Ruby Rendrag and Suki Kuehn are two musicians who today (July 5) are introducing themselves as a duo, The Two’s. The vocalist/guitarist and cellist, respectively, consider themselves an “alternative” singer-songwriter team with an edgy approach. Merging 1970s prog rock with classically trained cello is just the beginning; this is instrumentation at some of its most inventive.
Premiering at OffBeat.com, The Two’s present “Lullaby,” a song The Two’s say “comes from the old bones of the past, and similar stories shared by others with us over the years: a generalized statement of freeing one’s self from the trap of traumatic childhood experiences.” The damage, they say, can be overcome, as the song’s lyrics suggest.
For the video, The Two’s had the opportunity to step outside their DIY comfort zone and focus on being the subjects and nothing else. Director Max Cusimano and Lighting Director Omar Cruz Saavedra (of NolaVid) were on hand for the video, which was shot in The Parlor Studio’s warehouse.
“Lullaby” appears on The Two’s Ep, Push On, which is available via Louisiana Red Hot Records today. The EP was started about three years ago, and the pair collaborated on all of the songs. The process allowed The Two’s to riff in new ways on a regular basis. “It’s amazing when we’re rehearsing, one of us may do something a bit differently, or improv a new ‘line – then it’s ‘Wha!! Stop! Do that again!’ And that leads to revisions, which leads to new insights into the songs,” they say.
While engineer Adam Keil kept a “steady, serene hand” on the recording process, The Two’s refined arrangements, phrasing, lyrics, dynamics, effects and tempo. After several months of self-edits, the duo sent their work off to be mixed by Ben Lorio and Grammy winner Sylvia Massy. “Our mixes can be a challenge given our emphasis on dynamics and clarity- Ben and Sylvia nailed it,” the band says.
Already, The Two’s have opened for Heart, international pop star Zucchero and Dave Matthew side man, Tim Reynolds. They’ve also had their music placed on the Emmy-winning TV series “Nip/Tuck.”
For more information on The Two’s, visit their website.
