Today, Death From Above 1979 (DFA), the boundary pushing musical alliance made up of Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler, released their new single, “One + One” via Universal Music Canada/ Spinefarm. Listen to the single and watch the music video here.
“One + One” arrives as an unmistakably DFA-esque track and the first taste of new music since their 2017 release, Outrage! Is Now.
“‘One + One’ is a love song,” says Grainger. “It’s the karmic sequel to Romantic Rights. My wife, Eva, became pregnant not long after we started working on the song and after hearing an early version she said, ‘I wish this song was dancier’. So I went back into the studio and re-worked the drums. As the record was taking shape, every time I would come home from the studio the baby would start dancing in Eva’s belly. Even before I walked in the room the party would start. One plus one is three, that’s magic!”
In the music video, created as a collage of disparate frames and moments inspired by the photography of artist David Hockney, was shot in Marmora, Ontario and directed by Eva Michon, who also helmed the band’s documentary, Life After Death from Above 1979(2014).
“Since we started playing people would come up to the stage and after and say: ‘I can’t believe there’s just two of you,’” explains Grainger. “The video for ‘One + One’ is Eva’s way of showing that our band is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s Death From Above 1979 in multitudes.”
Along with the first single, the band dropped a surprise announcement of their fourth LP, Is 4 Lovers, out March 26 (pre-order here). The new album, which Grainger and Keeler wrote, produced, mastered and recorded entirely by themselves, captures the creation of a totally new sound and a reimagining of the format they created more than 20 years ago.
With the band leaving subtle hints at what was to come across social platforms over the past few months, fan response at launch, and in anticipation of new music, has been ferocious. Adding to the hype, on January 18 fans were invited to call a hotline, where the lyrics of “One + One” were recited in a dramatic reading by Keeler. With calls flooding in leading up to the single’s official announcement on January 25, the news of a forthcoming album leaves fans, fondly referred to as ‘Lovers’, counting down the days to the album’s release.
An exclusive line of DFA merch, including a limited edition autographed vinyl that is exclusively available only on the DFA store launched today, is available here.
DFA has never sounded more assuredly like itself than it does on Is 4 Lovers.
TRACKLIST:
- Modern Guy
- One + One
- Free Animal
- N.Y.C. Power Elite Part I
- N.Y.C. Power Elite Part II
- Totally Wiped Out
- Glass Homes
- Love Letter
- Mean Streets
- No War