Track By Track: Sonder on their Into EP

The three-piece outfit is fronted by Brent Faiyaz, who takes the lead on vocals, as well as songwriting with DPAT (The Weeknd, Wiz Khalifa), and ATU (Tinashe) working on the meticulous production. The seven-track EP makes a fantastic introductory offering from the band who talk to us below about the processes and meanings behind each track.

Feel

Brent Faiyaz: I wrote "Feel" about a situation I was in with a woman I was dating – the not-so-simple act of having to let go of someone whose heart just isn't in it anymore, no matter how much you care for them. The record is slightly exaggerated from the actual story but I think that's what makes it as raw as it is.

Lovely

DPAT: This was the first song we recorded for the project. We recorded all of the vocals for this song, "Feel", and "Care" in one week, which really shaped the foundation for the record. This song also probably took the longest for ATU and I to figure out what to do production wise. I think we made over 5 different versions.

Sirens

Faiyaz: "Sirens" is a personal record for me, [featuring] things I talked about with my parents and peers; challenges I faced getting to where I am in music and my personal life. It's hard being a kid and being so sure about the person you are when nobody believes you. It's a lot to go from being misunderstood to finally being in a healthy space of reflection.

DPAT: "Sirens" was recorded in two different sessions and was the first time I really heard Brent dig deep into his personal life [and] upbringing. ATU and I decided to keep the production minimal so that his songwriting could really be processed by the listener. I was imagining the live show when I made the second half of the song, and I thought it'd be a nice switch up to go from delicate production into something hard and in your face, which ties into what Brent is saying.

Too Fast

Faiyaz: I was in LA working a lot - doing studio sessions everyday, getting drunk and blowing money. Travelling a lot [and] sleeping with different women almost every night. I wasn't answering the phone when my mom called. I felt bad for worrying her but everyone just had an opinion and I wanted to get lost in the mix. You meet enough people and shake enough hands - everyone feels temporary. I wrote "Too Fast" about not caring if I live long, but just living my truth and dying on my terms.

ATU: I almost never presented this idea (first half) to Brent. Fortunately, I randomly shared it with DPAT one night and he kindly reminded me that I was foolin'. Although it's one of the few songs that Brent cut without us actually being around, it really set the tone for how we were going to structure the rest of project. Once we all met up in LA, we had the opportunity to session with Los Hendrix who played a majority of the instruments on the outro, which was initially meant to be an entirely different song.

Baldwin Park

ATU: There are a couple ideas that Brent started while he was in Orlando that never got completed, but still sounded somewhat promising. The background vocals on this song were from an entirely different session that went nowhere, so I essentially sampled those vocals and produced around them in a new key. We nearly added a verse to it, but then all ended up deciding that keeping it bare was the right choice.

Searchin'

Faiyaz: I wrote "Searchin'" about a woman I was seeing that wasn't comfortable being intimate with me right away. It's a first time record, I guess. Things that went through my head that I couldn't just come out and say. It's directed at making her feel comfortable. I didn't wanna be pushy or forceful. Just like "When you're ready, I'm ready."

Care

BRENT: "Care" sort of just came out of nowhere. We were working out of ATU's old apartment in Orlando, just listening to music and shit. Everything sounds the same. Content all the same. I feel like there isn't any love in black music anymore. I really just wrote the record to show our women that I care. I'm not trying to win women fans or anything like that, I just feel like more men should. We all were birthed by a woman, so why is there such a disconnect? It's played out.