Phantoms prefaced 2022 by saying only one thing: their sophomore album was happening in the new year. Just over a week later, the duo put quickly put their words into action with the announcement that they’d become the newest face on ODESZA’s Foreign Family, adding that they were readying “some of the most exciting music [they’ve] written.” That forthcoming era of Kyle Kaplan and Vinnie Pergola’s journey is now coming to fruition in the form of Phantoms’ first single in a year and a half.

Backed by the lulling lyrical wonder of Jem Cooke—who’s worked alongside Gorgon City as well as CamelPhat and Cristoph—”Lay It All On Me” sees Phantoms adding a darker, hypnotic feel to their indie-electronic sound and had remained a fan-favorite ID of theirs throughout the past year. While Phantoms didn’t provide any explicit confirmation as to whether or not “Lay It All On Me” will open the doors to their next LP, it serves as a more than warm welcome into the arms of Foreign Family. Phantoms spoke about how the original happened in the blink of an eye while across the pond in 2021, stating,

“‘Lay It All On Me’ is one of the first songs we wrote with the incredibly talented Jem Cooke while on a writing trip to London early last year. It was one of those occasions when the song came together extremely fast – all the vocals were written and recorded in an afternoon. We went with a mix of chugging tribal drums, warm piano and analog bass, trying to find a space between organic and electronic. It’s really supposed to make you feel like you’re lost somewhere dark but it’s all going to be okay.”

Featured image: Matt Cary

Tags: foreign family, Jem Cooke, phantoms

Categories: Music