New York indietronic trio Occurrence are set to release their fifth album, Real Friend, on February 28. The band is structured around Ken Urban (electronics), Cat Hollyet (vocals), and Johnny Hager (vocals), with the three working in concert to deliver an electronically-inclined take on pop music that’s marked by sudden shifts win tone and melodic contour. Simple things can often lead to monumental experiences and that certainty was the case for Occurrence as they tried to move past the pandemic and look at what the future might hold for the band. It all started with a hug.
“We were coming out of the pandemic and finally the band was together again in our recording studio,” says Urban. “Some edibles were had. And we were talking about friendship. Cat just hugged me for a long time in the kitchen and said, ‘You’re my real friend.’”
The band traverses a roughed-up electro-pop landscape on new single “Feeding Time”, with Hager’s voice swooping in and carrying us along in its embrace. Synths gleam like diamonds held up to the sun, and a guest appearance by guitarist Damian Baldet cements the pop density of the track. The beat seems to call out to all midnight wanderers, beckoning them into the closest club for a few minutes of rest from the troubles of the world. But the track also revolves around the idea of taking responsibility for your actions, to acknowledge and confront the consequences of your actions.
Urban explains: “I wrote that song about calling myself out on my bullshit, but I kept hearing a proper guitar solo, so I reached out and Damian brought the riffs.”
Listen below.
Real Friend is due out Feb 18. You can pre-order the album here. Follow the band on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
