Distant Cousins – Here & Now

By starrymag | August 27, 2020

By: Robert Warren

 

 

Q) Start by telling us about the song “Here & Now,” what makes it special?

 

Ami: In January of 2020 our friend and fellow artist/singer-songwriter, Lindsey Ray, was in LA from Nashville and we got together at our studio for a co-write.  Within twenty min of the session, “Here & Now” was written.  The song is about appreciating the moments right in front of you, realizing that life is fragile and you shouldn’t take anything for granted.  What is truly eerie is that not even two weeks after the song was written, the whole world shut down in the face of this global pandemic. So, it really became a song for the times.

 

Q) What has your experience been like working with Lindsey Ray on “Here & Now?”

 

Ami: We usually write just the three of us, but every once in a while, we get to collaborate with other artists and it’s always wonderful to get that fresh creative perspective.  Working as a trio all these years has its advantages and efficiencies, but you also risk falling into particular habits and patterns. So, adding Linsdey to the mix on this song took the whole process to the next level. 

 

Q) In your lyrics you say, “There won’t always be tomorrow. All we have is here and now,” how do you think that affects how we view each current moment of our lives? 

 

Ami: The crazy thing is that this song was written two weeks BEFORE anyone had ever heard of COVID-19. But that’s what makes the message so resonant and powerful.  We think we know what we want, we have big goals, aspirations, routines and regimens, comforts and luxuries – all of which we take for granted.  When the collective rug was pulled out from under us, we realized how much is out of our control and that we need to cherish and appreciate the things that matter most. All we have is here and now.

 

Q) What goes into your songwriting process?

 

Ami: Between Dropbox and Whatsapp, we are constantly sending around little nuggets of ideas around to each other.  When we get together to hash out a song, the initial ideas can arrive in different forms, from something as simple as a melody or hook, to a more fully developed production.  We often like to make sure the song works in the most simple and stripped down arrangement; if it works on a piano and vocal, then anything you add to it can only enhance it.  At the same time, we also like to write against tracks and beats that can help inspire ideas and phrases.  So, we come at it from both the bottom up, top down and all the ideas in between.

 

Q) How do you feel “Here & Now” might be an impactful song during a time of pandemic? 

 

Duvid: The song was actually written just  before the pandemic. When you write something you never know what the impact will be in the world. Things are always changing. You try and do your best and create good honest work. In this case the sentiment of the song feels very meaningful during these tumultuous times.

 

Q) What does it mean to you to be compared to the likes of The Lumineers and the Avett Brothers?

 

Duvid: That’s a great honor! We are fans of both of those bands! We love lots of different kinds of music and draw inspiration from a wide variety of places. That being said, to be compared with anyone who’s doing quality work is a good feeling.

 

Q) Where did the idea come from to do mostly acoustic covers of previous releases?

 

Duvid: When we play shows, we perform just the three of us and have to break the songs down to their bare elements. We always had a lot of people telling us we should make a record that sounds more like the live shows. 

 

Q) What songs off the album hold a special place in your heart and why?

 

Duvid: For the very last song of the recording day, “I Get By,” we invited a bunch of our musical friends down to sit in. In the end, the band included instruments like bouzouki, clarinet, violin and percussion as well as a special guest rapper! The vibe in the room was great and we are very happy with the result

 

Q) How did you come to work with The Songbirds and Gabby on the song “Mighty Love?”

Dov: We met Dannielle DeAndrea through a mutual musician friend, Drew Taubenfeld, and we were floored when we first heard her sing. The strongest, purest, soulful voice. We immediately asked her to sing live with us and she sang on “Mighty Love” for our last song of the set, sung off-mic. When we thought about performing this song live in the studio, we all thought to ask Dannielle to join us and then we found out she’s in an amazing trio called The Songbirds with two equally unreal singers – Erica Canales and Gaby Moreno. They came to the studio, we all met, ran the song once and then recorded and filmed the magic.

 

Q) If you could work with another artist on a new single, who would you want to work with and why?

 

Dov: We enjoy writing with everyone, but lately we’ve been writing with some great female artists – which really helps balance the three of us men. We’re all big fans of Brandi Carlile, so that would be a dream collaboration. One day…  

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

 

Dov: We sincerely thank each and every fan or person who even listens to our music. We are all bombarded with the overflow of “content” and that includes digesting music these days. We appreciate people taking the time to listen and watch what we do and we’ll continue to make music that aims to lift people’s spirits. Music, and all arts, are so important right now for the creators and the recipients. We all need each other.