IN CONVERSATION WITH BETWEEN FRIENDS
interview by JANA LETONJA
BETWEEN FRIENDS is the endlessly creative brother-sister duo Savannah and Brandon Hudson, whose glitchy, genre-blurring pop has made them one of the most exciting voices of their generation. Emerging in 2018 with the breakout track ‘affection’, they built a devoted fanbase through a restless mix of lo-fi visuals, nostalgic storytelling, and bold experimentation. From their kaleidoscopic mixtape ‘i like when you shine!’ to their multimedia ‘CUTiE’ EP and debut album ‘i love my girl, she’s my boy’, the duo continues to evolve their sound and vision. Now, after years of touring internationally and collaborating with major names, they just released their highly anticipated second album ‘WOW!’ this summer, inspired by global club culture and their own journey from bedroom pop to worldwide stages.
‘WOW!’ has been two years in the making. What was the vision behind this project?
For us, ‘WOW!’ started as a huge reset. There is this really strange period in our creative process where after we release a project, we tour it, and its lifespan kind of ends. There’s this lull period, where do we go next?
That stagnancy created this really beautiful curiosity for exploration. Plugging things into the wrong ends of things, searching and seeking for anything that could ignite a spark. Once we discovered the spark of what ‘WOW!’ could be, it kind of exploded into this firework show and our path was super clear.
We brought this project all over the world with us, from Stockholm to London, New York and Miami. Green rooms in Amsterdam and Brussels. Testing out demos at Berghain and Club Space. There was this really organic earthly pleasure thing about the vision. Work all day, go out at night, see what life has to offer us, get back in the studio until there was nothing left and then sleep all day, repeat. Real life and an existential crisis were the blueprint.
You’ve said international club scenes inspired this record. Can you share a moment from your travels that sparked a specific song or sound?
There were so many random nights, especially in London and Stockholm. We’d start working at 10am and pause around 10-11pm because we’d forget to eat dinner. That break would always serve as a mega reset. There were nights when friends of friends would be DJing at Colour Factory or nights where we’d accidentally fall into a random venue in Peckham. The improvisation of life was really the inspiration, the freedom of people seeking an escape from reality for a few hours. That was the real source power because we were looking for it, too.
You’ve described your sound as a “90s movie with lasers.” Does ’WOW!’ keep that spirit, or does it feel like a departure?
The lasers are DNA , but ‘WOW!’ feels like less of a cinematic fantasy and more of a reality check.
BETWEEN FRIENDS has always built rich visual worlds around your music. Do you see the ‘WOW!’ era as an expansion of that?
To us, the visual language of BETWEEN FRIENDS is just as vital as our sonic language. We’re constantly researching and learning, moodboarding and watching films while we work. Our references change and shift, but the DNA is always rooted in similar pockets to our roots. This project definitely felt like our most clear and solidified.
Looking back, ‘affection’ was a pandemic-era anthem for so many. How does it feel to revisit that song now?
We’ve been talking about this a lot recently. Being on tour and playing these songs together, we feel like ‘WOW!’ has this very similar feeling to our first project. There is a sincerity and honesty to the sound and the writing, they both share a lot of introspect and work together.
How would you describe your artistic evolution between ‘i love my girl, she’s my boy’ and ‘WOW!’?
It feels like every project was a stepping stone leading to this record. From a wider lens, we wrote a lot of our previous material telling stories and creating scenarios. With ‘WOW!’, it excited us to be more direct and to write from a place rooted in realness. The juxtaposition of music that has this euphoric, loud, aggressiveness and lyrics that are questioning our realities felt like a new flame we wanted to continue unraveling.
From bedroom pop beginnings to playing global stages, how do you stay grounded in the process?
We actively practice connecting to the source. Tapping in. Being present. Looking around at the world. Enjoying our surroundings. Seeking a light source and harvesting our powers. Always staying curious.
As siblings, what’s the biggest advantage and biggest challenge of making music together?
It is all an advantage to us. Our connection is built on trust, love, and respect. The rest is easy. Sharing these creations, we want to continue pushing our art forward and always pushing each other first.
Your ‘WOW! world tour’ just kicked off. What can fans expect from the live experience this time around?Not much down time.
What excites you most about where BETWEEN FRIENDS is headed next?
We feel like we are cracking a sort of code, mentally and physically with ‘WOW!’. We want to keep exploring and see how far we can take it.
TEAM CREDITS:
photography YASMINE DIBA
styling SAV HUDSON
styling assistant VALERIA SEMUSHINA
