Background
Following a seven-year gap since their previous studio release, Five Crooked Lines , the band began working on new material in 2022. [6] "Together Right" was conceived during those recording sessions at Vespa Studios in Toronto, with guitarist James Black and drummer Steve Molella co-producing the song together. [7] [8]
On April 25, 2023, it was announced the band would be releasing their first compilation album titled Greatest Hits on June 16, 2023, containing two previously unreleased songs in addition to all their hits—one of those songs being "Together Right" and a cover of the Pink Floyd song Welcome to the Machine . [9] [10] To coincide with the Greatest Hits album announcement, the band released "Together Right" as a promotional single with an accompanying lyric video. [11]
Lead singer Scott Anderson described "Together Right" as "a song about unity — the bonds between people and how far that bond can extend before it's broken." He added that, despite its optimistic tone, the chorus is "a desperate plea from one party to another asking, please stick around, let's go down with this ship together." [12] [13]
The band performed "Together Right" live in various promotional appearances that included in-studio performances on radio stations, music festival dates, and on Breakfast Television Canada, where the band also discussed the Greatest Hits album. [14]
On March 13, 2024, the band was honored by the SOCAN with a No. 1 Song Award after "Together Right" topped the Mediabase Canada Active Rock chart for six consecutive weeks beginning July 30, 2023. The award was presented to the band at Noble Street Studios in Toronto by SOCAN Director Cameron Kennedy. [15]
To promote the single and upcoming album, the group embarked on their Greatest Hits North American Tour in June 2023, marking their first major tour in several years. [16] [17]
Composition and sound
"Together Right" is an uptempo alternative rock song at a tempo of 128 beats per minute, driven by anthemic guitar hooks, forceful percussion, and high-energy handclaps. Lyrically, the song examines loyalty under pressure, using imagery of public scandal, mental breakdown, and dwindling alliances to frame the refrain as a desperate plea for solidarity amid collapse. [18]
Billboard Canada characterized the track as featuring "jackhammer percussion and searing guitar riffs bolstered by an intense vocal performance," calling it "rock radio-friendly with a message of perseverance and connection." [19]
Critical reception
Reception was generally positive, with reviewers noting the track's energetic return to form. Blabbermouth.net described it as "a hard-hitting, anthemic rocker that proves Finger Eleven still have plenty of gas in the tank." [20]
In a retrospective review of the single's parent album, Cryptic Rock praised "Together Right" as "a great presentation of their older heaviness matched with a modern flare and overall positive message." The review further noted that the track "marks the first new Finger Eleven song in 7 long years," and called the compilation "a worthy collection of some of the band's boldest moments," that "covers pretty much all areas of their discography." [21]
Music video
A music video for "Together Right" premiered on May 10, 2023. Directed by Martin Klapperbein and James Black, the video depicts a dystopian factory in which uniformed workers move in mechanical unison until one person's rebellion sparks individuality among the others. Black described the video, saying: [25]
“The video takes place in a world where everything is the same. Efficiency and conformity are mistaken for unity. But real connection, between two people, is WAY more powerful than people idly following a routine.”
Co-director Klapperbein cited George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four as inspiration for the visual tone, choreography, and production design. [26]
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