Q&A: Eighty Ninety Dives In on Unconditional Love, Their Progression and NYC With New Single “The Hard Way”
☆ BY Kristian Gonzales ☆
Photo by Eric T. White
BUILDING THEIR OWN STEADY WAVE — indie-pop duo Eighty Ninety, composed of brothers Abner and Harper James, are ready to seize the moment as their upcoming debut album comes to fruition. Since their debut EP, Elizabeth, in 2016, the brothers have been building a silky sound, fusing intimate storytelling, sticky vocal melodies, and minimalist acoustic-electronic hybrid productions called “808s and telecasters.” With this, they reflect their “anything goes” mentality as artists. Succeeding the recent release of their compilation Bowery Beach Road, Eighty Ninety are preparing to drop their debut album with their latest single, “The Hard Way.”
Stricken with sincere passion, “The Hard Way” advances from wistful piano chords to an ethereal bed of additional synths and percussion that complement Abner’s soothing vocals. Sonically, the track processes a litany of emotions, as the duo pledges unconditional commitment to love through the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
“‘The Hard Way’ is about choosing to love someone no matter how much life intervenes,” they share on the song’s essence. “It’s about being brave enough to make the choice to completely commit to a person, no matter the risk. It's about looking directly at all your fears [of] how things could go wrong and knowing that even if they all come to pass, it's still worth it."
With their earnest style, Eighty Ninety plants their flag in the indie-pop landscape as a duo capturing the hearts of listeners. In advance of their debut, they’ve already made their mark with over 33M streams across various platforms and cosigns from tastemakers such as Billboard and Alternative Press. If that wasn’t enough, the duo also garnered attention from Taylor Swift, who selected their song, “Your Favorite Song,” as number 13 on her official Spotify playlist, Songs Taylor Loves.
Luna connected with Eighty Ninety to learn more about the process behind “The Hard Way,” the duo’s roots in the NYC music scene, and their trajectory to the present. Read the interview below.
LUNA: What was the process behind making “The Hard Way” while crafting your debut album?
EIGHTY NINETY: We collaborated with an amazing songwriter, Sarah Troy, for “The Hard Way.” We had a chorus that we loved but couldn't find the right way to fit it into a song, so we brought it to a session with Sarah and talked it out. We spent the afternoon bouncing ideas off each other, really getting to the heart of what the song was about — and at the end we had something we were really proud of.
LUNA: Following your other singles, such as “Face Like A Sunset,” “Stay Alive,” and “2 Carat,” how does this track sync with or counteract the previous three in regard to the narrative you want to tell for this project?
EIGHTY NINETY: Our songs tend to be nostalgic for the past — memories and stories about people, places, and times from our history. We liked that “The Hard Way” is written in the moment — rather than a message in a bottle, it's really a real-time conversation. Something you want to say right now, in the thick of it with someone.
LUNA: Lyrically, what are some lines that came to mind quickly and hit hard when making a song emphasizing unconditional love?
EIGHTY NINETY: “So what if we say goodbye a thousand times” feels like the heart of the song. The idea that no matter how hard it is or how many times it breaks, we will come back together. Not only because we want to, but because it feels inevitable. Some deeper force won't let us be apart for long.
LUNA: In the task of handling a topic like pure commitment through the worst of times as heard in “The Hard Way,” is there ever a challenge in reflecting on ego?
EIGHTY NINETY: As listeners, we find that the most relatable songs can sometimes be the most personal to the artist. We all go through versions of the same thing, and if you can feel the honesty in the lyrics, that's what really resonates. So we try to stay as honest as we can, and sometimes that involves writing about feelings or experiences that are still fresh. That can be intimidating, but it's also really cathartic to do (and hopefully to listen to).
LUNA: What excites you the most about your upcoming debut after looking back on your journey since your work on since your debut EP, Elizabeth, and earlier experiences such as your East Coast tour leading up to SXSW in 2018?
EIGHTY NINETY: We're really excited for the opportunity to release a long-form body of work created to be listened to as one piece. [It meant] getting the chance to tell a longer story and to spend time exploring musical and lyrical ideas that we haven't had the space to on our previous releases, which were more focused on creating singles that were created to be experienced on their own.
LUNA: In general, does the fact that you both came up in NYC’s music scene give you a sense of an advantage as musicians in respect to standing out with your own artistic identity and holding yourselves to the highest standards as live performers?
EIGHTY NINETY: The biggest advantage of being in a city like New York is that there are so many inspiring artists creating all around you. Our friends and peers are constantly making such great work, in the studio and on stage. It's motivating and energizing to be around that.
LUNA: Getting recognition, up to the point of Taylor Swift loving your work, is pretty insane. Did that add any pressure onto the approach for the album, or is it just a sign that lets you know to keep on pushing the way you usually do?
EIGHTY NINETY: That was a totally mind-blowing moment. We still can hardly believe it happened! Getting any kind of recognition or success can definitely put pressure on things, but at the same time it was incredible validation for our process, just making music we want to hear that feels authentic to where we are and who we are.
LUNA: Could we expect the “808s and telecasters” sound at its most maximized, or are there now a few more ingredients into the formula?
EIGHTY NINETY: This album has a lot more live instruments and performances on it than we've had in the past. That was less an intentional choice and more of a reflection of the songs themselves, which felt more personal and raw and less glossy than some of our previous music. So maybe not more ingredients, but definitely different ones. We're excited to put it out and [are] already looking forward to finding out what's next.
