PREMIERE: Enter Shallowhalo’s World of Fun with Latest Single & Music Video “Crystal Ball”
THOUGH THEIR NEW SINGLE MAY BE CALLED “CRYSTAL BALL” - you won’t need one to see a bright future for Brooklyn synth-pop duo Shallowhalo. The first release by the duo under the Dinosaur City Records banner, the groovy track gushes with dreamy vocals and dynamic synth layers. Maestros Allyson Camitta and Ezra Tenenbaum confidently blend nostalgic sounds with their own unique musical voice.
The accompanying music video doesn’t slouch either, conjuring enough tarot cards, glitter and psychedelic kaleidoscope visuals to impress even the pickiest of witches. The track and video tackle toxic relationships head-on, but still retains a fun pop vibe.
Before they’re immersed completely into what will likely be a busy year, we got a chance to ponder the orb with Camitta and Tenenbaum in a conversation about synth gear, lyrics and a peak at 2023.
LUNA: How is 2023 treating you so far?
CAMITTA: 2023 has been amazing so far! After ringing it in at Baby’s All Right with good friends, a bunch of us rented an Airbnb upstate for like 3 days. It was awesome. We brought CDJ’s and had little forest raves every night. I have a good feeling about 2023.
LUNA: "Crystal Ball" was recorded at y'alls home studio, can you take us through the creative process?
TENENBAUM: We use old drum machines and synths to write and record. We start with a simple beat and bass line – usually an SH101 which has a really limited built-in sequencer that can be synced up. We like to plug things through pedals and find sounds that inspire a feeling and melody. We’ll record a lot of loops and manipulations to edit on the computer later, but the vocal idea is the most important thing – so we’re always looking for a nice hook to start building things up around.
CAMITTA: Towards the beginning of the process, the sounds we were choosing evoked this feeling of tension which I tried to lean into for the lyrics. The song is about a crumbling relationship and being with someone who can’t make up their mind.
LUNA: What's your favorite set of lyrics from the track?
CAMITTA: Mirrored nights and diamond days are my favorite lyrics from the track. Ezra actually wrote that lyric.
TENENBAUM: I like that too, though it’s partially lifted from a Vashti Bunyan album title. It’s fun to name drop your idols in your lyrics.
LUNA: What role do you play in the visual side of your work? Why is it important to hone in on that visual side?
CAMITTA: I love to oversee the visual side because it combines all of my interests, from film to fashion. Visuals are super important to me. I think of Shallowhalo as a world so the visuals set the scene.
TENENBAUM: When I met Allyson, she was in fashion school making her own clothes. She’s always had a strong clear vision, no matter what she’s working on, and I think it’s just as important as the musical side for this project.
LUNA: We love Kelli Mcguire and love that you got to work with her for the music video. Can you share a favorite moment from the making of the video?
CAMITTA: I picked up a bunch of glass trinkets for the shoot so it was a lot of fun experimenting with shooting through them using different colored lights to get a kaleidoscope effect. Kelli is the best! The music video actually started with some BTS footage that she took from our first photoshoot. She took it on a little handheld DVR camera and it ended up looking so cool that we developed it into a music video!
LUNA: You've got some shows coming up which is a great way to kick off the new year! What can an attendee expect from a Shallowhallo show?
CAMITTA: Lots of dancing, lots of fun. Hot people everywhere. Really good outfits.
TENENBAUM: Plenty of bleeps and bloops and Allyson singing through a red telephone.
LUNA: What do the upcoming months have in store for ya?
TENENBAUM: We have another single planned and we’re going to do a tour at the end of March. We did a small Northeast tour last summer with The Dare, but we’re looking forward to trying to go further South this time. We’re also whipping up our first remix.
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