Meet Me in Orbit
Bay area duo Meet Me in Orbit releases their new single “Letters”.
The band has decided to donate every dollar made from this single to Campaign Zero to help advance the causes of social justice, racial equality, police accountability, and the important truth that black lives matter.
"We wrote this song at the end of a hard year, where we were both balancing 9 to 5 jobs with writing, managing, and growing Meet Me in Orbit on our own," the duo explains. "'Letters' is an intimate and honest song, spilling over with glossy synths and textures--it's also one of our favorites,” says the duo.
Formed by Jared Brannan and Brandon Bews, the synth pop duo was formed in 2014. After releasing two EPs and a few singles, the band has designed their own sound influenced by M83. The duo shared the stage with many artists such as Banners, Great Good Fine Okay, Morgxn and more.
“Letters” is now available worldwide.
Introduce the MMIO - what's your story?
We met at a 9-5 office job. Both of us had been a part of music projects in the past, but had kind of resolved to move onto the next chapter of our lives. We bonded over a mutual love for M83 and synthesizers, and more or less accidentally wrote a song one day. That song went on to be our first single, Lightyears Away. Since then, we’ve gone onto release two EP’s, and play some shows that neither of us would have ever thought possible. These days, we’re really focused on refining our sound, and trying to seek out like-minded people to share our music with.
How would you define Meet Me in Orbit, the band?
We’re two people with just as much that separates us musically as we have in common. We’re close friends, though, and that allows us to smash our tastes together and make music that excites us both. Also we like synths...and video games… and Round Table pizza (that might only be a California thing).
"Letters" is your new single - what's the story behind this song?
Letters is an attempt to honestly remember our younger selves, and what those people saw when they thought of their lives and the trajectory they would take. It’s an open question as to whether it’s inevitable that you would disappoint that person, or if that person just dreamed so big because they knew something deeper about you and wanted to overcompensate. The song is basically just an exploration of the weird longing to have a conversation with 12 year old you.
When did you know "Letters" had to be a single?
Letters is a new direction for us. We had a moment writing this song where we felt like we had found “our sound.” We knew immediately that the vibe and more sparse arrangements of Letters would make its way into our future songs, so it was always obvious that we needed to get the song out there.
Production wise, what was the inspiration?
We had both been listening to a lot of pop music with minimal layers, dark reverbs and prominent vocals. We wanted to produce a song where every layer felt intentional and had a purpose.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
We’re both avid gamers. Video games have always influenced our music. We wanted album art that felt new, but also alluded to classic platformer video games. With Letters, we incorporated this idea and are aiming to tell a story that starts with Letters and will unfold with future releases. Brandon creates all of our artwork, and he landed on something that resonates with both of us in this new art direction.
How did your sound evolve over the years?
We’ve really tried to carve out our style of pop, adding more and more polish and focus. Always synths though. Those aren’t going anywhere.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Music is going through an amazing period right now. People stress about the industry being too inauthentic, or going this way or that way. There are more genres today than songs a century ago. Just be excited that there is truly something for everyone. It’s a great time to love music. You can be into some pretty weird shit, and find an endless supply of it.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
The past few years, as the volume has turned up around the world, it feels like nuance has been forgotten. It’s important for people to remember that it’s okay for answers to be complicated. Sometimes the difference between right and wrong really is simple, but pretending everything is simple only diminishes our ability to tell the difference when it matters.
What message do you want to give to the world?
Be patient with one another, protect yourself, and keep those that can’t in mind.
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