Based in Atlanta, Georgia; psych/experimental rock band O'Brother has certainly made a name for themselves over their continuing 14-year career. By uniquely blending melodic vocals with heavy bass, O'Brother establishes their role in these genres of music while leaving listeners craving more. With three studio albums; Garden Window (2011), Disillusion (2013), and Endless Light (2016), and three EP's; In Comparison to Me (2006), The Death of Day (2009), and Basement Window (2012), under their belt, the band moves forward to create an unforgettable fourth studio album entitled You and I. Further, this album will also be produced by legends Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra.

In a recent interview, O'Brother electric bass guitarist Anton Dang, and lead vocalist/guitarist Tanner Merritt discuss the creation of You and I, while also giving an in-depth look at two new singles from the album, "Killing Spree" and "Halogen Eye." With the release of these two songs, the anticipation and expectations for this forthcoming album continue to rise.

Where did the band name O'Brother come from?

"Our original singer came up with it, it didn't really mean anything at the time, we just thought it sounded cool but it actually has formed into a tight knit family between the band and all our wives and siblings." – Anton Dang

What date is the new album You and I set to be released on?

"You and I will be released digitally on May 8^th 2020. Vinyl will be available shortly after that." – Anton Dang

How long have you guys been working on the new album for?

"January of 2018. There was probably almost a year beforehand where we all felt uninspired and did nothing O'Brother related and we were unsure of what the future of the band was going to look like. We decided to rent a cabin in the mountains for a long weekend, brought our gear and some recording equipment with us and we started writing songs that would eventually become our new record." – Anton Dang

Before the album drops, what other songs are planned to be released?

"As I'm answering these questions, we just released our next single called "Halogen Eye" and it features a dear friend of ours, Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro." – Anton Dang

Where did the inspiration for the album name come from?

"It's just a simple common theme throughout the album. I think it will make more sense when everyone hears it in its entirety." – Tanner Merritt

The first single, "Killing Spree" on You and I feature the lyrics "You're an evening breeze/Ripping through my leaves/Like a killing spree, devouring/My sense of time." Comparing a breeze to a killing spree is pretty brutal, what made you come up with this comparison?

"Every action has a consequence, even seemingly minute occurrences can have devastating fallouts. This is especially the case in relationships. This song is an examination of the concept of love which is often portrayed as perfect or infallible. In reality it is a human concept and therefore burdened to human nature. A never-ending ebb and flow of good and evil." – Tanner Merritt

This song also features the lyrics, "Place your head against me now/Your tired lips, your open mouth." Is this mention of an "open mouth" a reference towards your 2011 song "Easy Talk (Open Your Mouth)" from your first record Garden Window?

"I often like to do this within a record or across records to make them feel interconnected but this time that wasn't the case. Just happenstance." – Tanner Merritt

What about "Killing Spree" made you guys want to release it first over the other songs on the new album's track list?

"We just felt like the loneliness theme of the song was more of an appropriate fit being in quarantine and missing all the human interaction that we're all used to." – Anton Dang

Killing Spree" was produced by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell from Manchester Orchestra. Most of your music in the past such as The Death of Day EP, Garden Window, and Endless Light was produced by them as well, what was it like to be working with these guys again?

"Nothing feels more natural than having Andy and Rob be a part of our band while we're writing and recording a new record. It's honestly such a good time and so productive working with them. I think we'll always try to have them be a part of it as much as we can." – Anton Dang

The recurring theme of "you" or "I" is present throughout the lyrics in "Killing Spree." Because the title of the album is You and I, does this suggest that this new album is a concept piece?

"In a sense, yes. Not like a linear story or anything but definitely containing overarching themes and concepts. Which is usually the way we like to build our albums."- Tanner Merritt

As a band you each enjoy every song you make, however what is everyone's personal favorite track from this new record?

"I think if you were to ask all of us, we may all have a different answer. This changes often when we start playing songs live as well." – Tanner Merritt & Anton Dang

What lyrics from You and I do you each feel are the most impactful?

"A big part of the satisfaction in song-writing (to me personally) is making a song feel deeply personal while also maintaining a level of ambiguity so that it might be highly relatable and deeply personal to the listener as well. I have my own sections that elicit the most emotional response for me based on what I was thinking when it was written, but it's way more fun to hear other people's interpretations and what it means for them. I believe people ultimately have a stronger connection to a song when they've interpreted it for themselves." – Tanner Merritt

Tanner performed a few O'Brother songs on Instagram live a short time ago, will this be happening again in the near future? If there is a performance, will the other members of the band be there as well?

"It's definitely something we plan to do again soon, and incorporate more of the band once quarantine is lifted." – Tanner Merritt

What have you guys been doing to stay busy during the coronavirus quarantine?

"Most of us are keeping busy with releasing this album actually. Since we're releasing it ourselves we don't have anyone reaching out to magazines and websites, designing all the visual content we're using for social media, designing our merch and setting up a webstore, uploading songs to streaming platforms (it's a lot harder than it should be honestly). When we were on a label, they took care of most of this stuff but thankfully we have a lot of free time currently so we're just trying our best to be productive." – Anton Dang

After the quarantine is lifted and the album released, are there any tour plans? If so, where would you guys like to tour?

"We do plan on playing some shows in support of the record but no immediate plans when or where yet." – Anton Dang

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one album, what would it be?

"() by Sigur Rós." – Anton Dang