Canadian producer and songwriter who we’ve come to know and love as Tails continues to showcase the evolution of his sound with his new single “is that ok?”, featuring Australian singer-songwriter Benji Lewis. Sonically, we’ve already been hearing subtle transitions to an Indie Dance sound on recent Tails releases like “on hold” and “CLOSE2ME”. But with his new collaboration with Benji, an artist known for his indie/alt-pop creations, Tails surprises us with another unique yet familiar-sounding banger.
The collaboration came to be when Benji sent Tails a new vocal idea that came to him earlier this year, says Benji. “I had been listening to some of Tails music a fair bit around that time and was really liking the vibe and emotion it brought with it. I thought that my idea could fit into what he was doing so I sent it over. He got back to me saying he definitely wanted to work on something with it. I remember the first demo sounding really cool and being so ready for it to come out ever since.”
The result is an immersive, attention-grabbing Indie Dance tune overflown by feelings of longing and nostalgia. Tails perfectly invigorated Benji’s emotive vocals by incorporating organic guitar progressions and basslines, immersive soundscapes, and a minimal yet punchy, head-bopping drop, delivering another captivating song and a compelling addition to his unique and versatile discography.
With a mission to always stay innovative and authentic in his music, the sonic developments that can be heard in Tails’ new single can partly be attributed to a change in his creative process, Tails shares. “Lately, most of my songs start by playing a progression on my guitar and sketching some general melodies with my voice! I've been getting very interested in boutique synth plugins and gear that have been making their way into my creative process.”
But “is that ok?” could’ve never been the song it is today without Benji’s vocals, which were crucial to get Tails started on the song in the first place. On the meaning of the lyrics, Benji shares: “It’s about remembering, thinking over and over again about this person you had something really special with. In a way I’m telling them that I’m still feeling this way after some time has passed, hoping that it’s ok with them as we did continue trying to be friends after things ended. Feelings and attachment can be crazy, some don’t ever go away I’m finding.”
Check out the new single, and get a glimpse into what we can expect from Tails in 2023, as the new year promises more new music and interesting collaborations with like-minded musicians.
Born and based in British Columbia, Canada, producer Spencer Reid - better known as tails - has been forging a new path in the dance music scene since 2015. Often relying on immersive soundscapes, thickly layered drums, and catchy melodies, he has garnered millions of streams worldwide. After busy years in 2016 and 2017, releasing independent singles like “Vega” and “Misted”, Tails defined his sound even further in 2018 by releasing breakthrough singles with Monstercat and Parametric Records (WMG) - “Ghosted feat. Pauline Herr” and “Skeleton feat. Nevve”. All the while a steadily dropping stream of remixes for the likes of Louis the Child, San Holo, Matoma, and Droeloe. He began 2019 with his American debut, playing forward-thinking sets at renowned festivals like EDC Las Vegas, Electric Zoo, and Veld.
In the early months of 2021, Tails began rolling out his debut EP, Photos of the Sun on San Holo's label, Bitbird. The EP featured guest appearances by Monsoonsiren, Iris Penning, Laye, and others. The Photos of the Sun EP landed Tails a new level of acclaim in the electronic music world. Tracks like 'Golden Youth' and 'Second Thoughts took over the top spot in multiple Spotify editorial playlists and amassed millions of streams. Tails quickly followed up the EP with another energetic single, 'CLOSE2ME' to finish 2021 strong. As 2022 kicks off, Tails is currently developing the direction for his sophomore EP.
Benji Lewis is an Australian singer/songwriter who makes chilled indie/alt-pop music that can be likened to a mix between Alexander 23, Jeremy Zucker and Shallou.
In 2017, Benji released his breakthrough single ‘Drift’ (co-written & produced by Golden Vessel) which has since collected over 27 million streams on Spotify alone. That song set the scene for Benji’s seven-track sophomore ep “Home For Now” which solidified Benji’s position within the global music scene and opened him up to more opportunities than he could have imagined.
“I remember being so excited to finally release that ep because I was so proud of what I had created. I still am today. It was all so personal but it made me so happy to see and hear that other people began to really connect with what I was feeling and the music I was creating.” – Benji Lewis
Over the last few years Benji Lewis has released three more eps – Together Apart (2018) // Here, Then And Now (2020) // Floating (2022) – which all received much praise and attention from music industry curators and fans all over the world.
Benji is currently working on his next round of releases which includes a collection of collaborative projects with a variety of artists as he continues to explore his own sound & style while also expanding his own creative network and dedicated fan base.
The first of those collaborative projects was a song called ‘Ingrained In Wood’ by US newcomers Meridian which was released via TH3RD BRAIN, and the most recent is a song called ‘Tell Me’ by French producer Lonely In The Rain which was released in October via Electro Posé imprint, Inside Records.