October 21st, 2015 
Kyle Florence 
Born amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City, Secret Someones are dead set on becoming your newest musical addiction. Comprised of Bess Rogers, Leila Broussard, Hannah Winkler and Zach Jones, the alt-rock foursome are masters of memorable melodies and lean but effective songwriting, as is apparent on their outstanding self-titled debut, which hit shelves a few weeks back via Cherrytree Records. We’re big fans, and you should be too.
We recently caught up with the four-piece, who were kind enough to give us a track-by-track rundown of their newest LP. Check it out below, and if you feel so inclined, pick a copy of your own here.
“I Won’t Follow You”
“I Won’t Follow” felt like an appropriate first track because it embodies the main themes of the record: finding your own path and maintaining your independence, whether you’re currently in a relationship or moving on from one that’s just ended. This song was one of the first we wrote together and it reflects the transformative periods we were going through at that time. That journey towards healing and recovering your identity can be so difficult (I burst out crying after singing two takes of this vocal), but you end up a stronger and more aware person on the other side of it. We feel empowered now when we play this song, and we hope the listener feels the same.
“Quit Pulling Me Down”
This is actually the first song that we ever wrote together as a band! We wrote this from the perspective of someone else, usually our songs are a bit more autobiographical so this one differs a bit in that way. We also initially had a totally different chorus than the one we ended up with. The song really transformed when we brought it to Zach and Chris (our producer) in the arranging process from a mellow folk song to a more aggressive rock thing.
“Let You Go”
This is the only song on the record that was written prior to our formation as a band. Lelia was over at my (Bess) house recording her solo record with my husband, Chris Kuffner. She was struggling at the time with the end of a relationship that was not at all cut and dry. They still both cared for each other and that was making it even more difficult and sad. We talked about it that night over some whiskeys, and I confessed to Lelia that I had started writing a song about her situation. We finished it that night with the help of Chris, and once the band formed we all decided it would fit in well with the rest of our songs. It’s our current single and you can check out the music video we made for it below!
“Hey Hey Honey”
This is a feel-good party jam, so what better drum track from which to borrow than Rihanna’s “Umbrella”? Also, toward the end of recording the album, we invited a bunch of pals over for some adult beverages and gang vocals, and you can hear them contribute to the party that is this tune during the drum/vocal break. A reminder that you are loved and doing just fine even when you feel inadequate and beaten down by the world.
“Only One I Want”
The song came about one day when we decided to try and write a Katy Perry-style, fun, carefree and empowering song about a causal romance. We made up a story about somebody who was coming back to their hometown after having been away for a few years and having a crazy night out on the town with somebody they used to know. They run around the neighborhood, causing trouble and making out just like old times. Fun fact: this song used to have a different title which is not fit to print! We will leave that to your imagination.
“Heartbreaker”
This song is about ending a relationship and both people knowing it’s the time for it to end, but only one of you is brave enough to say those words. It’s not anyone’s fault; some things just have an expiration date. Also, we had decided when we were making this record that Weezer would be one of our big influences, and this one especially feels reminiscent of that. This one features gang vocals on the “whoa oh whoas” of some of our favorite gentlemen friends: Chris Kuffner, Greg Holden, and Mick Lynch, as well as Zach. Adding that bit of masculine energy in the choruses felt really appropriate for the song.
“Dead Weight”
This song is so fun for us to play because it allows for such a gritty, raw burst of energy (and/or anger—sometimes you just need to belt that stuff out, ya know?!), and it was particularly fun to arrange because it combines so many different elements. Bess kicked off the arranging process by playing a twinkly, somewhat haunting melody on an omnichord she had lying around, and that melody eventually became her guitar part for the song’s introduction. Along the way, we added the Police-style groove in the second verse, the stripped-down bridge, and the bombastic instrumental section (which includes Bess’ favorite guitar solo!). We love the varying chord progressions in this song, which sometimes sound dissonant and grungy, and sometimes have a classical feel. Chris Lord-Alge, the mixing engineer for the record, really nailed these drums and the track overall.
“Surrender”
“Surrender” combines the erratic, paranoid funk of Talking Heads and the big, synth-pop choruses that we love to hear on the radio these days. This one was a lot of fun to piece together and remains a live favorite. The acoustic version that accompanies our album on iTunes highlights the sadness of the lyrics, but we hope that this one inspires you to dance the sadness away!
“Chase Your Shadow”
At its core, “Chase Your Shadow” is something of a folk song, but discovering the opening keyboard pattern and subsequent guitar riff really sent us off in a different direction. We especially love that this song’s choruses don’t really have one distinct melody line but that each person’s harmony really combines to create the sound of the chorus.
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