Eighty Ninety

A wise man once said, “Simpler is better.” Brooklyn-based brothers EIGHTY NINETY exemplify that saying with “Three Thirty,” a DIY-style tune that earned over four million streams and a #2 spot of the Spotify Global Viral Chart.

Today, Ones To Watch is humbled to present the music video for “Three Thirty,” a portrayal which stays true to the duo’s simple essence but still commands just as much attention as the song itself. By keeping the production and special effects extremely minimal, the video highlights “Three Thirty”’s captivating acoustic foundation, supplementary electronic production, and relatable lyrics alluding to a intimate past love.

“Thirty Three” is the debut track on EIGHTY NINETY’s premier EP, Elizabeth, which will include two additional tracks, “Heartbreaker” and “Fading.” While the album is due July 22, you can keep up with the emerging band here in the meantime. - Ones To Watch

If you haven’t heard of NYC-based band Eighty Ninety, you can be forgiven just this once.

This duo made up of the two hottest brothers you-ever-did-see, Harper and Abner James, is probably the best mix of eye and ear candy we’ve had all year.

They released their first single “Three Thirty” earlier this year, from their debut EP, “Elizabeth.” The three track EP is a dreamy pop rock collection of chill tunes with lone electric guitar sounds that’ll def be a good option for a make-out soundtrack for when you do get that hottie to finally come over and hang.

Reminiscent of that jangly melodic easy-to-sing-along-to Goo Goo Dolls thing we’ve been missing for a while, Eighty Ninety brings it back in their new song “Heartbreaker,” asking, “Will you be my heartbreaker tonight?” to which we will answer without hesitation, “Oh hell yes, honey.”

Today, these hotties give us a visual of what it would be like to chill with that hot boyfriend you still don’t have, in their new music video for “Heartbreaker.” But don’t worry girl, we got your back, stop swiping on that dating app and looking for a date, grab a bottle of wine and watch the vid below. You’re welcome. - Galore

HAVE A BEER WITH EIGHTY NINETY
Brooklyn alt-pop band Eighty Ninety’s EP Elizabeth quickly racked up more than 9 million streams since its summer release. The EP was self-produced in the band’s home studio, and rapidly gained recognition when it was playlisted thousands of times on Spotify, including New Music Friday, Fresh Finds, Spotify's Weekly Buzz and MTV's Radar.

Eighty Ninety (brothers Abner and Harper James) create all of their music and visuals independently, and have perfected the blend of indie and pop to create heart-on-your-sleeve, lyrically powerful tracks. Eighty Ninety took their viral singles to the stage when they made their live debut at New York’s famed Mercury Lounge last month, and has been busy in the studio preparing their next EP.

Eighty Ninety write, produce, mix and perform music in a style they've nicknamed "808's and telecasters". Their songs fuse intimate storytelling, sticky melodies and minimalist pop productions built on acoustic instruments and electronic sounds.

Read on to hear how Abner and Harper collaborate, the making of their EP Elizabeth, and what’s on their bucket list for 2017.



The Band: Eighty Ninety

Drinks of Choice: Corona (Abner); Whisky (Harper)



Kristen from A Beer with the Band: Tell me about your journey into music. What was the turning point for you as a musician? When did you decide to fully pursue music as a passion?

Eighty Ninety: There was never a single moment when we decided to take the plunge — music is something we’ve always wanted to do since we were young. We spent a lot of time sending songs and production ideas back and forth. Earlier this year, though, we looked up and realized we had the songs and the time to make something we were both very excited about.



Kristen: You released your debut EP Elizabeth in July. Were there any particular challenges or surprises in making this EP? What’s it like to have something so personal out there in the world?

Eighty Ninety: Making and releasing “Elizabeth,” our first EP, was one of the best experiences of our lives. We had a sign on the studio door while were recording that said “fun.” The biggest challenge was leaving everything else — expectations, doubts, fears, hopes — at the door, and the biggest surprise was how much easier everything became, how much faster the music came, when we kept that in mind.

It’s a really great feeling sharing something so personal. This might sound like a cliché, but the EP really has a narrative, an emotional arc. It’s something we’ve wanted to say in one form or another for a while, and, like in life, it feels great to just say it.



Kristen: With your band name, Eighty Ninety, and your initial release “Three Thirty,” I have to ask a question related to numbers. What’s the most significant number in your life and why?

Eighty Ninety: 2005 — the year we made a spit-hand-shake pact to be in a band together one day.



Kristen: Guilty pleasure gas station buy?

Eighty Ninety: String-cheese. Anything that encourages you to play with your food: delicious and passes the time.



Kristen: What’s something you can’t live without and why?

Eighty Ninety: It would be hard to live without an acoustic guitar. No one has room for a piano, plugging into an amp is hard with neighbors, and writing on a computer just isn’t the same. Gotta feel the vibrations.



Kristen: Do you have any rituals when you’re playing shows?

Eighty Ninety: There’s generally a stripped-down section in the middle of our sets. Those songs are always called last, sometimes as we walk onto stage. It helps to keep the energy up and the band on our toes.



Kristen: You’re at a bar or a party with friends. Who is most likely to do any of the following: make the drinks behind the bar, man the Jukebox or hit the dance floor?

Eighty Ninety: Abner would likely be manning the jukebox because he’s not embarrassed to put on the pop music most people (including himself) secretly want to hear. Harper’s a bit of a mad scientist at heart—in the recording studio or behind the bar.



Kristen: What’s your creative process like?

Eighty Ninety: We write, produce, perform and mix everything ourselves, and it all happens pretty simultaneously. Generally speaking one of us will have an idea for a song that we bring into the studio and then we let our ping-ponging ideas, informed by the underlying emotional intent of the song, guide the process. That results in a kind of genre-free, whatever-sound-suits-the-song approach (and final product). - A Beer With The Band

The relationship between Abner and Harper James is a brotherhood like any other— but bloodlines and growing up under the same roof are not the only things that keep them bound together. Ultimately, it is their passion for music that makes their relationship so special. After recently relocating to New York City, the two established their collaborative work as the indie pop project EIGHTY NINETY (EN). Made up of haunting drum machines and Nashville-resonant guitar sounds, their music exists outside of one specific genre, whilst still encapsulating the sensibility and sincerity made necessary for heartfelt, genuine pop music. Since their inception, the band has released their debut single “ Three Thirty”, which has rightfully been making waves on streaming services and music blogs with its infectious tune and universal sentiment of influential moments and former relationships. EIGHTY NINETY released their debut EP on July 22nd, find out more here. Be sure to keep the band on your radar— their music is sure to be your thoughtful companion on lazy mornings and lonely nights.

As brothers, you must have a long history of making music together. How has music influenced your brotherhood?

EN – Everyone with a sibling knows that there are ups and downs. You can be best friends but you’re going to fight and have differences. We’re no exception— but we discovered our favorite bands together, we played in battle-of-the-bands together, we left home, moved to the city and wrote songs together and we formed this band together.

What inspired you to establish yourselves as EIGHTY NINETY after years of making music together?

EN – We lived on different coasts for a while but were always sending songs back and forth and working on production ideas. For a few years it was about writing the songs, and then producing them— which meant figuring out the world we wanted to create. In March, we looked up and realized we were ready to share the music.

Did coming together in the specific place of New York have any influence on the creation of this project and sound?

EN – Totally. It’s impossible not to be inspired and motivated. There’s a love for every kind of music here. That encourages us to experiment and have fun when we’re making our songs.

Your music is very much a hybrid of genres. How did you come about to capture the sound that you have?

EN – We let the songs lead us, and we intentionally disregard genre. The goal is always to surprise ourselves. That approach led us to a sound we’ve affectionately nicknamed “808s and telecasters.”




Why is it important to you that you exist outside of one genre?

EN – We like to be free to use whatever sounds a song calls for in the moment we’re producing it. If we have an idea, we want to be able to dial it in without worrying about if it’s outside our genre.

Do you both contribute to the production and song writing, or is production solely Harper’s role and song writing solely Abner’s role?

EN – We both produce and write. One of the best parts about working together is knowing the other guy has your back when it comes to making the final call— whether it’s about the sound of kick drum or which verse melody to use.

Your single “Three Thirty” is very much about moments. What moments have most influenced your lives and love for music?

EN – Absolutely. “Three Thirty” is about how moments— not stories we tell ourselves— define our lives. Big ones for us: driving down the highway with our dad blasting Tom Petty’s greatest hits; watching “Yellow Submarine” with our mom; discovering the Casio keyboard/drum machine in our childhood home’s attic. - Local Wolves

Album reviews
Interview / Q&A
Eighty Ninety | Q&A with the band about their debut EP, "Elizabeth"
March 18, 2017
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Tom H

Say hello to Eighty Ninety - the NYC-based musical collaboration of brothers Abner and Harper James, who recently released their stunning debut EP, Elizabeth. Each of the three songs on this release are perfectly-crafted, smooth-sounding, modern pop gems with polished, easy-flowing vocals. After just one listen to the EP, I was blown away by how accessible and catchy these songs are. It's no surprise that Elizabeth is attracting significant attention and getting heavy play on various music streaming services. Their first single, "Three Thirty", has already clocked nearly 13 million plays on Spotify alone. This is an emerging, talented band you'll definitely want to put on your musical radar.

SoundThread Music Blog recently caught up with Eighty Ninety to pose a few questions about the origin of the band, the inspiration for Elizabeth, and their songwriting process, as well as finding out what's in store for Eighty Ninety in the near future.

Tell us about Eighty Ninety – when and why did you decide to form the band? How did the name originate?
We're brothers and have always written and recorded songs together - from the first four track tape recorder in our basement growing up to the production space in Brooklyn we work out of now. Last spring something clicked and a more cohesive sound emerged. We felt like we'd finally incorporated our various interests and influences into something that might work - and were excited by that. Eighty Ninety was born and we released "Three Thirty" followed by our EP, Elizabeth, later on that year. The name Eighty Ninety has a lot of connotations we like - speed, eras of music, liquor proofs…

EIGHTY NINETY "Three Thirty" (Official Video)

How would you describe your sound?
We nicknamed our genre "808s and telecasters". We try to fuse a more classic songwriting approach with modern, minimalist, sometimes experimental pop production. We let the emotional arc of the song, rather than any set of genre conventions, lead us to instruments and sounds.

Have you both always had an interest in becoming musicians?
When we were younger, Abner wanted to be a film composer and Harper studied jazz guitar. The threads of songwriting - putting story to music, composition through improv - were always there.

What parts do you each play in the songwriting process?
The two of us write, perform, produce and mix all of our music. It's all part of one organic (and frequently simultaneous) process. No single element of a song, production or mix is ever set in stone until the track gets mastered. That said, so far all our songs have Abner on vocals and Harper on guitar. We play live with a killer drummer/producer Benny Brown.

There is a short video clip on your Facebook page that contains the message: "Elizabeth is kind of far away, and it can be hard to find again, but we think we might remember." What is the significance of the title "Elizabeth"?
People, places and times are inseparable. The songs on Elizabeth are about all three and their relationships to each other. The title encapsulates that - for us, at least.

Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration or theme throughout the tracks on the EP?
We wanted the EP to have an arc. "Heartbreaker" is really about a single intense moment and feeling in time. "Three Thirty" explores how stringing together those kinds of moments can create something that feels bigger. "Fading" is about searching for meaning when you feel that sense of hugeness, of importance, disappearing. Who knows if any of that comes across - but it was important to us that these songs mean something more together than they do separately.

All three of the tracks on Elizabeth are outstanding in every respect – it's as if you've released an EP full of hit singles. Are there plans to promote the last track "Fading", similar to the promotional videos done for "Three Thirty" and "Heartbreaker"?
Thanks! And yes, we plan on it. We actually filmed a secret show at the studio where we record a couple of months ago and recently released the video. We partnered with one of our favorite magazines Local Wolves to make it happen. The show felt like an unofficial EP release party. It was the first time we'd done something like that, and it was so much fun. You can watch the video below:

EIGHTY NINETY "Live at Degraw Sound" (January 2017)

What's next for Eighty Ninety in terms of new music and touring?
We're currently finishing up a new set of songs that we're so excited about, whether they take the shape of a full-length, second EP, or string of singles. Either way, we'll be releasing them into the wild soon. For the moment, we've been playing in New York (where we live). We have plans to tour soon, though, and we're really excited to play these songs - along with a lot of new ones - in some different cities.

Eighty Ninety's next show takes place in NYC at the Bowery Electric on April 22. Get your tickets here if you're in town!

For more information about Eighty Ninety, check out their official website, stream their music on Spotify, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. - Sound Thread