ODESZA

Adding a heavier beat but keeping the dreamy side of indie electronica intact, Seattle duo ODESZA produce chillwave reflections as well as festival anthems. They rose to success in the mid-2010s with albums like 2014′s In Return and 2017′s A Moment Apart, the latter of which hit number three on the Billboard 200. In addition to collaborating with artists ranging from Regina Spektor to Shy Girls and Naomi Wild, ODESZA established themselves as a popular touring act and festival staple. After a 2020 joint project with Golden Features that they released under the name BRONSON, the duo teamed up with soul icon Bettye LaVette for the 2022 single “The Last Goodbye,” which appeared on their studio album of the same name. Flaws in Our Design, a psychedelic indie dance EP with South African singer/songwriter Yellow House, was released in 2023. ODESZA formed in 2012 at Western Washington University in the city of Bellingham. Members Harrison Mills (aka Catacombkid) and Clayton Knight (aka Beaches Beaches) had known each other since they were freshman at college, but ODESZA didn’t form until their senior year. After graduation, things began to move quickly, as 2012 saw the release of their debut album, Summer's Gone. The year 2013 brought both an EP, My Friends Never Die, plus a tour with, and a remix for, Pretty Lights. A year later, they released In Return, an LP from the Counter Records label that topped various online retailers’ electronic album charts. ODESZA toured North America in support of their album and sold out 28 shows in addition to performing at over 20 festivals. In 2015, the duo launched Foreign Family Collective in order to give exposure to up-and-coming musicians and graphic artists. A deluxe edition of In Return including the Little Dragon collaboration “Light,” live tracks, and instrumentals appeared later in the year. “Late Night” and “Line of Sight,” the first two singles from ODESZA’s third studio album, were released in April of 2017. A Moment Apart arrived the following September, featuring guest appearances by Regina Spektor, Leon Bridges, and Ry X. The band spent the remainder of the year touring in support of the album before issuing the single “Higher Ground,” which appeared on a 2018 deluxe edition of A Moment Apart. ODESZA’s first project of the next decade was a collaborative album with Australia’s Golden Features. Released under the name BRONSON in 2020, the eponymous set made a strong chart showing in Australia while hitting number five on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic chart. The duo returned to the ODESZA brand in early 2022 with “The Last Goodbye” featuring soul singer Bettye LaVette. Their fourth full-length, also titled The Last Goodbye, featured additional guests such as Julianna Barwick, Ólafur Arnalds, and Låpsley. Two remix EPs followed: The Last Goodbye Remixes No. 1 (2022) featured mixes by DJ Seinfeld and Gilligan Moss, while No. 2 (2023) included Hot Chip and Nosaj Thing mixes. The duo collaborated with South Africa’s Yellow House for the EP Flaws in Our Design, then released the euphoric dance single “In the Rain.” ~ David Jeffries & Paul Simpson