Bringing some dreamy chillwave-flecked R&B into our lives this month, US duo Sports announce their new single, ‘Baby Baby’.
Releasing their first single for 2020 back in May with ‘Tell You Something’, the band began to gear up in introducing fans to their new chapter. ‘Baby Baby’ sees the band continue to experiment with influences and direction, delivering a single that brings psych influences together with R&B and dream-pop threads, making for an insatiable listen.
Recorded this year at Oklahoma’s Blackwatch Studios with Chad Copelin (LANY, Sufjan Stevens), ‘Baby Baby’ came together following songwriting sessions where Sports’ Cale Chronister took the idea of codependency and the emotions surrounding it, and brought them into Sports’ unique musical world.
“‘Baby Baby’ is about codependency. My emotions being dependent on someone else’s emotions. It’s about a vicious cycle of not being able to comfort someone who is crying, and their crying ending up making me more upset than they are.” Cale Chronister, Sports
As he explains, ‘Baby Baby’ focuses on ego and inner struggle – it stands out as a personal monologue, set to a beautifully produced soundtrack.
“In the verses of the song I’m expressing my frustration with being unable to be comforting, and in the chorus I end up asking for comfort. It’s a messed up cycle that I find myself. The ego placing itself where it doesn’t belong. As the song goes on, that last chorus gets more emotional, and the same lyrics can be heard as actual empathy. As if something clicked and I felt your pain and cried with you; instead of just trying to make myself feel better.” Cale Chronister, Sports
With a sound that evokes the likes of Client Liaison, MGMT and Empire of The Sun, Sports have been meticulously creating their sonic space since their 2015 debut album Naked All The Time.
Complimenting the psych influences and dreamy RnB tones of the single is the newly released music video for ‘Baby Baby’. Rich in unusual visuals and a haunting aesthetic, the clip goes between a moody underground scene that evokes melancholia before rising worldside to indulge in reminiscence of troubled past love.
Having a powerful connection with the single, working with Mortis Studios to bring Sports’ vision to life was a rewarding experience for the duo.
“In the video for Baby Baby, we’re trapped in this underworld communicating to a lush world above filled with troubling memories and relationships. Yet, I think we’re longing for it. It seems appealing compared to the world below — a small, decaying room with nothing to do but watch TV and mope around. To me, it mirrors the world we’re in today. But it also mirrors the lyrics in the song, which is about codependency in relationships. The underworld could represent my subconscious, I suppose.” Cale Chronister.
Currently made up of Chronister and Christian Theriot, Sports have been unafraid of playing with tones and delving further into textural experiments as their music has evolved over subsequent releases. Consistently releasing music and developing for themselves a strong live presence in the years that followed, the band has become an eclectic musical force in the US, now setting their sights on further growing their Australian fan base.
PRAISE FOR SPORTS
“An effortless crossover between the smooth synths of Tame Impala and the timeless pop hooks of David Bowie, ‘Tell You Something’ is a perfectly mellow introduction to a new era for alternative pop outfit Sports.”
Earmilk
“You’ll be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable kind of sonic sci-fi than Oklahoma duo Sports’ blend of inky, psychedelic R&B with indie rock from the South West.”
Pigeons & Planes
“…a dizzying display of chillwave and funkish proficiency.”
Atwood Magazine
‘Baby Baby’ is released Friday, October 16th.
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