Award-winning DJ and producer Super Duper, aka Josh Hawkins, releases his double single, “Crying In The Rain” and “My Family My Friends,” taken from his forthcoming album.
“Crying In The Rain” is a tribute to older music, while “My Family My Friends” is an intimate exploration of Super Duper’s life and relationships.
Talking about “Crying In The Rain,” Super Duper shares, “This was one of the first songs I wrote after finishing my last album. I wasn’t exactly sure what direction I wanted to go in stylistically, so I invited a handful of artist/producer friends to go on a writing retreat to give me a hand with writing new songs. I was listening to a lot of older music at the time and wanted to try sampling, but I knew that would be a really difficult task to pull off because of all the red tape and fees. So instead, I asked my buddies Ian Keaggy and Louis Johnson (Lonas) to write a song in the vein of The Eagles to kind of create my own sample to flip. I asked them to make it as authentic as possible and only sing over a single guitar. I wanted the vocals to feel grounded in an organic place and not have any ‘electronic’ or ‘dance’ influence.”
He continues, “They came up with a beautiful acoustic ballad that had an amazing vocal performance. I took it and flipped it like it was from a vinyl I found but the beauty of reverse engineering samples is that I could isolate the vocal and have Lonas sing a few new parts later once the production was fleshed out. What you end up with is a really heartfelt vocal performance that would have never come about if Lonas heard the final instrumentation from the beginning. I’m always looking for ways to combine contrasting moods and sounds in new and exciting ways and this song embodies that perfectly.”
With millions of streams and hits like “VHS,” “Vessels to You,” “Quiver,” featuring Lonas, and “Angela,” which topped Hype Machine, appeared on Spotify’s Viral 50 charts, and was then picked up by SiriusXM Chill, Super Duper’s music merges nostalgia and vibrant energy.
Super Duper has shared the stage with The Chainsmokers, Petit Biscuit, STS9, Kasbo, The Glitch Mob, and Big Wild, and recently received a Clio award for scoring the trailer to Widows, Steve McQueen’s new film.
“Crying In The Rain” opens on swirling synths topped by the deliciously evocative voice of Lonas, imbuing the lyrics with poignant savors. Once the rhythm enters, the tune takes on low-slung, propelling energy, highlighted by Lonas’ expressive tones, followed by radiant, exotic-flavored harmonies.
Traveling on emerging colors, “My Family My Friends” features striking gang-like vocals riding an alluring rhythmic pulse, at once infectious and potent. There’s a magnetic, optimistic feel and flow to the tune, evoking upbeat aromas and joy.
With “Crying In The Rain” and “My Family My Friends,” Super Duper displays his creative genius and his magical touch.
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