As I woke up to the sounds of cheerful, chirping birds and vibes of warm sunshine squinting through the bedroom blinds, it only seemed fitting that "Know Me," the gleaming, new ray of musical sunshine from Brooklyn indie-pop duo Eighty Ninety released itself into the world today.
In their ode to love in the midst of grief and tragedy, the musical duo of Abner and Harper James shrouds this musical gem in Eighty Ninety's trademark, less-is-more, indie pop sound, ever-so-delicately glittered with a tinge of Americana with an uplifting banjo arpeggio. The duo relates, "We wanted the song to feel as personal and singular as the moments between two people and as big, messy and complicated as the challenges that we all face. We also wanted to evoke how both of those kinds of experiences come and go in waves."
"Sometimes I feel like giving up
But you are always there to catch me
Always have your arms around me"
The acoustic thread that runs throughout the track is brilliant. I love how the song vibe alternates between raw acoustic on the verses to uplifting layers of breezy vocals and spacious sound at the chorus. Eighty Ninety comments, "We kept the verses really sparse and intimate (and even added our first banjo, which to us helps make it feel grounded) but made the choruses swell with harmonies, 808s, and electric guitars. We hope that dichotomy feels familiar and authentic to people."
The band is currently finishing up mixes on an entirely new EP they recently completed with good friend and Grammy-award nominated songwriter, producer and engineer Gian Stone (Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, Dua Lipa). "It's the first time we've really added a third person to the process and we're so excited with how it came out. It feels like a new chapter for the band," the band relates. "As far as release dates and title, we're still working out the details - but we promise it's real and it's almost finished!"
While we anxiously await the band's forthcoming EP, check out Eighty Ninety's impressive collection of past single and EP releases on your favorite streaming music services (Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud), and follow the band on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube).
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