An intimate indie pop anthem for social distancing times, JST FRNDS’ “Long Nights” beats with heartache and wistful longing in a tender display of nostalgia for what used to be.
for fans of The xx, Eighty Ninety, NIGHTLY
Stream: “Long Nights” – JST FRNDS
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Atlanta indie pop duo JST FRNDS couldn’t have known their new song would hit this hard as they wrote it last winter, but then again a lot of us were unprepared for the current novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. With so many of us self-quarantining and practicing social distancing, it’s hard to feel as connected to our loved ones as we used to – and while there are plenty of songs to help us feel more in-touch with the world outside our windows, this one is about dwelling in those feelings of disconnection and loneliness. An intimate indie pop anthem for social distancing times, JST FRNDS’ “Long Nights” beats with heartache and wistful longing in a tender display of nostalgia for what used to be.
Long nights drivin’ through your city
And I keep wishin’ you were with me yeah
I think we took this too far
You made me crash my car
I keep wishin’ you were with me
On these long nights
On these long nights
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Long Nights,” JST FRNDS’ second single of 2020 and their sixth overall song release since debuting with the breakout song “All Night Long” in 2018. The Atlanta-based outfit of Callie Dixon and Gabe Neal, JST FRNDS formed in 2017 after both solo artists connected with one another on Instagram. Physically in Georgia while emotionally in New York City, the band offer a clean, finessed electro-pop sound that puts the spotlight on their beautiful, fluid vocals. Falling somewhere between Kygo and Oh Wonder, JST FRNDS can be heard singing together or separately against a backdrop of dynamic synths, pulsing drums (check out their Fleetwood Mac cover of “Dreams”), and cool guitars.
Arriving on the heels of February’s equally intimate, reflective song “Kids Again,” “Long Nights” speaks directly to JST FRNDS’ backstory: Soon after forming their band, they embarked on a joint Northeast tour that was cut short due to a serious car accident that left them bedridden for months. During that time, they began writing songs together – and it was this special bond that bloomed into the artistry we hear before us today: “Their songs are all inspired by things they go through together, which makes it clear they’re not just friends.”
“Long Nights” dwells in a bit of fantasy to which we can all relate: What if?
“We wrote ‘Long Nights’ last winter with the mega talented duo Eighty Ninety in New York City,” JST FRNDS tell Atwood Magazine. “The city is so special to us, because it’s where we really started our journey together. Lyrically we decided to take a different turn. We wanted to pull inspiration from a world where we didn’t stay together after the car accident, and imagine how radically different our lives would be. We can’t help but think that version of us from whatever universe would regret that decision.”
I take the long way to drive by your house
Past the parking lot where we met when you snuck out
I hate I love to remind myself
The way I think of you when I’m with somebody else
Long nights drivin’ through your city
And I keep wishin’ you were with me yeah
I think we took this too far
You made me crash my car
I keep wishin’ you were with me
On these long nights
On these long nights
The pair blend their smooth vocals against propulsive, swelling synths and a haunting electronic drum kit as they wallow in a feeling so many of us know all too well right now. “Our main source of inspiration is the connection we experience when people love our songs,” they explain. “We try and write about real feelings we’ve experienced in our relationship, and even the ones that came before that. If all we do for the rest of our life is record and play these songs live, we’re golden.”
Out on all platforms this Friday, “Long Nights” speaks to more than JST FRNDS could ever have known. Some of us are choosing not to go outside at all; others are walking around the neighborhood, but avoiding all indoor spaces. Whether you’re quarantined or social distancing, this physical separation from friends and family hurts more and more each day as a new reality – one where we can’t “just be together” sets in for the global community.
I take the backroads that led me to where you are
Past the In-N-Out where we made out in your car
I miss the way that you make me feel
And when I think of you yeah
I want nobody else
Long nights drivin’ through your city
And I keep wishin’ you were with me yeah
I think we took this too far
You made me crash my car
I keep wishin’ you were with me
On these long nights
On these long nights
Full of heartfelt and vulnerable emotion, JST FRNDS’ “Long Nights” speaks to our communal separation.
The song says all that we’re feeling in these distant, difficult times – capturing that deep, dark tension inside us as an invisible killer ravages folks across the world. COVID-19 has now taken nearly 9,000 lives worldwide, and the number of new cases is rapidly increasing on a daily basis. It’s up to every individual to do our part in stopping the spread of this contagion, and to acknowledge that the pain of not being together, no matter how much it hurts, is better than spreading a deadly disease. Stay safe, and dwell in the depths of JST FRNDS’ “Long Nights” – an anthem of disconnect and longing that speaks all too well to these turbulent times.
Now I can’t go home
Drivin’ past your front door
Where we first said
Never let you go
Never thought I’d end up here
Kinda wish you’d disappear
Long nights drivin’ through your city
And I keep wishin’ you were with me yeah
I think we took this too far
You made me crash my car
I keep wishin’ you were with me
On these long nights
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:: pre-save “Long Nights” here ::
Stream: “Long Nights” – JST FRNDS
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