At Coachella last Sunday, the pair known for their 2009 hit “Daylight” announced the release of a surprise EP We Were The Weirdos. The sudden release of these tracks was as much of a surprise to Matt and Kim as it was to their fanbase; they recorded the entire EP in four days after a burst of inspiration spurred on by Coachella weekend one. Fans have much to look forward to. The entire EP, particularly the track “Let’s Run Away,” is oozing with the eccentric Matt and Kim personality that fans know and love.
Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino are a couple and musical duo that first met as starry eyed college students at Pratt University. In contrast to their respective hometowns of rural Vermont and Providence, Rhode Island, Brooklyn was ripe for creative exploration. The two were inspired to begin writing and performing as Matt and Kim in 2004, despite the fact that neither of them knew how to play their instruments. In the years since, Matt and Kim have stuck to their roots with a simple, DIY pop-punk inspired sound. They perform live with just a drumset and a keyboard, and their drum and synth compositions are minimalist in a way that classically trained musicians’ are not. What their music lacks in complexity however, they more than make up in energy. Every Matt and Kim track is upbeat and energetic and communicates a love for the work that they do.
“Let’s Run Away” screams go big or go home. The track is high tempo from beat one, starting out with some well timed “oooohs” and one of the loud and simple drum sequences that have earned Kim well-deserved critical accolades. (As an aside, watching videos of Kim’s live sets is awesome, because her drum solos basically involve her repeatedly hitting the symbols as hard as she can.) Matt is the vocalist on this track, and he chimes in at sixteen seconds, with a crowd rallying behind him: “one, two, one, come on!” From that point onwards, listeners are treated to an audio medley. Kim’s big, loud drums get bigger and louder, and Matt comes in with a danceable keyboard riff and a charmingly off-beat chorus.
In line with Kim’s drum composition, the lyrics to “Let’s Get Away” are simple, yet strikingly resonant. “Let’s run run run run away / Don’t bring bring anything,” Matt coos on the chorus. Later he sings, “Take me there / I’ll find you take me there.” Matt’s voice on this track is harsh and conversational, wholeheartedly embracing his style that Pitchfork has described in the past as a “dweeby, nasally whine.” His “dweeby” voice on this track mirrors the name of the EP, We Were The Weirdos, and demonstrates Matt and Kim’s commitment to bringing their authentic selves to their work. On any other track, these simple lyrics appealing to escapism could come off as tired and overplayed, but delivered with Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino’s exuberance, the sentiment seems genuine.
On “Let’s Get Away” Matt and Kim have invited us to take a peek into their personal lives. Though the lyrics may be simple, they get at the heart of real issues the couple have faced balancing their personal life and living on the road. In the press release about We Were The Weirdos Matt wrote, “I’m so proud of how raw and real these songs are going to be, I really believe there is something special here…” It’s clear that above all else, Matt and Kim wrote “Let’s Get Away” and We Were The Weirdos for themselves, and no amount of critical acclaim or criticism can take that away from them.
('17, Computer Science) takes herself too seriously. She is enthusiastic about live music, problem solving and social media.