Artist Q/A (August 2025)

Q: What personal experiences or emotions do you bring into the duo and how do you balance your vulnerability with keeping the group's goal?

A: I think as a duo we’re really fortunate that we’ve known each other most of our lives. There gets to be a chemistry there when making music. That said, I’d say I’m perpetually trying to stress the events in my life (good and bad). It’s that hopes and dreams angle mixed with expectation and reality that I try to incorporate. I think the dichotomy between OG and I stems from our shared vision, but differences in what we expect for ourselves individually. I will say the vulnerability can be a struggle. My challenge has been being willing to block that outside noise and try to bring my honest conscious into the song without worrying about backlash. Living in real life can make that hard to do, but it’s always worth it.

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Q: How does the dynamic between you and your partner shape your creative process?

A: What’s really dope is the mutual understanding OG and I have between formulating a broad concept, and trusting each other to just run with it the way we want. I think that can invite a lot of opportunity for creative differences, but it doesn’t feel like we run into that hurdle often. It’s just that feeling of always being on the same page. It feels like part of the challenge with any dynamic is filtering your vibe through your partners, but to my knowledge, that’s never been a challenge for us. It’s just about letting it fly and trusting things will end up where they should be. And if they don’t, having the confidence in ourselves to just try again.

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Q: What moment or song did you feel your music as a duo finally developed an audible identity?

A: I feel like there’s been a few iterations over time. Early on we were into that horror core theme. Today we’re a lot more funk and jazz with a slow jams vibe. Our latest one definitely came from antidote, but I feel like we saw the vibe really, really shift (and kind of knew that’s what it would be) with Swerving on Galaxy Road in our Love and Fame tape.

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Q: How do you guys start a song? Does someone present an idea and lead the dance or is it always a 50/50 experience?

A: It varies widely. There are some songs that I think one of us is really inspired, and you see them basically take the reins. They guide the concept, they probably even have the stronger verse, they might write the chorus. And I think part of that creative process is even if you’re inspired, but not the leader of that song, you have to let the vibe be ridden out. That’s the give and take of the creative process. And you never know. You may catch the same vibe eventually and that can lead to a really special song.There are some songs definitely though that I think we both just hear something and we know this is the one. Or even sometimes it starts with one of us seeing the vision and the other latches on. Antidote was like that. OG found the beat and was as sure as he’s been on a beat. And I dug it, but at some point in the process, I saw the vision. I caught the vibe. And we both just took it and made something really fantastic.

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Q: How do you carve out your own creative identity while staying in sync with your partner’s vision for the music?

A: That can be tough. You put all your creative energy, angst and effort into a duo project, and then you look at your own stuff. And it can be daunting to try and make your own thing. I think living in different cities kind of blows, but if there is a silver lining, it would be that you have more time to focus on your solo endeavors. I think that has helped me bring more focus and think about what I want out of like a solo project.Plus it’s the perfect solve for creative differences. There’s definitely been songs we’ve made where one of us is feeling it a lot more than the other. Perfect excuse to take that for your own project.I think it’s about not being overwhelmed with the task of a solo project, and realizing what it can be—an opportunity to do just what you’d want to do.

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Q: What’s a challenge you’ve faced in your musical or personal growth that ended up shaping one of your favorite duo tracks in an unexpected way?

A: I mean Love and Fame was so much about breakups and flings, so I’d point to that but it’s a little on the nose.I think I’d look at this project as a whole. It’s been so long since we made a duo project, and I think there’s just such a new level of maturity in what we’re doing. And you hear that in the themes. Stepping away from music for as long as I did personally made coming back very daunting. And moving away really fueled the challenge of coming back.And now, being someone with a job, bills to pay, married. It’s not the same and living in a college apartment anymore. So this project really was a crazy balance of finding that angst of feeling satisfied with my life and what it’s become, but also understanding there are still bigger dreams to chase out there within it, and channeling that was an incredible experience.

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Q: What’s the one feeling you hope listeners walk away with after vibing to your duo's music?

A: A vibe that’s chill but also one that is telling homies to get up and get going. We’ve got a lot to do. No time to be ordinary. And it’s never too late to not be.Above all else tho, that TMTYL is funky AF.

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