Way back in June of 2011 I first wrote about Oliver Ignatius and his band The Hysterics. Shortly thereafter I had the pleasure of interviewing him after he contacted me to set the record straight on how everything went down with the dissolving of that group. We became friends and down the line he sent me some stuff by Sons Of An Illustrious Father, a band he was recording that featured Ezra Miller on drums.

That’s all in the past now, and currently both of these artists are doing a ton of work. Oliver released his first solo single this Spring, and Ezra toured around the States with SOAIF (including a great show here in Chicago) to promote their latest album, Deus Sex Machina: Or, Moving Slowly Beyond Nikola Tesla. That they even had time to get together and record is a testament to their passion for the music they’re creating.

As long-time collaborators, the two already had a great understanding of one another. You can feel the strong sonic chemistry they share the first time Miller’s distorted voice joins in the song. Their voices truly compliment each other. Ignatius has the higher register down after spending some time with a vocal coach, and Miller’s rough lower voice brings a good balance to the track.

If you’re familiar at all with either of their work, you’ll notice right away that “sadtown” is not quite in their wheelhouse. It’s a very poppy song, closer to The 1975 or Lany than Ignatius’s old band Ghostpal or Sons. There’s even a hint of 808’s and Heartbreak in Miller’s synthed out vocals.