Discovering good indie music is our favorite thing ever. We have been craving for a new band to enjoy on repeat, and luckily for us, we have found some incredible tunes in remote’s discography! This talented duo has made us feel like we’ve been floating through another dimension with their amazing production skills and lyrics, which describe some of their most pivotal life experiences. We love all of their singles, and we’re happy to announce that they just released a new track called ‘CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!’
‘CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU’ has instantly become one of our favorite songs this month. It hits just right! remote’s new single will make you feel so loved and so grateful for having the people you adore the most right by your side. The duo allows us to feel like we’re going on a journey of self-discovery and admiration with them, and honestly, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect song to add to our playlists.
In addition to enjoying this new song, we chatted with remote about ‘CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU,’ their bond, and their creative process. They’re so lovely, and we can’t wait for you all to get to know them more!
Hi, guys, welcome to The Honey Pop! We would love it if you could give us a quick introduction about yourselves and describe what remote means to you.
We are two British 21-year-olds, Ruben and Alex, blending alternative with bedroom/indie-pop music. We formed in February 2020 in Manchester, our shared hometown, oblivious to the fact that our forthcoming collaboration would become a lifeline during the pandemic. Producing music remotely became our saving grace, hence our band name: remote. Since growing up with each other from our late teens to our early twenties, remote has allowed us to explore ourselves both in musicianship and character. Even in our unreleased songs, our music has given us the creative freedom to speak on the issues most important to us. Throughout our recent time at university (which we both loved), remote has been the one thing that has grounded us, it has been the calm amongst the chaos.
What is your favorite thing about creating music and sharing a creative space together?
We have been grateful to be able to create music over the past few years in completely different contexts. We started in lockdown when we were grateful to have the technology to be able to create music remotely. Then, as we went to university, we were in the lucky position to use the studios at Leeds University, as Ruben was doing a music degree. Now, we are in an even luckier position to both be in the same city and creating music in the same space. So, in each phase, we’ve loved different aspects. Right now, we’re loving the fact that our ideas can bounce off each other, onto an instrument, and into logic seamlessly. No more lost ideas (but a lot more logic files).
Your music makes us feel like we’re completely surrounded by your ethereal sound! We’ve noticed that your songs have different layers, including the vocals and production bits that transport us to a different world. What comes first when creating your tracks?
We really appreciate that you have noticed this, thank you! Often, our process starts with an idea on the piano or the guitar. This turns into a little voice note, which turns into a little demo, which eventually turns into a HUGE logic file. There are stacks upon stacks of vocal layers, which are often noticed, but our many layers of guitar seem to sit nicely in the backdrop. This is something that often takes far longer but ultimately leads to a sound that we call our own. Beyond these (often over a hundred) layers, you’ll notice our live drums, ROLI bass, and crazy sound effects, often recorded in that order. Of course, this is likely to change, but that’s how it is for now.
Let’s talk about your new single! We think that ‘CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU’ is so special. How did the initial idea for the track come about?
The idea for ‘CDTWOY’ came around after spending a couple of weeks back home and making music together, realizing how important the people close to us are. We simply couldn’t create this music without each other and feel that this is a universal feeling that spans many areas of everyone’s lives. A lot of the songs that we listen to often talk about friendships and relationships falling apart, so we wanted to create a song that instead appreciated the relationships with friends/family/partners around us.
Your lyrics are absolutely beautiful, and this new track has given us chills. Is there any verse from ‘CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU’ that made you feel like it was essential to add to the single?
Both verses are equally important as they complement each other to tell the story of the development of a relationship between two people. The first verse comes from a past mindset of being on your own and not sure how you were going to manage it all. The second verse is an appreciation of all the things you and this person have done that you couldn’t have done alone.
We feel like ‘CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU’ fits perfectly in the storytelling from your previous releases, especially with ‘homewrecker’ and ‘Transpennine Trail.’ How do you feel right before sharing these vulnerable moments with your listeners and after they share their thoughts about your new tracks?
We think that sharing music can be quite exposing in all aspects, not just the themes. We are also leaving in drum fills that were mistakes (but we think sound cool) and vocal effects that we first recorded as a joke. So, all this together just feels like we are including a portion of us in each song. Vulnerability and being personable is a double-edged sword. We used to spend countless hours trying to perfect each bar when we heard any tiny mistake, but we are turning a point in realizing that the vulnerable imperfections are often just as good as the on-paper, “perfect” parts.
We can tell that your songs get better and better with every release. If you could go back in time and talk to your old selves about your musical evolution, what advice would you give them?
Just press record. Almost all of our best takes have been spur of the moment with very little planning.
Your social media presence is a 10/10! Your TikToks are golden: They’re a mix of quirky, relatable videos and some cute promotional ones. Have you felt that TikTok has helped you to connect more with your audience? What has been your favorite video to record (if you have any)?
We made a tiny series of supermarket clothes that “just make sense,” which was really good fun. Part of the fun was trying to hide from the public so they didn’t see some potentially cringe-worthy content. It’s nice to hear that our content has been appreciated, thank you!
2024 has just started, and we will definitely keep track of what you release in the future! What are your goals for this year?
Rather than focusing on goals that we can put numbers to, this year we just want to really establish our sound. Also, we’ve currently moved to Amsterdam for a little while, so we are planning on recording some great content while we are here, maybe related to our new release 😉
Has remote become your newest obsession? Let us know in the comments below, or tell us over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! And if you want to recommend us more new artists, join our Discord Hive and send us your favorite recs!
Need more interviews to get to know the hottest artists? Don’t worry, we got you!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT REMOTE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
