Tune Yards duo Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner. Photo: Shervin Lainez
Tune-Yards, the experimental music project of California-based couple Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, has been pushing sonic boundaries for over a decade. Originally from New England, Garbus is a singer and multi-instrumentalist, while Brenner plays bass and co-produces the group's bold, genre-defying sound.
In 2012, Tune-Yards played a memorable show in Aotearoa that left fans buzzing about their boundary-breaking performance. Now, the duo is preparing to release their sixth studio album, Better Dreaming, out on May 16.
The album has been described as 'ferocious in its invocation of self-love, of collective action, of dance floor liberation, ego-death deliverance, and a future we could all thrive in.'
Maggie Tweedie caught up with Merrill and Nate in their basement studio, where they spoke about the evolution of Tune-Yards, the creative journey behind the new album, and the influence of a surprising new collaborator — their 3-year-old child, who’s taken on the unofficial role of producer for this latest record.
Song's Played:
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Bizness
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Powa
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Gangsta
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Heartbreak
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Limelight
