Eighty Ninety took time out of their busy lives to answer our questions about their music and how they make it. Let’s see what they have to say!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
We wanted a name that didn’t have any other associations with it and that wouldn’t box us into any particular genre. We also like that everyone has their own guess. We won’t say what ours are – but so far no guesses have been wrong.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
Our parents were musical and kept instruments lying around the house. They never told us to play but they created the opportunity and were always playing records. Both of us started bands in middle school — pretty much been playing since. Though this is the first time we’ve been in a band together.
How would you describe your sound?
We call our sound “808s and telecasters” because we try to blend more classic song-driven music with experimental and eclectic production style. We try to let the meaning, rather than genre conventions, dictate what instruments we reach for our sounds we create.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
Everyone from Tom Petty and U2 to Sparklehorse and Pavement. We like songs that take big swings and DIY productions that take risks.
What’s the last song you listened to?
“adore u” by Fred Again & Obongjayar
What’s your source for hearing new music?
A combination of Spotify, blogs, and our friends — we’re based in Brooklyn, so we’re lucky to be surrounded by so many great artists.
Who is your dream producer?
We love Mike Crossey. He makes incredible sounding records that are also fun and slick like the best pop.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
It’s gotta be Taylor Swift!
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
It was always something we wanted to do – we never even really made a conscious choice, honestly. We keep making it because we love to do it. That’s really it.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
Usually Abner will have an outline of a song on a guitar or piano, he’ll bring it into the studio and Harper will start getting ideas about how to bring it to life. Then we collaborate pretty much 50/50 from there to finish it.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
IG and TikTok are great – send us a message, say hi! @eightyninety8090.
Social links:
Spotify
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Website
What’s next for you?
We’re finishing our upcoming album – very excited for you to hear it.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Stay tuned for more new music soon!
Bio:
Eighty Ninety is the indie-pop project of Brooklyn-based brothers Abner (vocals, production) and Harper (guitar, production) James. They fuse intimate storytelling, sticky melodies, and minimalist pop productions built on acoustic instruments and electronic sounds in a style they call “808s and telecasters” — a shorthand for both their music and their anything-goes mentality in the studio. Their debut album is due out later this year. In the meantime, stream their new single, “The Hard Way.”
