Surrounded started as a song that Ian and Eric wrote for their college band, Running Lights. The lyrics of the original were more focused on relationships and personal experiences, but the chorus and theme was the same. This is a video from one of the first performances of the song by Running Lights at Duke University.
Running Lights disbanded in 2007, but the song stayed in the minds of Ian and Eric as having potential. When Delta Rae formed, Ian heard new lyrics that were updated and more sophisticated. They spoke not only to the specific experiences of the writers, but also the universal.
One night in 2011 while at The Windover House in Durham, NC, the brothers sang through the newly constructed song for the first time, with Brittany filming and singing along.
The band was immediately excited about the song and they decided to sing it for the first time at their upcoming show in Nashville, at Puckett’s grocery. Here’s a glimpse into how a song gets practiced before performance — final lyrics get memorized and harmony parts discovered. This rehearsal took place at one of Mike’s friend’s houses in Nashville where the band slept on couches and the floor. It’s a great snapshot of how hilarious and gritty those early days were.
Final changes were made to the song when it was recorded for the Carry The Fire. As can be heard in this rehearsal before their CD release show at The Cat’s Cradle in Durham, NC in 2012.
Although rarely performed in full, Surrounded will always be an epic touchstone in the band’s repertoire.