Being your own person is a good thing. Let’s make that clear from the start. Embracing the parts of ourselves that make us unique makes the whole world a better place. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of oppressive societal standards that can cause the masses to look down on someone marching to a different beat. This can be especially true when kids are going through school, and being “cool” and fitting in seem like the most important things in the world. In those cases being yourself can be hard, but it’s well worth it to hold onto what makes you special. Swedish duo they owe us (Rane and Kris) are being themselves fully together, and they’re sharing their talent and message with us today with the premiere of “Don’t Think About Me” right here on Substream. The single is taken from their upcoming debut album Broken English & Sad Serenades, out this Friday.
With Rane on keys and Kris on drums, “Don’t Think About Me” feels light and hopeful while still being grounded with a satisfying percussion base. The duo muse on what exactly the world expects of them in the lyrics, their voices exchanging pleasant harmonies as they try to find their place in everything. The music video follows this theme, as well. Our protagonist in a bird mask refuses to yield to his classmates, even though they treat him poorly. It’s a heartbreaking video, as many of us went through similar experiences as a child, but they owe us make sure to end things on an uplifting, hopeful note.
they owe us gave us some insight into the sound and mood of “Don’t Think About Me,” saying:
“Have you ever passed out with your clothes on and slept for a few hours, then gotten up, hand rolled a cigarette, and lit it up under the kitchen hood? Thinking, ‘Ok, I’m over it and this is the day.’ Put that feeling in a blender with a recurring, hooky vocal melody. Rane’s Mellotron flutes through a Roland Jazz Chorus, chased by Kris’ cordially played drum beat. In this song you really can hear hear how the quarter inch studer reel to reel machine was pushed to to its limits.”
You can watch the video for “Don’t Think About Me” below. Broken English & Sad Serenades is out on June 7 through oneRPM.
