148 uplift and inspire while refusing to be painted into corners with their new single Double Trouble and sophomore EP Blue Moon — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
“Blue Moon is an abbreviation of the famous saying, ‘Once in a blue moon,’ ” explains Suertudo, one-half of the Lagos-born, Toronto-based duo with partner McQueen. “We wanted to build off of the astrology theme from our debut EP Dark Matter, but also find a name that symbolized where we stood in our development. We believe that each person is ‘once in a blue moon.’ It goes without saying that no two people are the same but, as human beings, the majority of us choose to walk down well-known paths to achieve a brand of happiness that has been marketed to the masses for decades, if not centuries. We hope to inspire others to break their mold and let loose their inhibitions to discover their own brand of happiness and joy in this life.”
It’s a lesson they’ve learned firsthand. “After the release of Dark Matter, we felt like everyone we met wanted to paint us in a corner,” McQueen says of their sound, which has been dubbed pop, Afrobeat, hip-hop, funk, world and R&B. “People would advise us to either stick with rap or Afrobeats, or on some occasions even, try and convince us our sound was not ‘it.’ We no longer play by the rules of society or the guidelines we placed on ourselves due to past insecurities. Now we strive for our reality to be an extension of our dreams and desires.”
Their dreams include the new single and video for Double Trouble, which was “created in a studio bedroom with our longtime friends and producer Jms,” Suertudo recalls. “It was made on pure vibes, in anticipation of the 2020 summer.” Adds McQueen: “This was before the world as we knew it fell apart! But in the midst of the pandemic, finishing this song kept us in good spirits.”
Those good spirits and the decidedly unique circumstances around them propelled 148 to create Blue Moon. Listen to the EP below, watch the video for Double Trouble above, and follow 148 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
