Prelow

New York will be forever known as the city that never sleeps. Its urban nightlife is the stuff of legend rife with the kind of metropolitan wonder that’s coursed through the work of everyone from Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen to Jay-Z and The Strokes. You could say Big Apple nightlife united Prelow’s Jesse Aicher and Matt Walsh. As the story goes, both musicians separately relocated to New York at 18—Jesse from Portland, ME and Matt from Jersey. Serendipitously, their paths kept crossing in bars and local hangouts until they jammed during a party at Matt’s apartment, which was furnished with nothing more than a DJ production rig. Thus Prelow came to life… “The music is affected by the city we live in,” explains Jesse. “We write songs that are inspired by our time out at night—dealing with coming-of-age, relationships, sex, friendships, disappointments, and changes in this place. It’s so different from where we both grew up. It’s our biggest muse.” By 2015, the boys had quietly stirred up a serious buzz as their single “Mistakes Like This” popped off on Soundcloud. It eventually went on to amass over 3 million plays on the platform before generating 6.8 million Spotify streams. Releasing the Why Does Everything Happen So Much EP, they attracted acclaim from Noisey, Nylon, Indie Shuffle, Pancakes and Whiskey, and more in between a marathon 50-date tour supporting Harlem’s own Skizzy Mars. Emerging on the other side inspired by all kinds of new experiences, Prelow hunkered down and began work on what would become their 2017 full-length debut. Jesse and Matt retreated just 100 miles away to Woodstock, NY and posted up in an Airbnb cabin for a month. Their main contact with the outside world was the property’s “caretaker” who facilitated grocery trips, filmed their exploits with a drone, and indulged in some good smoke when appropriate. “We got a lot of great ideas out,” recalls Matt. “There were no distractions, and the process helped us focus. At the same time, the lyrical perspective didn’t change.” Prelow kick off 2017 with the new single “Guitar Beat.” Driven by a shuffling electronic beat and a twisty guitar lick, the song slides into a carefree nocturnal narrative that would be right at home in a Wes Anderson or Richard Linklater flick: “It’s nights like these, oh man there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” “Matt programmed the drums, and I played that riff,” says Jesse. “That’s how it started. The vocals were freestyled from images of us being out with some other friends, running into new people, trying to figure out what was up for the evening, and coming to this place where it ended up being a great fucking night.” “We’re trying to think about it less and write what comes naturally,” adds Matt. “That’s why we didn’t change the name ‘Guitar Beat’ in the first place. It felt good. We’re not overthinking things.” Ultimately, that philosophy drives the group’s forthcoming album. It’s bound to be the perfect soundtrack for any night out… “We’ve grown since the EP,” Jesse leaves off. “With all of these changes, life keeps getting realer. It’s reflective on the album. I’d love for people to identify with some of those conflicting feelings that we go through. One day you might want to be romantic, and another you might just want to hook up. It’s this push-and-pull. That’s all part of growing up.” “What I look for in music is something that evokes some sort of emotion out of me whether it’s therapeutic, purely entertainment, or it just feels right,” concludes Matt. “I hope we can do that.”