Cary duo, The One Eighties, return with their first song since releasing their debut album Minefields in 2023. “Backseat Devil” will be out January 17, 2025 (Pre-save HERE).

The duo labored for two years over Minefields in a feat they call “tamed extravagance,” melding unlikely combinations of acoustic guitars with ‘80s synths, orchestral strings, and space-country tones, but with their forthcoming single “Backseat Devil,” it sees them doubling back toward the naked simplicity of their Americana roots.  Exploring themes of alienation, regret, and personal growth, this song can be described as hopeful melancholia inspired by old-time “highway” country, roots rock, and the echoes of Appalachia. Conceptually, the song is about trying to leave something behind, but not being able to fully let go. “Maybe there is a nagging guilt about how you left it,” says Cook. “But whatever it is, it’s there in the backseat haunting you no matter how much you try to outrun it.”

For “Backseat Devil” they enlisted the help of well-known session players including award-winning drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood), pedal steel player Whit Wright (American Aquarium, Thomas Rhett Akins), bassists Bill Corbin (American Aquarium) and Casey Toll, Charles Cleaver on organ and accordion, and Maigan Kennedy on soprano harmonies and cello.  Most of the tracking and mixing was done at the duo’s home studio in Cary, NC with final mastering done by Steve Fallone of Sterling Sound (Taylor Swift, War on Drugs, Nora Jones).

Cook and Brand garnered high praise with their former band New Reveille from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and CMT, when they were just starting to make waves. But like many a common tale, their record label closed down, the pandemic hit, and the band went their separate ways. The chronically indecisive pair then pulled a “one-eighty” and changed course, driven by the challenge of setting out on their own.  Even though the duo had to start over, with Minefields, they’ve reemerged with exceptional reviews.  Americana UK said the album “…features gorgeous, sweeping sonic layers over powerful, hypnotic percussion; The haunting melody of Brand’s vocal floats perfectly with Allyn Love’s swooning pedal steel guitar and keys from Charles Cleaver, which both add to the dreamy atmosphere.”  B-Sides & Badlands said, “When listening to The One Eighties’ debut album, it’s hard not to imagine it orbiting the very same sun as Kacey Musgraves’ transcendent Golden Hour…Like Musgraves, The One Eighties stretch the limits of their craft, bending styles like light through a prism…Each musical swerve is like a rubber band snapping. And you get the sense that the creative pair are blooming right before your ears. It might be their debut outing, but there’s a masterclass of musicianship on display many new artists rarely achieve. It’s magnificent to behold.”  Hollywood Digest said “…one of the most complete and exciting releases of 2023 among the alternative country and indie pop/rock undergrounds. Bursting at the seams with originality but connected to an iconic blend of influences that seems to impart something wholly unique around every turn, The One Eighties’ Minefields is a must-listen.”  Melody Maker said, “Surprisingly engaging and consistently more complex and involved than anything else I’ve heard under the alternative country scene as of late, The One Eighties’ Minefields is a masterpiece in every department.”

Outside of their main musical pursuits, Cook and Brand recently launched Foxriot, an award-winning film and video scoring company with successful projects under their belts for IBM, UNC, Duke University, Carolina Performing Arts, and more.  Part of the goal for Foxriot was to help provide more of a financial foundation for The One Eighties to be able to get out into the world.

Look for The One Eighties to tour and release new music throughout 2025.

THE ONE EIGHTIES

Website | Instagram | Facebook | X | Spotify | YouTube | Threads | TikTok