen.
Lyrically, You Gotta Know carries a message of collective awakening. Its verses wrestle with questions of loneliness, change, and responsibility, “Tell me why we feel alone / Tell me who carved life in stone,” before turning toward hope. The song reminds us that the weight of the world is one we share, and that transformation begins when we care enough to lift together. It’s both a reflection and a call to action, suggesting that change isn’t distant or divine, but something we shape within our own lives.
By the end of Collaborations’ You Gotta Know, what remains is a sense of calm urgency; a belief that gentleness can still move mountains. In a musical landscape often crowded by noise, the band stands as a quiet act of defiance: real musicians, real voices, and a message that stirs the heart as much as the ear; a quiet rising of sound and soul, indeed!
