Your new album AMERIKA’S NEXT TOP PARTY! drops 10/17. What do you want people to walk away from the album with?
Jadagrace — It’s our real introduction as a duo. The EP was a preview, but this album is a concise representation of the past couple of years, showing off our sound, our world, and everything we’ve been experimenting with.
SWIM — It’s definitely our most vulnerable project. A blueprint for young Black artists figuring out success for the first time, it’s really about the highs, the lows, and everything in between.
You’ve already released a few visuals and they’re really strong. On the album cover, there’s a two-headed dog staring us down. What’s the story there? Is it a metaphor or just chaos?
SWIM — It’s a little bit of both. We were looking for something that could represent who we are without saying too much, and the two-headed dog was perfect. There’s also some symbolism referencing the two-party system in America, and the way we dress is heavily inspired by the Black Panther Party. The two-headed dog represents that we work so well together, but we’re also extremely different. We move as one at the end of the day.
You’ve been friends for over 15 years. How does that history bleed into the music? Can you recall an early moment in your friendship that hinted at the creative bond you’d later build?
SWIM — We’ve been to funerals, baby showers, weddings—we’ve seen it all together. This isn’t like some American Idol thing where we were thrown together. This was genuine friendship, and our friendship is the most important thing to us outside of the music. People always comment on how I can tell by the look on Jada’s face whether she likes a certain sound or idea. There are so many times where Jada will come out of the booth, or I’ll come out of the booth, and we’re like, you can do better than that. It’s that brutal honesty and respect we have for each other that makes it so special.
Jadagrace — And on top of that, even when we were kids, we were always trying to create something together. We didn’t realize that would eventually turn into a job. Creating is just part of our relationship, so when we turned into a duo, we wanted to show off our dynamic, personalities, and relationship.
What kind of advice do you have for people creating with their friends who want to turn that into something a bit more serious without putting stress on the friendship?
Jadagrace — I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.
SWIM — No, I definitely wouldn’t. Only because what we have is really rare, and it’s something we have to keep working at constantly. There has to be mutual respect and a mutual understanding of what the goal is.
Jadagrace — You can’t just be doing it for yourself.
“FRIENDLY FIRE” is basically a diss track aimed at each other. What was it like to trade blows? How do you draw the line between art and real life when writing something that sharp?
Jadagrace — It was really fun. In the writing process for that track, we both sat down and told each other things we wouldn’t want people to say if they were dissing us. We gave each other the ammo, so we weren’t surprised by anything that was said. We had so many different verses that were very scathing, but the goal was to make a really good song that people wanted to listen to and run back.
The songs are instant party anthems, but there’s also this headphone intimacy; they’re the type of music for a long drive. How do you balance transparency and vulnerability with fun? Is being that open ever terrifying?
SWIM — The scariest part was the EP, All For the Best, because we had gone through something so publicly, and even people on our team were like, maybe we shouldn’t be this honest. It was cathartic for us, though. It felt risky, but then releasing it and seeing people’s reactions, saying they went through the same thing or that a song changed their life, was all the confirmation we needed. After that, it became easier to be vulnerable because we realized that’s how we connect with our fans most. It’s the human experience, that duality of like, I’m in the club, but I’m actually in the club because I’m avoiding all my problems, you know?
Do you have any advice for someone who’s in the club sad?
Jadagrace — Don’t run away from it.
SWIM — It’s okay to be in the club sad. Just know that you’re in the club sad.
What do you do if you’re feeling down?
SWIM — Watch Love Island or some brainless TV.
Jadagrace — Frank Ocean really takes me there.
