Earlier this week, Halifax producer and performer waants unveiled a video for his latest single, “Keep Careful” (feat. Sorrey). While the 80s-inspired ascending synth, a funked up post-punk bass line, reverb soaked toms, and plinky guitars lend the track a retro dance vibe, the music (which would find itself right at home alongside deep cuts from Robyn’s Honey) acts as a savvy veil for lyrics that entertain an inner monologue reflecting on tough times.
To tackle these words, waants’ Adam Warren brought in Emilee Sorrey, songwriter and frontperson of the acclaimed shoegaze dreampop act Sorrey. Breaking from his previously released output, “Keep Careful” positions Sorrey on lead vocals.
Warren explains:
“In the fall of 2019, Emilee had recently moved to Halifax and we’d been talking about doing some collaborating – maybe on a remix, maybe doing some writing, and when I played this track for her the first time we were hanging out in the studio she caught the vibe and was into singing on it. She had the idea to callback to the beginning of the song with the lyrics in the bridge, and was really cool about me totally mangling her voice for a few of the lines in that section with weird formant effects.”
This spirit of teamwork lends itself to the entirety of Love u Forever, the upcoming debut EP from waants available via LHM Records on June 25, 2021.