They released their first album,
Sylvan Esso
, in 2014. The record notched no. 4 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums.
They create their music organically. Each of them collect beats, chords and lyrics which they pass back and forth, Sanborn said. Over time, they stretch a single note into a complete song.
Their goal: to make pop music that's both accessible and thought-provoking.
The songs range in theme. The lead single "Hey Mami" is both a flirtatious catcall and a critique on what it's like to be a woman who's catcalled. In the popular "Coffee," Meath urges one to dance in any situation, singing, "the sentiment's the same but the pair of feet change."
The music is quirky, full of bells and dings, thrumming and buzzing. And over the beats, Meath's voice is airy and articulate, like the synthetics themselves. It's reflective of the band's influences, artists like Jimmy Tamborello of the Postal Service and bands like the Lizard Lounge.
"The key is electronic music that feels like humans made it -- music that doesn't feel robotic. It feels like you could reach out and touch it," Sanborn said.
By Elizabeth Hamilton
