FOR RELEASE AUGUST 10, 2020
LOS ANGELES (July 27, 2020) – The new single from the Brothers Landau, “Monday”, expresses modern working life’s lack of true meaning and fulfillment. It calls attention to the unhealthy focus on wages, consumption, and production above all else. Echoing the sentiment with a trio of complementary and conflicting cellos, the track utilizes more dissonance and a driving backbeat to express the tension and neverending pressure to constantly be working. “Monday” is out August 10 and is off the upcoming EP, Haven’t Got A Name, out August 28.
“Monday” was written all in one sitting after brothers Daniel and David were dealing with a particularly stressful month of hard work with little in return. They crafted a more intense and rocking track with an overdriving baritone guitar and drums, capturing the frustrations of a modern way of life and touching on how distant people can be even when they’re right beside you. Reconciling the compulsion to play music with how difficult it is to actually be heard in a crowded field, as well as the inherent difficulties of romance in L.A., inspired the song’s final question: “Why’s it so hard to give yourself away?”
“The song is a series of vignettes conveying feelings of yearning for advancement, understanding, love, and recognition,” they explain. “We wanted to capture all the frustrations, tensions, and struggles of our everyday experience as musicians and people in L.A.” In order to create a more densely painted picture, David switched out his cello strings to elicit a conversation pulling the listener in different directions. The two post-choruses were composed on the spot with layered harmonies, dissonances, and distinct voicings.
The brothers employ the same introspection on the entire EP, coaxing negative emotions into inspiring inquiry of self-reflection about the questions life brings. But that stillness was not always a strong foundation: prior to the brothers writing these songs, Daniel was going through a personal crisis that even led him to question giving up music. Wrestling with a life-altering shift bred increasing dread that culminated in existential panic one harrowing night. Haven’t Got A Name bears the fruits of that turmoil, exploring topics including existentialism, moral dilemmas, and what it means to be a person in a modern and uncertain world.
Haven’t Got A Name Track Listing
- Haven’t Got A Name
- Steady Joy
- A Way Down
- A Major Jerk
- Monday
About The Brothers Landau:
The Brothers Landau are an indie-folk duo from just outside of Los Angeles, California. Brothers David and Daniel draw from their myriad influences and classical background to create introspective songs that explore chamber folk, jazz, and neo-folk with an ever-evolving sound. They released the album Parallax in 2010 and have received international airplay as well as multiple placements on Roadtrip Nation (PBS). The upcoming EP, Haven’t Got A Name, is a reflective look into what it means to exist and what to do with the short time we have.
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Praise For The Brothers Landau
“The Brothers Landau is a revelation and a joy.” – Blue Railroad
“…brothers David and Daniel create their own unique brand of ultra-cool modern folk that just begs to be listened to…” – Gorillacoustic
