Couch Prints' Debut EP 'Tell U' Out Tomorrow on Luminelle

NYC-based synth trio Couch Prints - comprised of Jayanna Roberts, Brandon Tong, and Jake Truax - will release their debut EP Tell U tomorrow October 30th via Luminelle Recordings. Leading up to the EP release, the band previously shared the shimmering opener "Of Drawing," the dreamy title-track "Tell U," and most recently the haunting "Faces," which NYLON called "another stunning tune that's all soaring synths and Roberts' crystalline vocals..."

Some groups, like certain friendships, come together as if by fate. Jake Truax (guitar) and Brandon Tong (keys) first met in gym class in the seventh grade of their Denver, Colorado junior high school, and immediately became friends. To pass the hours outside of school, the two spent their time skating and listening to music, their days soundtracked by groups like Frou Frou, The Sounds, and Shiny Toy Guns. As they grew up, they began to experiment making music, though never collaborating together. The two stayed close despite going to different colleges, and when Jake moved to Paris for his undergraduate, Brandon came to visit with the idea of recording some songs as a group. Inspired by many of the acts they had grown up listening to as middle schoolers, the result was a unique amalgam of synthpop, 90s dance music, and indie rock.

Jake first heard Jayanna Roberts (vocals) playing a ukulele and singing in the courtyard of his Paris college, months after Brandon had returned to Denver. The two quickly became friends and collaborators, writing songs together for french class. Jayanna returned to New York the following semester, around the time Brandon moved to Brooklyn permanently. When Jake visited the city to record with him, he suggested they call Jayannna. The trio booked a rehearsal space at a now-demolished warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and got to work. Jayanna's energy and unique vocal tone meshed perfectly with their songs, and they left the second day with a recorded demo of the first official Couch Prints song, "Tell U."

An immersive synthpop exploration, "Tell U" is the sound of a new group somehow already fully-formed. The song is a remarkable combination of the transient wistfulness of being young, the longing for the past and also a desire for new things to come. After finishing the demo, the group worked with Billy Pavone at his studio in Brooklyn on additional production and mixing, and with Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound to finish the master. (LaPorta would go on to master the rest of the group's debut EP as well.)

The response to "Tell U" was far beyond anything the group expected. The song caught the ear of Chris Cantalini from Gorilla Vs. Bear, and found its way onto the Spotify playlists Fresh Finds and Bedroom Pop. Seeing the potential in this new group, Jake moved to New York permanently, and Couch Prints became a reality.

Watch the "Tell U" video here:

Photo Credit: Iain Emaline