Street Nights Raises the Vibe with New Single “Secondhand Sons” [Premiere]

If you take one listen to Street Nights’ new single “Secondhand Sons,” you’ll be quick to notice the decidedly lively bounce and energy that carries the song. The solo project of musician Jake Morris, Street Nights, is a party in itself, as you’ll soon discover on the forthcoming new album The Long Goodbye.

Morris may be a familiar name to you from his time as the long-term drummer for Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks. With “Secondhand Sons,” he shows that his talents go far beyond just keeping time at the rear of a stage. The song has a fun vibe, an uptempo display of modern indie pop with towering vocal harmonies. You’ll also appreciate the disco flavour of both the beat and the powerful vocals of Morris and guest vocalist Darcy Bradley.

Describing the song’s history and development, Morris states:

“‘Secondhand Sons’ was the first song where we thought, ‘Oh, maybe we are onto something.’ It came together really quickly on the first day. It seemed like we had stumbled upon an unexpected banger, it was getting us pretty hyped on the playback. Ironically it was the last song I finished lyrics for. The lyrics had to remain open to interpretation, still have recognizable imagery and narrative that was cohesive with the themes on the record but also… SLAP.

“I wrote the chorus at the last possible moment, in my kitchen early the morning of the only day we had Darcy booked to sing on the record. She actually sang everything first and I had to find my place in the song vocally, later. She just kills it and takes the song so far beyond anything I could’ve imagined on my own. Darcy Bradley is the singer in the hardest working band in town, Dancehall Days who were also our wedding band. I just took a chance and asked if she would be up for singing on the record and as you can hear she elevated every song she sang on, especially this one. Thanks, Darcy!”

Due for release on October 23rd, The Long Goodbye is a grand display of sparkling indie pop. The origins of the record go back to Morris writing piecemeal arrangements at home or whispering melodies and lyrics into his phone when he was out. He then finetuned the arrangements at his wife’s grandmother’s home in the Caribbean country of Sint Maarten, far from the confines of his regular home in Portland. The Caribbean setting helped set the vibe for the record, which he then transported back home to record.

With producer Cameron Spies, Morris took a new approach to recording with The Long Goodbye. He and Spies meticulously mapped out each song in pre-production. Typically, Morris was used to just heading into the studio and banging out songs. This time, he hand Spies arranged tempos and laid the songs out in a basic format. They then built them up from there, with some tracks taking on completely new lives in the studio. It’s turned out to be a glorious collaboration and the most definitive work in Morris’ broad, diverse career.

Street Nights “Secondhand Sons” single artwork

The Long Goodbye Track Listing:

1. First Song
2. Paradise Cove
3. Long Goodbye
4. Meg
5. Secondhand Sons
6. Divorced Abs
7. OMG
8. Bleeding Issues at Rapid Cash
9. No Vacancy
10. Big Eddy
11. Old Ideas

Street Nights ‘Long Goodbye’ album artwork