Indie pop/rock collective and brother duo wats is comprised of Micah and Noah. Making music together for almost five years, the brothers have an undeniable bond and chemistry through music. Going from messing with Foo Fighters tunes to creating catchy guitar riffs and heavy synth layering, the brother have established their craft from the ground up. Based in Michigan, wats was separated by circumstance when Micah had to move to Wisconsin. Using the power of technology and strive and ambition like no other, the brothers managed to still make music. Their latest release “Love -wats” is a six track EP that took 2 years for the brothers to finish, but it was worth every second!
“Rested” is an upbeat pop rock anthem off of wats “Love -wats” EP. We can’t stop blasting this catchy lighthearted tune on repeat. I highly recommend you do the same so you can sing along with the high energy vocals and authentic indie sound arrangements. The brothers have already received much success and positive feedback for their newest released and we can see why! Easy listening synths blast through the speakers layered with addicting guitar riffs and soulful lyricism. Micah and Noah have created an eclectic motif and we can’t wait to see what these long distance brothers curate for their fans next!
Check out “Rested” here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Hey guys! Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and how wats came to fruition?
Hello! Well for starters wats is made up of me (Micah) and my older brother Noah. He’s 21, I’m 17, and we both grew up in Kalamazoo Michigan. Ever since we were kids we’ve been interested in music. We were fortunate enough to be raises on some true classics, courtesy of my dad. You couldn’t get in his car without a Pink Floyd album coming on. If the car ride was long enough, you could be treated to some Counting Crows, Foo Fighters, or even older Maroon 5. It was that music that inspired us to pick up our own instruments, play along, and eventually write our own stuff. The creation of wats was just the natural next step of our musical journey. We had our own material and a desire to share it with other people.
Who are you musical influences and how do they inspire your sound?
Like every artist on the planet we have a ton of influences but to name a few, The Band Camino, The 1975, Michael Jackson, and Little Image have inspired the way we make music tremendously. MJ and The 1975’s incorporation of synths is just genius. George Daniel of The 1975 and Troy Bruner of Little Image are two of the most proficient drummers in the industry at the moment in our opinion and we keep coming back to their work when we’re laying down drum parts. And all four artists influence the way we write guitar lines and vocal melodies.
We love your track “Rested”! Can you tell us about the meaning behind the lyrics?
Thank you so much! Rested is all about social anxiety and a fear of not fitting in. It’s a manifestation of the feeling you get when you walk into a room and wonder if anyone in it is happy to see you. The feeling that when you open your mouth every little word is being scrutinized by a jury just waiting for you to slip up. But contrasting that is the bridge which is a bit of a angel on your shoulder telling you “people don’t really think of you like that”. The name Rested wraps all those concerned feelings up and dismisses them. It’s all in your head, go back to sleep.
What are some challenges that come with being a long distance duo? How do you overcome these challenges?
Mostly it’s communication. If one of us records a part and the other has questions or comments it’s not as easy as simply turning and talking about it in the moment. We also don’t get a ton of time to rehearse and write together which can be frustrating at times. All this is besides the fact that we grew up together and just miss each other’s company. It’s definitely not all bad though. Modern technology helps massively. We spend hours each week talking ideas and our progress on current projects over the phone. And when the stars align and we actually get to play and write in the same room, we appreciate it even more.
What can the fans expect from the album you're currently working on? Any hints on a release date?
This next album will definitely be full length. At least 13 tracks. We’re really excited about making a longer record because it leaves more time to tell a longer story. To create an actual experience rather than captivate someone’s attention for a few minutes. Albums are beautiful in that way. Our next one will have more of an electronic element to it and more honesty in the lyrics as well. Not that Love - wats wasn’t honest, I simply held back some of the things I wanted to say. But there are no holds barred on this next one. We’ve just started to record it so I don’t want to set any dates in stone, but my hope is we’ll have some music ready by mid 2020.
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