Meet Eighty Ninety– the indie-pop project of NYC-based brothers Abner and Harper James. Over the past few years, their EP’s and singles have racked up over 30 million streams and have garnered attention across Billboard, Alternative Press and even pop-sensation Taylor Swift. With the release of their brand new song, “Stay Alive,” Beyond The Stage got to chat with the hit duo on the new track, their brotherhood and their musical growth as a part of our Get To Know series.
BTS: How would you describe your sound to a first-time listener or someone who has never heard your music before?
Eighty Ninety: We call our sound “808s and telecasters.” That’s both a description of our sound as well as a nod to our approach in the studio, which is to produce the emotion of the song rather than any strict genre conventions.
BTS: What inspired you two to pursue a career in music and songwriting?
Eighty Ninety: We’ve played music our whole lives and it was always something we wanted to do. We’ve been writing songs and playing in bands since we were kids — likely inspired by our parents, who always had music on in the house and instruments lying around.
BTS: Being a brother music duo, how has the family dynamic influenced the way you work and write together?
Eighty Ninety: Because we’re family, we have really similar reference points and shorthands. We were able to skip the get-to-know-you part of most collaborations and go straight to the creative process. It also allows us to be more honest with each other — whatever arguments we might get into, we’re still sitting at the same Thanksgiving table every year. No real risk of breaking up the band.
BTS: Is there a specific lyric(s) you have written that has been your absolute favorite?
Abner: That’s a hard question — that said, “Your Favorite Song” might be my favorite lyric. I love to write songs that almost feel like movies, and with that one, I feel like I got pretty close to what I had in mind.
BTS: Congrats on the release of your new single “Stay Alive”! What was the creative process like? How does it differ from other songs you’ve written and/or produced?
Abner: Thanks so much! This is a really important song for us — and a topic we haven’t really approached yet in our music. Frequently, we turn to music as a way to escape from difficult feelings, and with “Stay Alive” I wanted to face and explore them. It was hard to write but it came fast — and ultimately is, I think, an optimistic song. We teamed up with our good friends Gian Stone (co-producer) and Andrew Mauery (mixer) to bring this one to life and I think you can feel the expansiveness of the song and sound. And, in a kind of poetic way, it felt good to work on this one with friends — the people who are there for you.
BTS: What was it like filming the “Stay Alive” music video?
Eighty Ninety: We worked with a good friend and incredibly talented filmmaker Olivia Kimmel who helped conceive the idea of visualizing the internal struggle by using reflections and filters to create refracting images that represent the way your mind can scatter and worry. I immediately connected with the idea and within two or three days we shot and edited it.
BTS: Since your first single “Three Thirty” in 2016, how have you two seen yourself grow as artists over the past few years?
Eighty Ninety: It’s been important to us from the beginning not to box ourselves into a certain sound or genre, and it’s been a really rewarding process seeing what Eighty Ninety becomes as we expand our creative canvas and experiment with different sounds, approaches, and genres.
BTS: “Your Favorite Song” was featured on the Spotify playlist “Songs Taylor Loves”– congratulations! How did it feel to be recognized by Taylor Swift?
Eighty Ninety: We’ve been huge Taylor fans for like ten years. We were absolutely blown away when that happened and still honestly can’t believe it. Especially because that song in particular was especially influenced by her style of country-adjacent storytelling. I’m not sure what could possibly top that honestly!
BTS: Where do you go to or reach into when you are looking for inspiration? Is there a special place in New York/Brooklyn or people who help you find inspiration when you feel lost?
Eighty Ninety: We turn to each other, and our friends and collaborators in the NYC music community. We do yoga. We take walks. Sometimes it’s less about staring at the empty page and more about getting out into the world, feeling the sun, being present — and then suddenly you know what you need to say. Who knows where it comes from.
Stream “Stay Alive” here.
Follow Eighty Ninety on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.
For more updates on Eighty Ninety, be sure to check out their official website.
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