BEACHWOOD ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE MARBLES + BEACH BOYS COVER GOD ONLY KNOWS
The effortlessly cool Beachwood have today announced two singles Marbles and God Only Knows (out today, October 25). Their compelling, hypnotic brand of electro pop shines bright on both tracks; completely mastering an unexpected cover in God Only Knows, and documenting a gradual lapse of sanity in Marbles. Beachwood (otherwise known as Jarrad Rogers and Angeline Armstrong) are the new kids on the block – only these multi medium artists already know exactly who they are, and are already making waves across the globe. After working with massive international artists such as Charli XCX, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lana Del Rey and Lauryn Hill, and much loved Australian artists Montaigne, Daniel Johns and Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun), it’s finally time for Jarrad and Ange of Beachwood to step to the front.
Their new original track Marbles was conceived in Los Angeles and features Texan MC Tray Haggerty, and you can almost hear the buzzing heat in the final release. Surprising beat changes, inventive melodic vocal ideas, almost overwhelming synthesisers and hits are all contained within Marbles. It feels like a true masterclass in marrying the art of songwriting and the art of production and the end result is one very exciting pop song. Speaking on the inspiration behind the single, Jarrad says, “Sometimes, caught up in the moment, we find ourselves saying and acting like someone we don’t even recognise – someone who is not at all the person we want to be deep down – that sort of inner struggle just seems to be a part of human nature. It was cool to work together on a song that found a way to really capture that universal feeling of letting someone you love down, of ‘losing your mind, your grip on things, your marbles.’”
God Only Knows may seem a strange fit as a cover for a modern electronic pop duo – but Beachwood’s version of this classic Beach Boys hit is the track you never knew you needed. Eerie, progressive and warm, the gorgeous nature of this stunning song glows in Beachwood’s thoughtful remake. Angeline’s voice is soft and emotive as impressive production swells and recedes with stunning technical prowess. This cover highlights the melancholy within God Only Knows, as Ange explains, “God Only Knows is such a sweet, romantic sounding song – but when you dig deeper and pay attention to the lyrics, it’s quite bittersweet and dark – there’s a real desperation and longing in it. That same longing and bittersweet feeling exists in both of our new tracks: hidden beneath pulsating pop beats and big progressive sounds, there’s the raw voice of a desperate longing for a relationship that won’t spoil or break. I think that taps into something very personal for all of us, no matter how deeply buried.”
The decision to release the two songs side by side was one that felt natural to Beachwood, as Ange reflects, “It’s always nice to give people more. As artists we’re always so hungry to release our music faster than is sometimes possible – it feels really good to just let go and hand these two over to the world all at once. We wanted to do something a little different – there’s a big focus on releasing one single at a time these days, but we felt that there was a bit of a story here in releasing both together. We love re-imagining songs, especially ones as amazing as God Only Knows.” No matter what the song, the Beachwood sound will always come through.
Beachwood is Jarrad Rogers and Angeline Armstrong.
Marbles and God Only Knows are released today, October 25, both through BMG.