A song called “In the Key of West (Keys Strong)” will benefit Florida Keys children, individually and through local charities, and the song’s creators want it to become the anthem of the Keys.
An alternative rock/pop duo called Lung released a three-track single and music video titled “In the Key of West (Keys Strong)” on March 1. The accompanying video, shot in the Keys over three days from the air, land and sea, highlights the island chain’s natural beauty and fun options on the water, and is part of the promotional effort to raise funds.
“We wanted to highlight the positivity of this community,” said Ric Chandler, who with his wife, Chris Loung, perform as Lung and have lived in Key Largo for nine years. They learned how to use video editing software Premier Pro to create the video footage, which took three months to accomplish.
Fifty percent of proceeds from the sales, downloads, merchandise and sync licensing goes direct to Lung’s charity, Little Angels, to help underprivileged children locally in the Florida Keys, as well as nationally in the USA. The process of making Little Angels a non-profit is in progress, the couple said.
The couple met when producer, drummer and tech wizard Chandler mixed one of the singer-songwriter and guitarist’s solo albums decades ago. The pair fell in love, married and formed the duo Lung, releasing several albums since and playing around the world.
The couple admit their circumstances growing up were difficult. As a 10-year-old, Chandler delivered newspapers, first in the morning, then mornings and afternoons to earn money. He then added additional deliveries as opportunities presented themselves, he said.
“These circumstances built determination, as well as hope and dreams. Now we want to help children and change the world,” he said.
The couple became American citizens, which was a drawn out and expensive process. Chandler originally hailed from Nottingham, England, while Loung is from Paris, France.
“I came to play drums in Paris and I fell in love,” Chandler said.
Chandler has played for electro house DJ and producer Calvin Harris and toured as part of the re-formed lineup of New Wave group Modern English.
Both fell in love with the Florida Keys after buying a home here and playing gigs in the Keys and South Florida, as well as regularly volunteering at a local food pantry at their church. Their first local gig was at the Island Grill in Islamorada. Loung also works as a private chef preparing various international cuisine for private dinner parties. Together, they joined the local Elks Club.
The couple hopes that visitors who come to the Keys for vacation will want a CD as a souvenir. The single of “In the Key of West (Keys Strong)” includes the refrain “come on, let it go” as well as a version in Spanish, and the song “Clarksdale,” a blues jam inspired by Clarksdale-born legend B.B. King.
Helping with the CD’s production was a mixing engineer who has won multiple Grammy awards, Chris Lord Alge. He also worked with The Rolling Stones and mixed “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen.
The music video created by and starring the couple showcases locales from Key Largo to Key West, has an appealing chorus and captures the carefree spirit of the islands as well as fun on boats such as a floating Tiki Hut. CD distribution is in shops throughout the Keys — a work in progress — and local radio play by disc jockeys they have come to know is planned.
For distributing funds to children in need, the couple plans to reach out to the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, local schools and churches in order to ensure the money goes to those who need support for such things as sports fees or uniforms, art classes, a musical instrument, recovery from hardships such as a death in the family or scholarships.
“In the Key of West (Keys Strong)” and “Clarksdale” can be previewed at http://www.soundcloud.com/lung-2 or http://www.lungmusic.com, or go hear the couple play music in person at such venues as the Pilot House, the Key Largo Moose Lodge, Snapper’s, Snooks, Marker 88 or Rick’s Bar on Duval Street in Key West.
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