Rising indie electronic-pop star Chelsea Cutler is one half of her latest album Brent, which she created alongside her friend and fellow singer/songwriter Jeremy Zucker.

At Lollapalooza 2019, Cutler, who got her start dropping music on Soundcloud and has been releasing a series of singles and EPs since 2016, told the Recording Academy about how the album came together and how leaving her home in New York for Connecticut helped her and Zucker's creative process. 

"We stayed in a one room carriage house in the Berkshires...and we just wrote the most magical project together and had the best time," she said. "It's just this beautiful place that allowed us to really access this raw creativity."

She continued: "It was really essential for us to get out of New York, get out of the industry, get out of the noise and just write from out hearts and just write things that felt honest and raw for us and just make music that we love, not thinking about how it will be received commercially. It was super refreshing for us."

Cutler will joing singer Lauv on tour this fall. Watch the video above for more on Brent, how Cutler felt playing Lollapalooza and more. 

Meet Us Behind The Scenes At Lollapalooza 2019

Who is brent? The title of Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler's three-part project isn't the name of a friend, family member, or ex, but it comes from a leisurely drive past Brentwood Road, back in 2019.

Escaping the buzz of New York, the artists decided to crash on air mattresses and couches for a week, piecing brent together in a one-room carriage house studio in the Berkshires. The immaculate five-song EP was what Zucker called a "beautiful accident," spawning the double-Platinum "you were good to me" among other stirring indie tracks.

But the EP's brilliance was no accident. The pair first met at a fraternity party in 2016 (more on that later), when their independent DIY careers were just barely beginning: Zucker had released his first two EPs (Beach Island and Breathe) in 2015, and Cutler was in the process of crafting her 2017 debut EP, Snow In October. While they each had their own style, they shared a similar lo-fi sound and contemplative approach to love, whether lost or found. So when they met up to write a song together for the first time in 2018, their mutual creative magic was instant — and it led them not only to brent, but also brent ii and brent iii.

Moving away from their first project's personal themes of insecurity and angst, 2021's brent ii found itself rooted in the beauty and hope of relationships, offering a positive outlook during a difficult time for many globally. Three years later, brent iii — the duo's first full-length album together — both takes their profound artistic partnership to new heights and gracefully bookends the brent project.

"We didn't think it was going to be an album at first, but we were just like, third time's the charm," Zucker shared with GRAMMY.com. "It ended up being an album and it seemed like a nice way to close the page — and have brent live as a thing that lives forever."

Though brent iii marks the end of the series in the studio (for now, at least), they're not yet done on stage: fans will get to celebrate the duo's music live on the month-long Brent Forever: The Tour, which kicked off Nov. 15 in Chicago. Brent Forever: The Tour features most tracks from all three brent projects, and will stop in 10 cities total across the U.S. and Canada. The trek is the first time the two have toured together, and, as signaled by its name, immortalizes the beauty of the brent project and their forever friendship.

In celebration of the album and the tour, the pair Zoomed in from New York to chat with GRAMMY.com about their first impressions of each other, how they wrangle their sporadic creativity, and how they captured all the magic on brent iii.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Let's talk about brent iii! Tell me about the moment you realized that you wanted to make a third project.

Jeremy Zucker: I feel like we always knew. Ever since this we put the second [project] out and the response was incredible, I feel like we knew we were going to do a third. 

There's a group chat and when [brent ii] came out I was like, "Okay, let's start brent iii"! And then Chelsea was like, "What?" [Laughs.] It was a joke, but it was also serious. I was like, why would we not?

How did working on brent iii feel different from working on your other brent sessions?

Chelsea Cutler: Probably the biggest difference is that in the past, we've kind of given ourselves a bit of a time constraint. In the past, we've rented a studio for a week and gone there and written the project inside of that week. And then with brent iii, we took the approach of let's give ourselves as long as it takes to just get the best project.

So we wrote it over the course of about a year. And we rented different studios and different Airbnbs over the course of that year, in New York, LA. And up in Big Bear, we did a week. We gave ourselves time to breathe and sit with everything, and it really lent itself to making a pretty good project.

You made your first brent project in 2019. How do the 2024 versions of Chelsea and Jeremy compare to the 2019 versions, and how do you think that impacted your music?

Zucker: We were small.

Cutler: So naive. 

Zucker: Yeah, I think we were really innocent and still figuring out who we were as artists individually. We were both very relieved when we started working together, to do something that was so natural. To me at the time, it was more clear than what I was as an artist alone. The music that we made together — it was so specific and natural. 

Cutler: I definitely would echo that as well. brent is a thing that's had a really defined identity even before we totally knew what it was. And that's been a really wonderful constant, kind of in the midst of our own identities changing as individual artists over the years. So it's been really nice to have that.

Apprehension might be too strong a word, but was there any sort of apprehension or hesitation before you started working on brent iii? Did you think it might be difficult to try to recapture the same magic you had on the first two EPs?

Cutler: I had that.

Zucker: Really?

Cutler: Yeah, it would be a lie to say that I wasn't nervous because — not that I didn't wanna do it, like, of course I wanted to — I think that there is something so magic about it, and there's something kind of tricky about trying to capture that magic. 

I guess it's not tricky for us. It comes really easily, so obviously we proved my theory wrong, but I just felt like the first two were so perfect. Like, perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about the experience and the songs.

So I was definitely nervous. Like, All right, if we're gonna do this, it has to blow us away. And I couldn't be more proud of the music that we made. It feels so right. 

Zucker: Mhm. I would say like, the first project was an accident and it was a really beautiful accident. And then [with] brent ii, we were like, What if we really tried and intentionally did it? So we made a very polished, perfect brent ii. And then this time around, we were like, What's the angle? Why are we doing another one? 

We didn't think it was going to be an album at first, but we were just like, third time's the charm. Let's do this once and wrap the whole thing together, basically. We wanted to kind of capture all the eras and have a good final chapter to it. Three is just a nice number. It ended up being an album and it seemed like a nice way to close the page — and have brent live as a thing that lives forever. 

Cutler: Yeah, it's funny. I was apprehensive about it, then we ended up getting so many songs that felt so special and worthy of being on the product.

In the past, Chelsea, you've said that you were more hasty with your writing style — and then Jeremy, you said you're more meticulous. Do you feel like that's still true, or do you think your writing styles have changed more over time?

Zucker: I'm definitely pretty meticulous still. But it holds me back from being spontaneous and being able to come up with things freely without second guessing myself. So I remove being meticulous and like, don't give a f— and try to get as much on the page as possible. And then later, I comb through it. That's kind of what I've been doing lately.

Cutler: Yeah, I still feel like my creativity is really sporadic. If I don't catch the wave I'm on and just ride it, then I'm gonna lose it. Then I need to sit on my phone for 30 minutes until another one comes.

How do you think this has helped you in brent sessions? Or do you feel like it posed more of a challenge sometimes?

Cutler: I think it's really complementary. 

Zucker: It was a learning process at times. It really only happened during brent ii where Chelsea and I had to take a beat at the end of the day. One day we were like, Let's just not make music today. It was like, really sad. [Laughs.] And I was basically really pushing Chelsea because when it comes to making music, I kind of have a full tank all the time, and my work ethic kicks into overdrive. And Chelsea, I think, was getting overwhelmed and needed space and less pressure.

Cutler: I just can't work like that. I'll do nothing all day, and then at 4:42, a random time of day, I'll just sit down and write a song. And it'll come out in 10 minutes and then I'm like, all right.

We're just so different, the way creativity flows out of us, which is really cool. I think that it does work really well because Jerm has an endurance that I don't necessarily have, and I think creativity hits me at kind of funny times, which sometimes if we're in a rut, that can inspire us.

Zucker: So, yeah, figuring out a process… where we each got the most out of each other was what helped put a key to the lock.

You first met at a UConn party that Jeremy was playing, right? And then got signed to the same label, Republic Records?

Zucker: Mhm.

What were your first impressions of each other?

Zucker: In real life, like, honestly, I was really drunk. 

Cutler: We were both absolutely obliterated. I'd never been to a frat party before, so I was like, Ahhh!

Zucker: I don't know what happened to me. I was at a party, and then I was on stage, but it was so DIY in my career. Someone at the frat, that I'm actually still friends with today, messaged us — me and my friend Danny, and Ben, who I made a lot of music with at the time. He just paid us like 200 bucks and booked our flights.

I went to like a tiny school and this was like a massive outdoor frat party, and I was so overwhelmed in a fun way because I felt like a celebrity a little bit. But that was an older me, and I'm sure that was an older Chelsea. 

Cutler: Yeah, man, I was wearing skinny jeans. 

Zucker: Yeah, the pictures from that day are brutal. I was also wearing them.

They're coming back…

Cutler: I really hope they don't.

The first time you worked together resulted in your song "better off." How was that session for you guys? Were you like, "Wow, I just click with this person" right away?

Zucker: I was in this studio upstate, and we were chatting. I was like, "come up for a day, let's write a song" and then we just sat down. Chelsea, I remember we were hanging out, getting to know each other for an hour or so. And then when we sat down in front of a microphone and a computer, Chelsea starts playing a riff and I'm like, "what's that?" And she's like, "I don't know, I just made it up" and then I just pressed record and then we wrote the song. It was crazy.

Cutler: It came out really quick, too. 

What was the song that came together the fastest on brent iii?

Zucker: "ashes & rust." We were in the studio for maybe like five hours and when we left it, the song was there. It just needed to be polished. But we left with like a five-part harmony on Chelsea's vocals and like crazy guitar tones and drums. 

Cutler: It was awesome.

How would you describe your sound together?

Zucker: Folk pop? No, not, not pop. Folk singer/songwriter, acoustic… Let's use like Spotify Daylist terms.

Cutler: What?

Zucker: You know, like sometimes it'll be like, dreamy cottagecore, like… fantasy pop.

Cutler: Oh my God. 

Zucker: So I would say, like, crunchy…

Cutler: Crunchy?

Zucker: … like crunchy granola, you know, like wholesome. But I would say warm, wholesome, indie folk.

Cutler: I think warm, cozy, honest, real.

Zucker: Sick. 

Cutler: Dope.

Zucker: Swag.

Your friendship is so lovely. What are some standout memories with each other?

Zucker: I feel like you didn't have a good time blueberry picking?

Cutler: No, I had a great time doing it. I just didn't like eating the blueberries. 

Zucker: Oh, right. 

Cutler: I mean, I loved being in Big Bear together —

Zucker: — and crepes.

Cutler: Yeah, we went to a crepe coffee stand on the side of the road in Big Bear, California. And we were there in what, January? So it was really icy and cold, and it was just a stand so we waited outside in the cold for crepes for like, 20 minutes. [Laughs.]

Cutler: That was fun. And we watched Society of the Snow. 

Zucker: And we also watched, what's that horror movie… Midsommar? Midsommar.

Cutler: One thing that we did that was really fun six years ago was — maybe not you, but — I smoked a lot of weed.

Zucker: Didn't we go swimming? 

Cutler: I didn't go in, but I watched you guys. I was gonna say we put the 1975 Live From MSG or something. We watched on the big projector live… and we turned off all the lights and watched that.

Is there a standout memory from making brent iii?

Zucker: When we made one of our favorite songs "A-frame," the main instrument of that song is basically a guitar. I'm smacking the s— out of it so it's like, buzzing, and we recorded from the opposite end of an A-frame [cabin]. It's just this big massive reverb sound because the place was so echoey. That was kind of my favorite little tidbit, that "A-frame" was recorded in an A-frame.

Cutler: And it literally sounds like it. I think writing "and the government too!" because that was the first song that we wrote that we ended up using on the project. You could just feel when we wrote it that it was clicking, and the sonics of what brent iii was gonna be were kind of falling into place. You just get that feeling when we're writing a song and you know it's gonna be magical. Our cameraman was panning back and forth between us as we were kind of riffing. It was a really special moment.

This year’s Lollapalooza in Chicago may have been a particularly humid one, but that didn’t deter perspiring attendees from making the most of the four-day event. Held Aug. 1-4, the international festival’s flagship midwest iteration showcased a variety of talent — both revered and rising.

Among Lolla 2024's highlights, Chappell Roan drew an expectedly enormous crowd to Grant Park on Thursday, while GRAMMY winner Tyla captivated audiences with a lighthearted and entertaining anglicism. Friday offered a diversity of artists, from K-pop boy group Stray Kids, to electronic vet Zedd and GRAMMY-winning Icelandic jazz singer Laufey, who performed with the Chicago Philharmonic. J-pop stars YOASOBI and the Killers closed the festival on Saturday, and Blink-182 brought their ‘90s humor and hits to the main stage on Sunday.

Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell was onhand in a rare sighting to partake in the weekend’s festivities, which in addition to various stages featured Toyota Music Den’s retro summer camp vibes, Coke Studio’s roller rink, House of Dunkin’s newly renovated setup and Kidzapalooza for the festival’s youngest attendees.

Though thunderstorms threatened throughout the weekend, it only materialized as light rain and was a welcome reprieve from the balmy temperatures. As Lollapalooza attendees recuperate from one of the summer's biggest parties, relive seven of the most exhilarating sets from Lollapalooza 2024.

Kesha has never been someone to shy away from controversy, and the GRAMMY-nominated singer made some interesting choices during her Lolla set on Thursday. The singer delivered some of her biggest hits — from "Cannibal" and "Die Young," to "Take It Off," and "Your Love Is My Drug" — in front of her most loyal fans at Lolla. While performing "Backstabber" from 2010's Animal, Kesha and her scantily-clad male dancers doused themselves in fake blood while the star herself brandished a knife as a prop. Kesha later revealed on X that the knife shockingly turned out to be real.

In addition to her theatrical dramatics, Kesha also played a clip of Vice President Kamala Harris saying "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" as she began "Blow" (Kesha brought out a marching band for the song as well).  "Women do run this country," Kesha told the crowd, proudly standing in her power.

When she wasn’t waving pride flags and encouraging onlookers to "support local drag, Kesha paused to thank her fans for "standing by me through the hardest time of my entire life."

Read more: Kesha Reveals The 10 Most Important Songs Of Her Career, From "Tik Tok" To "Eat The Acid"

Megan Thee Stallion Got The Hotties In Formation

Three-time GRAMMY winner Megan Thee Stallion was tapped by the festival as one of the headliner’s after Tyler, The Creator pulled out of his slot earlier this year. The rapper, however, proved she was no "second best."

Fresh off of her performance at Vice President Kamala Harris’ Atlanta campaign rally, Megan Thee Stallion feverishly got her fans in formation with a spectacular performance. Donning a sexy, sequined pink ensemble, the Houston rapper plowed through a bevy of hits including: "Freak Nasty," "Cobra," "Big Ole Freak," "Mamushi" and "WAP."

She also addressed haters who were upset about her supporting Harris last month. "They was fake mad that I was popping it for Kamala. I don’t think they heard what she said," Meg explained. "Kamala said she wants a ceasefire. Kamala said she supports women’s rights. Kamala said y’all tired of high gas prices. Kamala said ‘I’m for the people.’" She shouted out "Hotties for Harris" before being surprised by Chicago Sky star Angel Reese onstage who took a selfie with the "Savage" artist.

Read more: 6 Takeaways From Megan Thee Stallion's 'Megan': Snakes, Shots & Self-Assurance

Deftones — the GRAMMY-winning rock facet from Sacramento, California — have For spent three decades perfecting their gnarly guitar riffs, airy vocals and thunderous percussion. Their most recent project, 2020's Ohms, served as a sauntering exploration of frontman Chino Moreno’s inner workings. This energy was on full display at Lollapalooza 2024.

The band’s electrifying energy was gleefully absorbed by the crowd, who moshed through heavier tracks such as "Lotion" and "My Own Summer (Shove It)." The audience was slightly more still but visibly bubbling over for slower, more sensual tunes like "Digital Bath" and "Change (In The House of Flies)."

Moreno — who said onstage he chipped his tooth during "Needles and Pins," from the band's self-titled 2003 LP — proved his performer prowess again and again. Even beyond the T-Mobile, Lolla attendees could feel the infectiousness of Deftones’ stellar set.

Learn more: 5 Essential Nu-Metal Albums: How Slipknot, Korn, Deftones & Others Showcased Adolescent Rage With A Dramatic Flair

Despite being 45 minutes late to their headlining set on Saturday, Future and Metro Boomin delivered a vigorous performance that celebrated their collaborative albums We Don’t Trust You (released in March) and We Still Don’t Trust You (which dropped a month later).

The pair ferociously fed off of each other’s energy, while simultaneously injecting that same enthusiasm into the crowd. From "Luv Bad Bitches" to "Type S—," "F— Up Some Commas" to "Low Life," there were no shortage of hits to feed the insatiable musical appetite of the packed crowd at the Bud Light stage.

Fans eagerly threw up two fingers in honor of Future's Dirty Sprite 2, per instructions from the duo, and Future x Metro Boomin Young Thug when "Relationship" played. "Like That" lost its potency when it was started for a second time as an attempt to reinvigorate the audience — but remained a thrilling track from beginning to end. The chemistry between Future x Metro Boomin was off the charts and seamlessly translated onstage.

Read more: Metro Boomin's Essential Songs: 10 Must-Know Tracks, From "Creepin" To "Like That"

SiR Savors "Summer" With Sensual R&B Set

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The Inglewood, California-based R&B singer used his time at Lollapalooza to reconnect with a city he hasn't performed in for nearly five years. On Sunday, the R&B crooner glided through his discography, performing "Karma" (from his March 2024 album Heavy) to "John Redcorn" — a track from his 2020 release Chasing Summer.

SiR, who was dripping in sweat from the intense Chicago heat, slowed things down a bit to celebrate his collaborators. First, he gleefully welcomed singer Zacari for "Mood" followed by his brother Davion Farris for "The Recipe." SiR’s bravado shined brightly on "Hair Down" where he felt his most confident, his most rambunctious, his most seen. He appeased fans’ requests for "D’Evils" and got emotional when reflecting on his struggles.

SiR has been candid about his journey to sobriety — a major theme on Heavy — and thanked his fans for their support throughout his set. When SiR performed "Life Is Good," he reminded attendees that nothing is sweeter than a well-earned victory lap.

Read more: On 'Heavy,' SiR Wants People To See The Weight Of His Humanity

Carmen DeLeon Basked In Being A Total Ray Of Sunshine

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The 23-year-old Venezuelan singer smiled from ear to ear as she enthusiastically gave her all during a short but powerful performance on Sunday at the BMI stage. She kicked off things with two of her most notable tracks: 2022’s "Mala Memoria" and "Mariposas" (which was released the year prior).  DeLeon was effervescent during "Wonderful," with its catchy chorus being as bright and brilliant as she was.

DeLeon became visibly emotional while paying  homage to Lady Gaga and her BMI stage legacy by covering "Always Remember Us This Way" from the A Star is Born soundtrack. She attached her native flag to the mic stand and emphasized the importance of speaking up against injustice, which hit especially close to home for her given the unrest following recent elections in Venezuela.

DeLeon quickly switched gears and tackled the complex nature of love with "El Vecino." Though the singer is longing to be noticed on the track, its live rendition feels more empowering than dejected. One of the show’s most heartwarming moments came when the singer brought her clearly proud dad onstage.

Moments after viral TikTok sensation Benson Boone took the stage at Lolla, he shared that this was the first U.S. music festival he has ever performed at. The former "American Idol" contestant used his performance on the IHG Resorts & Resorts stage to sing — and backflip — his way into the hearts of fans.

Boone's performance ranged in both sound and emotion. The singer basked in the sweetness of "Coffee Cake" from his 2023 album PULSE, then dug deeper with a formidable performance of "What Was." Before going into "My Greatest Fear," the singer shared that he is terrified of being alone and was devastated by the passing of his grandmother.

He used "Friend" as a springboard to talk about the importance of camaraderie and, before launching into "Beautiful Things," shared amazement at how one song dramatically changed his life.

Read more: Benson Boone Declares "Beautiful Things" Is No Fluke: "I've Tapped Into How I'll Write For The Rest Of My Life"

This year's Lollapalooza is set to electrify Chicago's Grant Park from August 1-4, showcasing stellar performances from music's top talent. Headliners include Megan Thee Stallion (replacing Tyler, The Creator for the first night), The Killers, Blink-182, SZA, and Future x Metro Boomin.

Founded by Jane's Addiction lead singer Perry Farrell, Lollapalooza has evolved from a modest alternative musical gathering in 1991 to a cultural phenomenon with international editions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Sweden, India, and France.

Read more: 'Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza' Recounts How An Alt Rock Fest Laid The Blueprint For Bonnaroo & More

Beyond the headliners, Lollapalooza's eight stages will feature an array of other incredible artists over the four-day festival. Here are 10 must-see acts you shouldn't miss:

FLO

Thurs., Aug. 1 at 7:45 p.m. (Bacardi Stage)

The London trio, FLO, is revitalizing R&B with slick, catchy songs saturated with '90s nostalgia. Consisting of Renée Downwer, Stella Quaresma, and Jorja Douglas, FLO debuted in 2022 with the hit song "Cardboard Box." Since then, they’ve garnered praise from the likes of SZA, Missy Elliot, and Victoria Monét. FLO has seemingly achieved the impossible — reviving the girl group concept. 

"We definitely want to be the face of the resurgence of girl groups," Douglas told Variety in April. "It's all healthy competition, we want there to be girl groups that can exist in the same space. For now, at least." Last year, the group won the Brits' Rising Star Award and the BBC's Sound of 2023. FLO took Coachella by storm in April, and their Lollapalooza performance promises to be no different.

d4vd

Thurs., Aug. 1 at 3:45 p.m. (Tito's Homemade Vodka Stage)

This prodigious talent is becoming known for genre experimentation as well as expressive lyrics. The innate melancholy on d4vd's single "Romantic Homicide" resonated with the masses in a major way when it was released in July 2022 and has garnered over 1 billion streams across various platforms. Since then, the artist has become known for crafting vulnerable love ballads with a tinge of potency as heard on tracks like "Here With Me" and "There Goes My Baby."

On the songwriting process for "There Goes My Baby," d4vd stated: "This is a song I wrote about letting go of someone you love and letting them become their own person. Watching them become that person and realizing that you may have been the problem, but also being happy for the person they've become." After completing his fully sold-out "My House Is Not A Home" international headline tour, d4vd's presence at Lollapalooza is a welcome one. 

Tyla

Thurs., Aug. 1 at 3 p.m. (T-Mobile Stage)

The GRAMMY-winning South African singer has had an epic year following the immense popularity of her amapiano-infused hit "Water." Tyla's self-titled debut album, released in April, became the highest-charting album on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart by a female African soloist in history. Over the years, the star — who is of Indian, Zulu, Mauritian, and Irish descent — amassed an impressive following on TikTok with her dance routines and song covers going viral. 

Tracks like "Jump" (featuring Gunna and Skillibeng) and "On My Body" (featuring Becky G) showcase Tyla's versatility and her ability to bring her distinct sonic style to life. Tyla's catalog also shows that music found in the African diaspora also contains elements of pop. Her infectious energy will light up not just Lollapalooza, but festival stages all summer long.

Kevin Abstract

Fri., Aug. 2 at 7:45 p.m. (IHG Hotels and Resorts Stage)

The wildly imaginative and talented emcee — who also served as the frontman of the hip-hop group Brockhampton — reminded audiences of his solo capabilities with last year's "Blanket." While that project saw Kevin Abstract experiment with darker and heavier rock sounds ("When the Rope Post 2 Break," "Blanket"), his first love was and will always be hip-hop, as evidenced on his 2014 debut album MTV1987.

In addition, Abstract has been passing his time recently with some stellar collaborations. After teasing his song featuring Lil Nas X, "Tennessee," at Coachella earlier this year, Abstract officially released the track in May (the pair attended the same high school in Georgia before they knew each other.) He was also featured alongside Lev on Toro y Moi's latest single "Heaven." Abstract's sonic malleability has always been his greatest and most exciting strength.

Stray Kids

Fri., Aug. 2 at 8:30 p.m. (Bud Light Stage)

This K-pop band — often abbreviated as SKZ — formed on a reality show back in 2017. Stray Kids have had a slew of hits, including 2019's "MIROH" and 2020's "God's Menu," which showcased the group's pop proclivity and unrelenting fan base. Their fourth studio album, 5-Star, was released last year and was a huge commercial success, reaching number one in the U.S., South Korea, France, Austria, Greece, and Portugal. Their latest album, ATE, released on July 19, marks the next chapter of the band's evolution. Member Bang Chan stated that on ATE, "a lot of the songs [are] all very different…what we recorded, it's just showing a different side of Stray Kids."

Read more: K-Pop Sensation Stray Kids On Their New LP, 'Go Live': "We Wanted To Show Everyone What Our True Colors Were"

SiR

Sun., Aug. 4 at 5:45 p.m. (IHG Hotels and Resorts Stage)

SiR released his fourth studio album, Heavy, earlier this year, cementing the Inglewood, California R&B crooner as a bona fide star. The GRAMMY-nominated singer is a proud Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) stalwart, with 2019's Chasing Summer being acclaimed for its musicality, joviality, and warmth. On Heavy, SiR — who has been open about his past struggles with addiction — bravely puts his demons on wax as he tells the story of how he became a better man. 

Featuring appearances from Anderson .Paak, Ab-Soul, Ty Dolla $ign and Isaiah Rashad, the project is a beautiful testament to the "John Redcorn" singer his devotion to the depth of his artistry. "With this album, I feel like I was under so much pressure as I was writing the songs — all I could do was make diamonds," he told GRAMMY.com earlier this year. SiR’s Lollapalooza performance is a stop mid-way through his “Heavy” tour, which runs through late August.

Read more: On 'Heavy,' SiR Wants People To See The Weight Of His Humanity

Slow Pulp

Sun., Aug. 4 at 2:45 p.m. (T-Mobile Stage)

Slow Pulp — consisting of Emily Massey, Henry Stoehr, Teddy Matthews, and Alex Leeds — specialize in the kind of syrupy and saccharine melodies that launched them straight into the indie-rock stratosphere. Their sophomore project, Yard, was released last year and blissfully combines elements of shoegaze with Massey's somber lyricism. The frontwoman often lets themes of reflection bleed into her work. 

On "Doubt," the second single from Yard, Massey confessed that insecurity is at the core of the track. "I wanted people close to me to validate the things I hated about myself," Massey wrote in a statement for Consquence’s “Track by Track” series. "Self-doubt had found a home in me, it felt safer to stay in this familiar negative space than to like myself. I thought if others shared that with me I wouldn't have to do the work to change." Slow Pulp's weepy yet addictive catalog is sure to stand out over the weekend.

Dominic Fike

Sun., Aug. 4 at 6:45 p.m. (T-Mobile Stage)

Dominic Fike released his debut EP in 2018, Don't Forget About Me, Demos, featuring  viral hits with Halsey and Brockhampton. Fike's debut album, What Could Possibly Go Wrong, followed two years later. On tracks like "Good Game" and "Politics & Violence," Fike takes a somber look at his reality while perfecting his hip-hop influenced brand of pop. 

In 2022, he was cast on Season 2 of the HBO hit series "Euphoria" where he played Elliot, a drug user who finds himself in the middle of a love triangle between Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer). Last year, his sophomore LP, Sunburn, explored addiction, heartache, and remorse. Fresh off his biggest headlining tour, Fike dropped the visual project "14 Minutes" in May, proving that the phrase "tortured artist" can very much be a real thing.

Huddy

Sun., Aug. 4 at 2:10 p.m. (BMI Stage)

This viral TikTok sensation has managed to stand out from his pop-punk peers with a pulsating, upbeat sound that transports listeners back to the early aughts. Huddy's 2022 hit song, "All the Things I Hate About You," dominated social media, reaching #1 on TikTok and YouTube. It also became his first entry on the Pop and Alternative radio charts. 

The California native's 4-track EP, Love Bites, was released on May 15 (his 22nd birthday) and embodies his feelings on romance. "The title 'Love Bites' is a double entendre: it not only alludes to a hickey, but it also means that love can bite you in the ass if you let it," Huddy explained to Ones To Watch. "With each track, I dig deeper into my emotions, unafraid to embrace the raw and the vulgar, because that's what love is — messy, unfiltered, real."

The Last Dinner Party

Sun., Aug. 4 at 5:15 p.m. (Bacardi Stage)

This British rock quintet became quite the sensation after the viral success of their explosive track "Nothing Matters," released in 2023 (garnering over 26 million streams on Spotify). 

The Last Dinner Party — consisting of Abigail Morris, Aurora Nishevci, Emily Roberts, Georgia Davies, and Lizzie Maylan — released their debut album earlier this year titled Prelude to Ecstasy, which contains the same infectious fervor heard on their breakthrough hit. The influence of '90's alt-rock can be heard on another one of their singles, "Sinner." Additionally, "My Lady of Mercy" contains a wispy, ethereal ambience that could very well become their signature sound. The refreshing nature of The Last Dinner Party is as empowering as it is fun — their theatrical reverie is sure to translate to the stage.

Over the past 15 years, Cults have captivated audiences with their atmospheric, layered compositions that pack a pop-friendly punch. Now, on the brink of releasing their fifth album, To The Ghosts, on July 26, Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion reflect on their journey and new creative freedom. 

While their previous albums required the duo to stick to deadlines precariously organized between tours, the pandemic provided new circumstances. Freed of distractions and obligations, Follin and Oblivion traveled to Los Angeles in 2022 to join up with their longtime producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) to craft an album that looks back on their past while pushing their sound ahead.

"We don't have the sales pitch for the album down yet, but there's no other band that sounds like us," says Oblivion. "We're digging into our thing, and if you're into anything we've done before, you'll love this one."

Adds Follin, "We're like no other."

The album title is addressed to the ghosts of both Oblivion and Follin's past selves. As Oblivion explains, their four prior albums were time capsules that reflected the period in which each album was written and recorded. This release is something different.

To The Ghosts is a personal landmark for Follin, particularly. In 2020, upon the release of Cults' fourth album Host, she admitted that she'd been too shy to bring her own songwriting and demos to the table for the band's first three albums. It was Stoneback's encouragement that altered the creative process for the duo, resulting in their most collaborative album to date, and significantly more reliance upon live instrumentals in the studio.

"We spent a month in an AirBnB then a week in the studio with Shane," explains Follin.

"It was a mad dash to replace all the midi instruments with real ones, so we were running around playing vibraphones, organs, and guitars and all these things we'd recorded in demos and laying it all back down in one week."

It may have been a mad rush at the end, but over the years the duo have refined their formula for making albums. They're no longer the giddy art students and lovers making DIY music with no plans for world domination.

In 2010, Follin and Oblivion founded Cults and released their debut EP "Cults 7", followed by their debut self-titled album in 2011, which was similarly lauded. By the time their sophomore album "Static" arrived in 2013, the pair had freshly broken up and the themes of being creatively and emotionally stagnated resonated in dramatic, spacious orchestral compositions. They followed up with "Offering" in 2017, which was the first of the duo's albums to lean into optimism and a sense of embracing a more pop-friendly path.

That optimistic pop thread is picked up once more in "Crybaby", the first of 10 tracks that kicks off the new album. It launches with a lush, reverb-rich guitar hook and shuddering church bells, then shifts into a calypso beat and Follin's dreamy ode to escaping the modern malaise ("dry your eyes / turn off the screen"). Like the other catchy, bittersweet synth-pop numbers on To The Ghosts, "Crybaby" wraps up in close to three minutes. 

The lengthy outliers are "You're In Love With Yourself" and the closing track "Hung The Moon," which runs over five minutes. Ending an album with an epic power ballad is their signature style and "Hung The Moon" bathes in drama, love, loss and redemption. "In a storytelling way, that's the only ending that makes sense to us, a melancholy resolution," Oblivion says.

To The Ghosts captures everything fans adore about Cults and they'll have ample opportunity to catch them performing live this year. The duo are set to return to Lollapalooza opening for Vampire Weekend on Aug. 4, followed by their own headlining U.S. tour the same month. 

Ahead of their intensive touring schedule, the duo joined GRAMMY.com on a group video chat from their respective homes in New York’s East Village one evening, to discuss their upcoming release.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

You began working on this album during the pandemic. Tell me where you wrote and recorded material, and whether you did that together or separately?

Madeline Follin: We were writing and recording in Brian's spare room. Can you see him?

Brian Oblivion: This tiny room! [directs the camera around a room not much bigger than 7 x 10 feet].

Follin: I sat on that couch right there, and we spent a lot of time in that little room [laughs]. For the most part we were together for the entire thing.

**Madeline, you revealed that before making your fourth album Host, you were too shy to show your own music to Brian and producer Shane Stoneback. What broke that barrier down for you to fully participate in the creative process?**

It was really hard to get it out of me. I had really strong imposter syndrome. Even though Brian was just starting out, he had taken a few recording classes in college, so he knew a lot more of the recording lingo and ways of communicating technically. I didn't know, so I felt so nervous to even communicate what I wanted. Shane helped with that a lot in terms of translating what I wanted into the language of studio speak. Shane is unlike any other producer we've worked with. He heard me out.

Tell me about working with Shane Stoneback in terms of what you came into the conversation with, and what he contributed to shaping this album.

Follin: We thought that we were not going to work with Shane again because he'd largely gotten out of the business. During [the] pandemic he switched careers and began working in the movie business. So, we started working with a few other people, we were feeling it out, and it just wasn't working. We reached out to [Shane], and he randomly happened to have 30 days off and said if we can finish it in 30 days, we can do it. We said, "we're coming out tomorrow."

What were the creative decisions you made in the earliest stages, and how much did you change your mind or allow outside ideas in as you were working on this album?

Oblivion: It took us a really long time. We definitely wrote over 100 songs. I put it all on an iTunes playlist and it was over 6 hours of music. This time we got a lot of confidence from some of our older songs being popular with young people. We thought, maybe the time has come around where we can do exactly what we do, and that's kinda 'new' again. Once we went through all the permutations and landed on "Crybaby," which was the first song on the record, we just thought "this just feels like us, so let's lean into what makes us unique." The messing around period was just trying out new tricks and trying to expand our possibilities.

John Congleton has a real knack for guitar sounds and finding a rawness to live instruments. How did he come to mix this album?

Oblivion: I've been a fan of John's going back to Xiu Xiu and my high school days. He's a master of distortion, him and Dave Fridmann, that's their thing. They can make things really fuzzy and interesting, but also fit it all in the speakers in a way that's like a weird magic trick. We have kind of a vintage sound, and he gets that but he's also smart at highlighting things that are new. He mixed our last record too and from the first conversation, in which he said he thinks like a musician and wants to do something strange, we knew we wanted him.

Follin: We'd mixed with other people before but when we got a mix back from John, he was bringing out parts of the song that we hadn't even recalled leaving in there. He makes our songs sound new to us again. We have a lot of trust and respect in him, and we were trying for so long to get our schedules lined up.

Oblivion: We work on our music for so long that by the time it's ready for the mix, we really want to hear something new. It's refreshing for us that John hears something new in us.

Tell me about "Crybaby," the first single. What were you going for in terms of the music, the mood and the message?

Follin: We'd been working on that song as part of the 100 songs that didn't make it. Brian started working on that song and I had never heard anything like that come out of his computer before, and I was shocked. It's funny because people say it's so "Cults sounding", but I thought it was unlike anything we'd done before. It's got a '60s vibe, an island vibe, to me and I thought we needed to zone in on it.

Oblivion: That was at the point where we decided "let's see if we can still make Cults songs that hark back to the earliest record." I love the lyrics, they're simple and there's no hidden meaning, which is great. A lot of the music that we love and that inspired the start of our band, is really obvious but also really weird in terms of lyrics. "Crybaby" is a fun, whacky diss track.

Let's talk about what inspires you musically.

Oblivion: What gets me excited is spending a lot of time sharpening my Spotify algorithm, so every Monday I get a collection of weirdo emotional love songs about heartbreak, these obscure, catchy B-sides, and whenever I find a song like that, I'm so inspired. Something that has kitsch, gravitas, and a bit of humour, that John waters, David Lynch combination lights me up.

Follin: Right now, I'm really into a lot of Fontaines D.C. I felt a 'Cults' vibe from them even though they probably have no idea who we are. It's been a while since I've put on a song, and then I want to put it on again right away.   

"Left My Keys" is an anthem for growing up. Tell me about your experience growing up in this band.

Oblivion: What makes this record different is that historically, we'd do all the music together over a span of two years, then Maddy would squirrel away to take a month or two to write all the lyrics, and that made the records very reflective of that moment, that time. For this record, because we had a protracted work schedule with nothing else to do, we took the time to slow down and look back. "Left My Keys'' is about being a teenager, and "Crybaby" is about things that happened a long time ago. Growing up is being comfortable enough to address your own past and realizing everything turned out okay so far. It's the first album where we're looking backwards and processing stuff from the last 15 years and before.

This album feels brighter than 'Host.' What happened between 'Host' and 'To the Ghosts' that explains the transition?

Oblivion: There's a lot of stuff we got out of our system. Host and Offering were both dark records, to me. It's wild to see that young people have picked up on "Gilded Lily" and that was such a crazy, cathartic song for us, so now it is crazy and cathartic for them. Most of my favorite bands are dark, sad bands, but that's not the totality of who we are. Being able to explore both sides of who we are was refreshing for us.

Follin: Personally, we were both feeling a lot better in our lives. We worked through a lot of anxiety, and because of the pandemic there was less partying, clubs, and bars. We had time to get healthier.

Oblivion: In a lot of ways our band is defined by our limitations. We have made music for 15 years, just the two of us with the same producer. But every time we make something new and interesting and all the things we think of as roadblocks help to provide a framework for what we do.

You released 'Host B-Sides & Remixes' in 2022, two years after 'Host.' Are there outtakes, or planned remixes, that are planned for this album too?

Follin: Definitely. 100 percent, we will be having something, but I'm not saying.

Oblivion: It's been really fun with the last few albums to put out songs that showed what would have happened if we went in a different direction. Sharing that part of the process with listeners has been fun.

You have a huge schedule of touring. Tell me about the plans and how you mentally and physically endure all the travel and performances. Does it get easier the more you do it?

Follin: No. Every single night, even if we're in the middle of nowhere, whether there's 15 people or 1000, I almost have a heart attack before walking on stage each night. You're crammed in a box with 7 people every night, there's a lot of emotions…

Oblivion: …and something is always breaking at soundcheck, it's like arghhhh! It's really hard, but when we put out Host and we didn't get to tour for two years, we missed that connection. The feeling of sharing your music with people allows us to move past it and get into something new. It's a big part of our personal growth and experience. We love touring.

Follin: In normal daily life, we hang out together. We hang out on weekends. It's not a forced thing. It feels so good to meet fans every single night, too, and hearing stories of how you affected somebody's life.

Most of the tracks on this album fall at around the three minute mark, and many end quite abruptly without fading out or dwindling down. Was that a deliberate strategy, and then why did "Hung The Moon" require that extended time as the finale?

Oblivion: It's verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus and you're done in three minutes!

Follin: Brian is very concerned about time, and I don't think it matters. I like shorter, he likes longer. We're compromising.

Oblivion: "Hung The Moon" is the big epic ballad that ends the record. We have had one on every record, it always ends with a big power ballad. In a storytelling way, that's the only ending that makes sense to us, a melancholy resolution. I love that song because it starts off as a sweet love song then it gets tense and spooky towards the end, but the lyrics stay really loving. It's that transition between the rush of an initial relationship and then the long game, where it's sweet and delicate, but it's also real life, so you're afraid that you'll lose things and you're trying to hold on to that original thing. So, the album ends on a bittersweet note.