A hometown journey around Oklahoma with indie dream duo Sports
Subscribe
X

Subscribe to Forte Magazine

27.10.2020

A hometown journey around Oklahoma with indie dream duo Sports

The Oklahoma duo have just dropped their new song 'Baby Baby'.

Bringing some dreamy chillwave-flecked R&B into our lives, US duo Sports unveiled ‘Baby Baby’ earlier this month and boy does it make for an insatiable listen, especially for fans of Client Liaison, MGMT and Empire of The Sun.

Comprising Chronister and Christian Theriot, Sports have spent the better part of the year recording at Oklahoma’s Blackwatch Studios with Chad Copelin (LANY, Sufjan Stevens), where ‘Baby Baby’ came together following songwriting sessions where Chronister took the idea of co-dependency and the emotions surrounding it, and brought them into Sports’ unique musical world.

“‘Baby Baby’ is about co-dependency. My emotions being dependent on someone else’s emotions. It’s about a vicious cycle of not being able to comfort someone who is crying, and their crying ending up making me more upset than they are.”

Focusing on ego and inner struggle, ‘Baby Baby’ stands out as a personal monologue, set to a beautifully produced soundtrack, bringing psych influences together with R&B and dream-pop threads. The follow up to their first single for 2020 back in May with ‘Tell You Something’, ‘Baby Baby’ comes from a two-part LP to be released over the coming months.

In celebration of the eclectic and experimental track, the alternative pop outfit has given us a rare glimpse into what life is like over in their hometown of Oklahoma.

The QuikTrip
There’s nothing like QuikTrip. And anyone who is fortunate enough to have a QuikTrip in their town knows this.

Rooster Boosters would keep me up late to work in the studio.

Next to the chili and cheese, the hot dogs, cylinder-shaped buffalo chicken strips, and taquitos are all waiting patiently on the warming grill. Hot dog buns sit in a drawer below. The steamed vessels are kept separate for your choosing, like the aliens from Toy Story aching to be chosen by the claw. These are all precious late night memories of being in high school, taking breaks from “band practice”, or a stop on the way home from the studio.

The Music
BRONCHO is no doubt my favourite band, not just from Oklahoma, but from anywhere. The drummer, Nathan Price, has played drums on most of our songs, including Baby Baby. Highly highly highly recommend any of their albums.

Check them out here.

Oklahoma could be more easily defined by its country and folk roots. Jacob Tovar, Parker Millsap (a cousin of mine, actually), and John Moreland are artists from Oklahoma that are spectacular.

There are a good number of legends from Oklahoma — The Flaming Lips (a big influence of mine), Garth Brooks, Woody Guthrie, J.J. Cale, to name a few.

But I’d be crazy not to mention our producer Chad Copelin, and how much he’s brought through Norman, OK. His studio, Blackwatch, is the epicenter of what we do. It’s a really special place and Chad’s a really special talent. We’re lucky to have met him.

What To Do
As far as what to do in Oklahoma (before the pandemic), we would go to shows at Cain’s Ballroom, or Opolis. There’s a drive in theater. The drinks are super cheap.

But mostly we just hung out at each other’s houses, or worked on music. It’s not a crowded place at all, so it’s easier to have good relationships with people.

Check out ‘Baby Baby’ below and follow the band on Facebook.