- -_ (lights flickering) ♪ Sun was going down.

- We are The Electric Sons.

♪ I was feeling lost and all alone ♪ Right next to our kitchen is the studio.

So you can wake up, get your cup of coffee and do whatever it is that you feel in that moment.

We really strive to be as spontaneous as possible.

♪ Keep on coming my way (suspenseful music) (car horn blaring) ♪ Two, three, four (footsteps) (instrumental music) (acoustic guitar music) ♪ Still dealing with the basics ♪ ♪ By now I thought I'd figured it out ♪ ♪ Still learning how to face it ♪ ♪ But the simple things bringing me down ♪ ♪ If everything is alright ♪ If everything is alright ♪ Then I wouldn't be messing around ♪ ♪ Like I don't want a good life ♪ ♪ Like I don't want a good life ♪ ♪ Maybe I don't want no nine to five ♪ ♪ I-I-I-I know, I don't know how to be grown ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm waking up to a brand new day ♪ ♪ But I still remain the same ♪ Well, maybe I ain't cut for the job ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'll admit ♪ That at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ I can't find my phone and ♪ I guess that's just my life ♪ 'Cause I don't wanna commit ♪ To something I don't wanna ♪ Not at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ Still ain't got no girlfriend ♪ ♪ I guess that's just my life ♪ 'Cause I don't wanna commit ♪ To someone I don't wanna ♪ Not at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ No ♪ Still leaning on the basics ♪ Even though I thought I'd figured it out ♪ ♪ Still learning how to chase it ♪ ♪ Without the simple things bringing me down ♪ ♪ You see we're all the same ♪ To tell you the truth, I'm afraid of change ♪ ♪ And it's the same for you ♪ But maybe that's alright ♪ To be afraid to move on ♪ Afraid to let it go ♪ Some things they don't go to plan and ♪ ♪ Some things we don't understand ♪ ♪ Well, maybe we ain't cut for the job ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'll admit ♪ That at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ I can't find my phone and ♪ I guess that's just my life ♪ 'Cause I don't wanna commit ♪ To something I don't wanna ♪ Not at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ Still ain't got no girlfriend ♪ ♪ I guess that's just my life ♪ 'Cause I don't wanna commit ♪ To someone I don't wanna ♪ Not at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ 6 o'clock in the morning (acoustic guitar music) ♪ It's so easy to pretend ♪ That my life will never end ♪ Maybe I will never die ♪ But when I do I will delay ♪ 'Cause I believe that in the end my life ♪ ♪ Will be lost in endless love ♪ Endless love, oh ♪ Think I'm fated to pretend ♪ 'Cause I don't feel like getting to that life ♪ ♪ Oh, maybe in time ♪ No, I just wanna stay in bed ♪ 'Cause I can't help that ♪ At 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ I can't find my phone and ♪ I guess that's just my life ♪ 'Cause I don't wanna commit ♪ To something I don't wanna ♪ Not at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ Still ain't got no girlfriend ♪ ♪ I guess that's just my life ♪ 'Cause, I don't wanna commit ♪ To someone I don't wanna ♪ Not at 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ 6 o'clock in the morning ♪ No What's up, I'm Andrew.

- I'm Ben.

We are The Electric Sons, collectively.

That was a song called Arrival.

We wrote that about arriving to our thirties and not knowing what to do about it.

You still lose your phone, you still are late for work.

You still can't manage to do hardly anything right.

- You still don't have a girlfriend.

- Still don't have a girlfriend.

And you're supposed to be an adult and you still struggle with all these things and, help please.

So that was kind of our, yeah, that's a cry for help.

- Yeah, it's mostly a cry for help more than anything else, but at least we had some fun doing it.

Yeah, so this is, it's not something we do much, but we love to do, which is play with just acoustic instruments.

We usually tour with a full band and whole production and everything.

So it's really great to get in here and break these songs down and play them in their raw form.

'Cause like I said, we never, ever get to do this.

And generally that's the way a song starts.

So the purest form is just with this.

So you're hearing it the way we first ever heard it when we were writing them, is just on this, or piano.

But we couldn't drag a whole piano in here this time, so.

This next song is a brand spanking new song.

We've never played it in front of anybody.

I guess a world premiere.

- Ooh.

- That might be what that is.

But this is a song called Take Me Over.

(acoustic guitar music) ♪ Go ahead and tell me ♪ How you think you're gonna get us out of this one ♪ ♪ You said that you would never love again ♪ ♪ And that was fine by me ♪ But now we're here hanging' on a Tuesday ♪ ♪ Sharing all our traumas ♪ And we always seem to find ourselves ♪ ♪ Caught up between these sheets ♪ ♪ So go ahead and tell me ♪ How you think you're gonna get us out of this one ♪ ♪ How you'll get us out of this one ♪ ♪ 'Cause there's nowhere to go, nowhere we can go, no ♪ ♪ Take me over ♪ Show me your love now slowly ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to stay, no ♪ ♪ I'm in over ♪ Over my head, you're solar ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ We could be alright ♪ We could keep it down and lowkey ♪ ♪ We could be alright ♪ I just want you at my show ♪ Looking' in your eyes ♪ Baby, I can see my whole life ♪ ♪ Playing out in gold light ♪ You do it all to me So go ahead and tell me ♪ ♪ How you think you're gonna get us out of this one ♪ ♪ How you'll get us out of this one ♪ ♪ 'Cause there's nowhere to go, nowhere we can go, no ♪ ♪ Take me over ♪ Show me your love now slowly ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to stay, no ♪ ♪ I'm in over ♪ Over my head, you're solar ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to stay, no ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ Stupid love, it shakes ya down ♪ ♪ It's stupid holding on ♪ But don't let go ♪ I've got nowhere, love ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ Take me over ♪ Show me your love now slowly ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, no ♪ ♪ I'm in over ♪ Over my head, you're solar ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ Take me over ♪ Show me your love now slowly ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, no ♪ ♪ I'm in over ♪ Over my head, you're solar ♪ Take me over ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to stay, no ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ ♪ Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, no ♪ That was a song called Take Me Over.

That was the first time we played it in front of anybody.

So, I hope you enjoyed it.

(Ben cheers) That song's about a time when my, and by the way, I do have a girlfriend, sorry.

Even though the last song said I didn't.

About my girlfriend and I, in the beginning of our relationship, learning how to be in a relationship with each other.

We knew that it was really great but we were terrified of actually being in a real thing.

So we kept trying to not make it what we thought it was.

But we always found ourselves on random Tuesdays hanging out, talking about the most important thing that had ever happened in our lives together.

And it very clearly became something that was a lot more meaningful to us.

And this was a song about my willingness to be patient and wait and see that it was a lot more, right off the bat.

So yeah, it's about a very meaningful thing that took a little while to get there.

But I'm really happy that it did.

Most of the time when we are writing things, it's very in the moment.

It's something that is in a notes or a sound clip that is an emotion or a feeling or a thought that one of us has felt that usually turns into something that we have to chase down or in a lot of ways, Ben has a really awesome piece of music that I just have to write something to or it's just super inspiring.

But I mean, I think our writing process tends to be very... - Spontaneous?

- Spontaneous.

We have a studio literally-- - Unplanned.

(Andrew laughs) - Right next to our kitchen is the studio.

So you can wake up, get your cup of coffee and do whatever it is that you feel in that moment.

And I think that's kind of what we really strive to do, is find ways to be as spontaneous as possible.

Because it's really easy to lose the idea, lose that emotion when you feel it.

And you have to try and chase it down as quickly as you can.

And usually with a really strong cup of coffee.

It is frustrating and beautiful how an idea will come to you in the most awkward or inopportune times.

You're having a serious conversation with somebody about something and a really great lyric pops up in the middle of that serious conversation.

Usually a fight.

I've had many of those where I'm in a fight with somebody, usually an ex-girlfriend and a really great line comes out because you're in that moment and I wanna stop.

- Gimme one second.

- Just.

I will.

- Right there.

- Just hold that thought.

I need to write this down real quick.

I have never done that because I'd probably be dead.

But yeah, usually, it's never convenient to have a great idea, but you have to find a way to chase it down the best you can.

So kind of in similar fashion, this next song is one of the newest ones we just released.

It's called Black Lotus.

And it was written in our studio right next to our kitchen.

And this is how it starts.

(mellow acoustic guitar music) ♪ Sun was going down ♪ And I was feeling lost and all alone ♪ ♪ My troubles would not let me go ♪ ♪ Sun was going down ♪ Shadows on my walls were creeping up ♪ ♪ Drowning all the light that I've known ♪ ♪ You see this storm keeps arising on up ♪ ♪ And all this trouble keeps on finding me now ♪ ♪ Yeah I've been lost and emotional ♪ ♪ But I might lose my mind tonight ♪ ♪ Feelings keep on coming my way ♪ ♪ La la la la la ♪ Was floating on that river ♪ Just a sinner trying to free my soul ♪ ♪ Lord I know ♪ That I didn't notice ♪ A black lotus sitting at the shore ♪ ♪ And she was singing ♪ La la la la la la la la la ♪ Yeah, she was singing ♪ La la la la la la la la la ♪ Someone tell me now ♪ That everyone is meant to save someone ♪ ♪ From feeling like they're alone ♪ ♪ See I'm hoping that those who have loved ♪ ♪ Left feeling lost and emotional ♪ ♪ Are finding heaven in someone's arms ♪ ♪ Cause I've been feeling fine tonight ♪ ♪ Feelings keep on coming my way ♪ ♪ La la la la la ♪ Was floating on that river ♪ Just a sinner trying to free my soul ♪ ♪ Lord I know ♪ That I didn't notice ♪ A black lotus sitting at the shore ♪ ♪ And she was singing ♪ La la la la la la la la la ♪ And she was singing ♪ La la la la la la la la la ♪ Oooh ♪ Oooh ♪ Oooh ♪ Oooh ♪ La la la la la ♪ Was floating on that river ♪ Just a sinner trying to free my soul ♪ ♪ Lord I know ♪ That I didn't notice ♪ A black lotus sitting at the shore ♪ ♪ And we were singing ♪ La la la la la la la la la ♪ Yeah, we were singing ♪ La la la la la la la la la That was Black Lotus.

That song was written in a difficult time where we were constantly surrounded by beautiful things that we were unable to see because of the current state of our lives and inability to do certain things that we love to do with our friends and all that.

So that was a song about kind of opening your eyes, finding the beauty in the darkness and just continue to move on.

Find the people, find the things, find the stuff that continues to move you even in a time when you can't see or hang out with the people and stuff you love to do in your life.

The things that inspire us outside of music are definitely films.

Definitely movies.

But yeah, I think for me specifically, I think I'm a very visual person.

So a lot of my lyric writing tends to be things that I see in my head or the images I remember from being in an experience or moment, colors, that kind of thing.

So a lot of the lyrics that have come out that have really resonated with me are ones that describe vividly the moment.

Describe the color, the smell of a place, how hot it was, how cold it was, that kind of stuff.

I think those are the things that sensationalize the writing experience for me, is remembering what was going on around me in that moment.

- I mean, Black Lotus was inspired by Magic: The Gathering card.

- It's true.

- So you can kind of grab it wherever you get it.

It's like if the person on the bus inspired you, if a playing card inspired you, if Tom Cruise inspires you, you sort of have to chase that down.

You're a little bit at the mercy of whatever the songwriting gods have bestowed upon you that day, which is a little kind of fun way to do it.

'Cause you don't really know what you're gonna get.

I think that's something we've always sort of tried to do with new stuff, right?

Is like, let things happen to you and then basically write a song about it.

Either like complain about it or completely just lose your head about it.

- You complain a lot about stuff.

You can complain a lot about stuff in songs.

- They're complaints that's music.

People really like them.

- Yeah.

You go up to somebody and whine about your relationship, "I'm tired of this."

But if you sing it to them.

- They cheer.

Oh they love it.

- Oh wow, this is incredible.

Whine more.

- I think one of the really cool things about being an artist in Atlanta is that sense of musical community or artistic community.

I think there's a couple studios and galleries and spots that sort of everybody hangs out at and everybody makes themselves available for new artists or other collaborators.

It's something you can really like, kind of go up to folks who maybe have multiple hits or a new artist that's really cool that you haven't met yet.

Everybody's got this really warm sense of togetherness.

And so I think we're really lucky to have gotten to grow up here and mature here and meet everybody.

Maybe even not just the artists but also the kind of the people who love music.

There's people who come to our shows who have been coming to our shows since we started in 2012.

They're not even, we don't ever see them ever besides at our shows.

And they still come and they still say, "What's up?"

So that's just, it's really cool to have access to a city like Atlanta like that.

- Yeah and I think, you know, back to the people that we've been able to meet in the city have...

I mean, the achievements of a lot of the producers, musicians, filmmakers, all of that, the achievements that have happened in this city has been incredible.

And to have access to people that have done that sort of thing and willingly, like nobody's, there's no chips on shoulders, there's none of that sort of feeling here.

Like you might get in other cities and things like that.

And I think Atlanta's just such a welcoming place that it's just really inspiring to give that as well, for people who... We've talked to young singer songwriters as well and come to us for advice on songwriting and producing and that kind of thing.

And it's just really great to know that we can keep that cycle going as well, of people sharing and giving knowledge.

And I think Atlanta's just been an awesome place for that kind of community to continue to feed itself and grow.

And I'm really so excited to see what happens in the next, 10, 15 years with the way people are creating the most amazing stuff in the city, so.

This is our last song.

This is another song off of our album Arrival.

And it's called How To Get By.

(mellow acoustic guitar music) ♪ You don't know me ♪ I don't care what you think I need help with ♪ ♪ You don't know me ♪ I've been here forever now ♪ I can hold it ♪ And I know that it can look hopeless ♪ ♪ But I can hold it ♪ I get down, but let it out ♪ All my friends are saying lowly ♪ ♪ That you've gotta let it go ♪ 'Cause I can't keep feeling sorry ♪ ♪ That you don't know how to get by ♪ ♪ Oh, with another high ♪ Ain't no other way to get by ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Only way I know to get by ♪ Oh, with another high ♪ Leanin' on my friends to get by ♪ ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Only way I know to get by (mellow guitar music) ♪ You don't own me ♪ Said so, and said it in bold, yeah ♪ ♪ You don't own me ♪ And you won't, so let it go ♪ All my friends are saying lowly ♪ ♪ That you don't know how to get by ♪ ♪ Oh, with another high ♪ Ain't no other way to get by ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Only way I know to get by ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Ain't no other way to get by ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Only way I know to get by (upbeat guitar music) ♪ Ooh, baby, ooh-oh ♪ Even when they don't know ♪ They might fake it, try and say we've got it wrong ♪ ♪ But all my friends ain't falling for it ♪ ♪ Yeah, they'll always be there for me ♪ ♪ And I pray that it don't ever change at all, no ♪ ♪ How we get by ♪ Oh, with another high ♪ Ain't no other way to get by ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Only way I know to get by ♪ Oh, with another high ♪ Ain't no other way to get by ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Only way I know to get by ♪ With, oh with another high ♪ Leanin' on my friends to get by ♪ ♪ Oh, with the other side ♪ Only way I know, only way I know to get by ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ Ooh That was How To Get By.

For whatever reason, I feel like this suits you well.

- Oh thank you so much.

- [Andrew] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Barely making it, struggling to survive.

- Yeah, that's right.

- That's sort of my MO.

Got it.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, it's a little bit about knowing what you need to get through stuff.

Friends, family, like the things that make you.

I think when you distill all the other stuff out you kind of realize like, I need my people, I need my stuff.

Besides that, I don't really need anything else.

So that was sort of a moment of clarity for what life is.

But that was our last track too.

- Oh yeah, that was our last track.

- Yeah, so.

- I got carried away.

- We're The Electric Sons.

- I'm Andrew.

- I'm Ben.

This has been Sounds Like ATL.

- That's right.

And it's been great to be here.

Thank you.

- Yeah.

See you guys.

Bye.