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The East Coast duo goes right for the feels with somber electro-pop debut.

Emo never grooved so hard as 8 Graves. If you’re looking for a soundtrack for fallen leaves, gray skies and temperatures turning colder, their new EP War Out There covers you like an electric blanket on a frosty night. Marked by '80s-tinged synth production and lyrical exploration of everything bleak and lonesome, 8 Graves—made up of duo Brent Carpentier (vocals) and Nick Goncalves (production)—finds sonic common ground with fellow cold-weather acts The Weeknd and TV on the Radio.

The project marks the last chance for Carpentier, a tattoo artist who recently overcame a bout of drinking and depression stemming from the breakup of his last musical project. While that vibe definitely shows in his art, there’s a defiant strength present in his spirit and a confidence that something’s got to turn out right. Such is the headspace we explored in our conversation about how 8 Graves came to be, and where they are headed.

Hometown: Piscataway, New Jersey

Homebase: Somerville, New Jersey

How did you two meet?

Nick and I met about 11 years ago. We both had part time jobs at a chain electronics store. Our boss was a musician, and thought it would be cool for Nick to bring his guitar in and jam by the door as a means of entertaining customers. I saw him play, and my sister, who also worked there, suggested that I talk to him about starting a band. Since then, we have been in project after project and have stuck together both in music, and as friends.

Did you grow up in a musical household? How did you find music?

Growing up, I wouldn’t really say my household was musical, but that’s only in the sense that no one other than me seriously played instruments or sang. That being said, there was always music being listened to in my house, and I think I knew from the time I was a kid that it was important to me. I got more serious about music when I started participating in music programs at school around my third grade year of school. At that point, I started getting interested in saxophone and banging drums around, and in middle school, I was lucky enough to have a teacher that really really pushed me to work hard at music. I gave a speech at my eighth grade graduation centered around how passionate I was about it. For as long as I can remember, it was one of the only things I’ve ever really cared about, and I guess it just stuck with me.

What thing most influenced your debut? Why is it called War Out There?

Ironically, most of my inspiration for this EP comes from me trying to live a life away from music. After my last project ended, I tried to walk away and find other ways for me to relate to the world. I struggled mightily in my attempts to do so. I became depressed, began to drink way more than anyone probably should, and a lot of the things I had going for me kind of fell apart. I felt alone. I felt sad. I felt like there was no where in the world that I truly belonged.

My mind was becoming an increasingly tangled mess. I was drowning, and just getting through my day was becoming a battle. That’s where the title for the EP, War Out There, comes from. I knew that in this world, we are all fighting our personal battles, and I wanted to make music that told people, “Other people are struggling. Other people hurt like you do. We’re out there,” because I feel that knowing that you’re not alone makes it easier. As humans, we are all connected, and all of our battles are part of one big war. My struggles have shaped our message, and Nick is beside me every step of the way to help support me and help me get this stuff out with as little personal suffering possible.

When did you realize you wanted to make music for a living?

For me, I honestly never thought about trying to be a “professional musician.” Music has always been about survival. When I don’t write music, I go to a dark place. It’s an outlet to detoxify my heart and mind, and whenever I’m not living musically, I’m dying. It being a profession is almost a necessary evil.

I detest the monetization of the art form and how the money involved promotes superficiality, lack of substance, and copycat artistry. However, I also need food and shelter. Music takes time and energy, and without doing it as a career, I don’t know how I would continue to do it, and, therefore, I don’t know how I’d survive.

Why are you called 8 Graves? Does it mean anything in particular?

8 Graves has a very straightforward meaning. I’ve been in a ton of musical projects over the course of a little more than half my life. I have failed to make a living doing it again and again and again. So, it’s kind of that, “cats have 9 lives,” situation. I’ve had 9 lives. I’ve got 8 graves. This is kind of my last chance. Also, it speaks to the idea that no matter how far gone you think you are and no matter how bad things get, all you need is that one last chance to do something amazing. To help people. To help yourself.

 

Who would you love to collaborate with?

I am such a big music fan, but I’m also a little introverted when it comes to my creative process. While it makes me sweat even thinking about trying to work with the names flying through my head, I’ll try to name a few. I think I’m most drawn to people that write interesting lyrics, and that I feel have a lot to say.

I would love to work with Sia or Lorde. I love their voices, their vision, and their respect for the art form. I love how they both seem to refuse to conform, and kind of do their own thing that’s a little fringe, but always tasteful and obviously extremely cerebral. I would love to get inside their heads and get a glimpse of either of their creative processes.

Halsey is another one. I love her style and the way she approaches her fans and performance. I’ve known her for a few years and watching her meteoric rise has been really encouraging for me, so working with her would be really cool.

Calvin Harris comes to mind. I think my dark, brooding style with his hyper polished hit making ability would be a cool contrast.

I’d also love to do some singing on a track with someone like Kendrick Lamar. I listen to his stuff incessantly, and “Good Kid M.A.A.D City” was an instant classic to me. I think he’s brilliant, and his style makes me reminisce on the golden age of hip-hop I grew up in.

What do you do for fun?

I’m a tattoo artist for work, so I love drawing tattoo style art. I’m also a huge gamer, and have been for most of my life. I also read a ton, and write even more, whether it be poems, stories, journals, or lyrics. 

How would you describe your music to someone who's never heard of you?

I think our music is stylistically pretty simple to wrap your head around. It’s hip-hop inspired drum beats, R&B/soul vocals, and a balance of modern synthesizers and vintage sounding instrumentation. However, I normally describe it as accessible, emotional, and, above all else, honest.

What's "Two Wrongs" about, and why did you choose to make it your first single?

“Two Wrongs” went through a few iterations before becoming what it is now. I struggled coming up with lyrics for it. I had a part that I thought was good and was basing the entire song around it before I realized just how bland it was. Nick and I played with the order of the chords, what key it should be in, how long it should be, and how it should be arranged. Literally the entire song was a battle. One night I called Nick to tell him how stressed I was that I couldn’t figure the song out. I ranted for about an hour to him, complaining as I sometimes do. He listened as he always does, and, eventually, we got off the phone. As soon as I got off the phone, the chorus came to me. I called him back and told him “I did it. I got it. I have the whole song.” It was funny because often times, for us, songs kind of happen, or they don’t. It was extra gratifying to bat this one around for so long and come out with something we could consider a single.

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