1:19 & Rikshaw have today released their new EP titled ‘The First Three Rounds’. Some records feel like a handshake. The First Three Rounds feels more like eye contact held a second too long — the kind that says “I’m about to tell you something real, whether you’re ready or not”.
This EP from 1:19 doesn’t announce itself with spectacle. It doesn’t need to. Instead, it leans into the quiet violence of honesty, the kind that sneaks up on you in the space between notes. There’s urgency here, but it’s the internal kind — a ticking clock behind the ribs rather than a countdown shouted from the stage.
Musically, ‘The First Three Rounds’ lives in the tension between restraint and release. Guitars feel deliberately unresolved, hanging in the air like questions that don’t expect answers. The rhythm section doesn’t just keep time; it presses it forward, nudging each track along as if momentum itself were a fragile thing that might disappear if left unattended. Nothing overstays its welcome, yet nothing feels rushed. That balance is harder to strike than it sounds.
Vocally, there’s an unfiltered immediacy that sidesteps performance and lands squarely in confession. These aren’t vocals reaching outward for validation — they’re turned inward, documenting moments as they happen. The delivery feels close, almost uncomfortably so at times, like overhearing a thought that wasn’t meant to be spoken aloud. And that’s where the power sits: in the absence of polish, in the refusal to sand down emotional edges.
Lyrically, the EP circles themes of self-interrogation, emotional endurance, and the quiet aftermath of impact. The title, The First Three Rounds, feels less like a boxing metaphor and more like a survival log — the opening exchanges in a longer fight, still early enough that hope and damage coexist. There’s a sense that these songs aren’t trying to solve anything; they’re trying to understand what just happened.
What makes this release resonate is its cohesion. Each track feels like part of a single conversation rather than a collection of disconnected moments. The EP functions as a snapshot — not of a genre or a trend, but of a state of mind. It’s introspective without being indulgent, raw without being careless.
The First Three Rounds doesn’t demand your attention. It earns it quietly, then holds it with intention. It’s the sound of an artist stepping into their own voice without asking permission — and trusting the listener enough to meet them there.
This isn’t a debut that screams. It listens first.
About Rikshaw
After working as frontman for Rikshaw N’ The Ruckus, Rikshaw returned to creating solo projects marked by the release of “Hundred Hands”, a departure in both genre and vocal style from all previous releases.
Rikshaw first connected with 1:19 through a music collective known as MSM(Musicians Supporting Musicians) and the two began working on a one-off project. In what was quickly becoming a habit, what was going to be a single work quickly became a three song EP with how well the two worked together. This became known as, ‘The First Three Rounds’, available 1/16 on all digital platforms.
Rikshaw is also currently working on another COMPLETELY different project with an estimated release date of later this year.
About 1:19
1:19 started in 2024, as a alternative rock side project for Music Educator Jack Gordy in Atlanta, GA. Jack had been in a handful of other music groups but decided to go off on his own and try a crack at a solo project.
1:19 is a rock band hailing from ATL, GA. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Deftones, Nirvana, and Bad Omens. 1:19 delivers a powerful and intense sound that blends soaring melodies with crushing riffs. With their signature of blended energy and emotional depth, 1:19 has quickly gained a reputation for their captivating rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics.
