HAERTS, photo by B. Asch
Synthpop duo HAERTS have released a new single called “For the Sky” featuring Grizzly Bear singer Ed Droste. It’s their first new music since releasing their sophomore album, New Compassion, in 2018.
Nini Fabi and Benny Gebert, the musicians behind the moniker, are partners outside of the band. Apparently the inspiration for the song hit them after Fabi, who had recently found out she was pregnant at the time, woke up from a surreal dream.
“When we finished the demo for the song, I kept hearing Ed’s voice and just thought he would sound amazing on it. We didn’t know him at the time, but were such fans,” she said in a statement. “When we reached out we honestly thought we’d never hear from him. But we did and we went into the studio in LA, and ended up recording it just singing together in a room. Now that feels like such a nostalgic notion. But even then it was special. It was that feeling you get when you sing with somebody and something just clicks. And it’s especially crazy when you sing with a vocal force as Ed. I wish everybody could sing together more and feel that.”
Sure enough, that natural collaborative high can be heard in the song. “For the Sky” is full of deep vocal notes and grand, sweeping refrains. While it falls in line with HAERTS’ synthpop past, it definitely sees them pushing through to something a little more subtly anthemic. Of course, it’s fitting Droste joins them on this song in particular because the percussive undercurrent and slinky bass are certainly reminiscent of a Grizzly Bear number.
In the song’s accompanying music video, directed by Julian Klincewicz, the duo can be seen singing along to the song while a pastel-colored kaleidoscope overlays their profiles. Soon the color turns into a heat sensor-style visual, complete with technicolor rays and fuzzy pixels. It’s a fitting visual for such a fluid, smooth song. Watch it below.