On the Rise
THEY.

As self-confessed outliers in both the music world and in their personal philosophies, the LA-based duo have been meshing unlikely genres since their inception in 2015. “When we found the sound for our Fireside EP,” says producer and songwriter Dante Jones. “...the whole Soundcloud emo rap thing was popping off. And here we were in this lane we’d carved out for ourselves - our secret path, with guitars and 808s, where there were like 50 cars on the road.”

Lately, Jones and bandmate Drew Love, the balancing forces behind THEY, have diverged from their earlier sound - their upcoming album, The Amanda Tape, is an exploration of 90s R&B with a modern twist. THEY. build their own diverse universe, without sacrificing accessibility: “We’re not the only ones who think the way we do. That’s what it’s all about really, bringing people together under one umbrella that have the same intentions and the same energy.”

Even before THEY. existed as a physical entity, Jones and Love shared similar experiences in their formative years. In an interview with the Washington Post, Love discussed the nomadic lifestyle that accompanied his childhood. Born in San Antonio. into a militaristic upbringing, he frequently moved before settling in Washington D.C. in 7th grade. Creating music was a form of rebellion against the structured dreams of his parents, and he’d often turn to punk and pop-rock during this time.

Meanwhile in Aurora, Colorado, Jones was developing what he refers to as his “Wild West” mentality. Similarly, he grew up listening to an array of music, equally allured by the rap his older brother loved, such as Tupac and E-40, as he was with nu-metal and emo rock. In some ways, this added to his outsider status.

“It used to be kind of weird - there was an assumption that Black kids listen to R&B and white kids listen to this. It was definitely a lot more separated and fragmented,” Jones said, “Now it’s the cool thing to be the Black kid that’s into emo music, but when I was in high school it wasn’t cool - I was an outlier on that front, same with Drew.” Emo torchbearers Taking Back Sunday and Fall Out Boy still hold a place in Jones’ heart. “Something about those first couple of Fall Out Boy albums, From Under The Cork Tree and Take This To Your Grave, always just stood out. Like how much pain there was in his lyrics, and how he was so literate - in the way he was able to put together something so piercing. I mean, Pete Wentz is an amazing lyricist.”

Aurora itself was actually fairly diverse, with Jones adding that “it’s where most minority communities in Colorado lived.” Whilst there was never much of a local music scene at the time though, it has become increasingly multi-faceted as the city’s grown in population and cultural influence. Now, Jones muses how they could see a resurgence or a moment of being recognised as part of the scene. “I think there’s an independent spirit to the city to where everybody marches to the beat of their own drum,” he explains, “even as I’ve moved into different parts of my life, that’s still always been in my foundations. I’ve just got to do what I’m trying to do and not really worry about what everybody else is doing.”

Jones got into production via hand-me-downs from his older brother, who was an All-State basketball player: “I always grew up idolising him. He had moved to LA and then moved back to Denver, and had somehow brought a bunch of equipment for him to start producing music.” His brother didn’t really know what to do with his new collection of gear, but protested he’d simply ‘figure it out’. “He never really figured it out,” laughs Jones. “But now I had access to all this studio equipment. Next thing you knew, I was like 14 or 15 years old and better than he was.”

At 17, Jones decided to pare down his plans: he would either become a journalist or make music. With the latter, he channelled the tenacity that had become ingrained in him from growing up in sports. “I’ve always been very competitive and had a really good work ethic. My best sport was always track. And the thing for me about running - even now - is that it’s a very solitary, ‘how far can you push yourself?’ activity.”

Taking to YouTube to learn how to play piano and produce, Jones began to hone his skills as both a songwriter and producer, propelled by the challenge of learning. “I think all those days and nights of running on a track by myself [laughs] like, maybe it gave me the foundation of sitting there on those lonely nights making beats by myself. I’m a bit of an introvert too, I like to just be by myself, so I think it all feeds into each other.”

Years later, when Jones met Love, both artists had been active behind the scenes in writing and producing for prominent artists - Jones having earned a Grammy for his contribution to Kelly Clarkson’s 2011 album, Stronger. Soon after Love had moved to LA, their paths crossed when a mutual friend introduced them both. Despite Jones’s initial thoughts (“Ah, this kid’s fresh to LA, walking around in sunglasses…”), they began to work together; with Love as a vocalist and writer and Jones as a producer and writer. The duo’s chemistry translated into their first EP, Nu Religion, which was met with an enthusiastic reception they had never expected.

Last year, THEY. loosened their reigns to bring in outside faces on Fireside - a 6-track EP packed with features from friends, including Wiz Khalifa, Jessie Reyez, and Vic Mensa. After the duo’s “secret path” of guitars and 808s became more well-trodden, they began to trial other approaches, deciding to inverse the lack of features on their debut album. Although the process was complex, and wasn’t helped by the fact that THEY. were touring in Australia at the time and would often find themselves having to approve mixes at 5am, Jones confirms, “it was one of those Hail Mary moments where everything kind of came together at the end. It was crazy but it paid off.”

THEY.’s upcoming album, The Amanda Tape, was born out of this similar urge to explore new territory. As they tease the October drop, the third single “Play Fight” features Tinashe as the trio swap tantalising verses. They also ticked off a bucket list collaboration with Juicy J. With five years passed since their debut, Jones elaborates on how his creative process has become more refined over time: “I know how to get things done a lot faster now, and I’m definitely a little bit more open to collaborations than I used to be. Now I’m realising sometimes it takes an outside perspective to think of something I wouldn’t think of and take the song over the edge.”

One thing that has prevailed is the band’s desire to go against the grain and forge their own pathway. It’s something that THEY. also look for outside of their own music. “I’m ready for the next Game of Thrones, or the next series to really blow my mind,” Jones analogises. “Not only in an experimental sense, but maintaining that pop sensibility. I’m ready for that next wave, whatever that’s going to be.”

Moving forwards, THEY. are excited to get back into live shows, having previously toured with the likes of Bryson Tiller and PARTYNEXTDOOR. “Drew’s a great singer live,” beams Jones. “We always bring a lot of energy and run around and do all sorts of crazy stuff - try to make it as entertaining as we possibly can.” Whilst it’s hard to envision booking gigs in the current climate, it’s something the duo have begun to plan. For their musical next steps, Jones has been delving into surf rock, and confirms how there’s still much more ground to be covered in R&B that they want to dive into. It’s apparent that THEY. are never short of ideas, and as The Amanda Tape approaches, Jones and Love are ready to deliver.