X Ambassadors & BRELAND Share “Alcohol”
Acclaimed band X Ambassadors unveil a new single, “Alcohol” in collaboration with platinum-selling Country singer/songwriter/producer BRELAND.
Of the collaboration, Sam shares, “I wanted to write something that got right to the heart (and humor) of what it feels like when you’re being extra extra dramatic and desperately need to find a way to drown your sorrows. When I brought the rough concept to BRELAND and Dan, they helped bring it to life. BRELAND is a true wunderkind, so quick and clever and has got a voice like butter; we finished the chorus and wrote verses in under 2 hrs. Dan is one of the kindest, most creatively intuitive human beings I have ever met. This song was so much fun to write with the two of them, and I couldn’t be more excited for it to be out in the world as the final episode of this season of (Eg).”BRELAND adds, “sometimes when I step into a studio with new people, I don’t know what to expect. Chemistry isn’t always there and rarely do great songs come out of those sessions. ‘Alcohol’ did. I knew from the minute we started working on it that Dan, Sam, and I were onto something special. It felt like every idea we had during the creative process ended up making the final cut of the song. I’m so proud to have this one out in the world.”The song is the latest installment of their multi-part collaboration series, Eg, which welcomes listeners into conversations between two artists. Thus far, the series has found the band collaborating on “Happy People” with Teddy Swims & Jac Ross, “Friend For Life” with Medium Build, and “Devastation” with PAMÉ. “A songwriting session always starts with a conversation,” says X Ambassadors’ Sam Nelson Harris. “You get to know one another a little bit. You bullshit about your day and where you’re from. Soon, you ask ‘What’s your story?’ These exchanges are hidden behind every song you hear, and I love that. We’re excited to explore them with Eg.”He continues, “Each song is also a discussion between the two artists involved. We’re aiming to get to the core personality traits of each collaborator and showcase them in some way shape or form. Those traits are why the songs match the artists, and it’s what we’re striving for.”X Ambassadors are the multiplatinum trio of Sam Nelson Harris (vocals, guitar, saxophone, bass), Casey Harris (piano, keys) and Adam Levin (drums). The Ithaca, New York natives made their full-length debut with VHS (2015), which is now Platinum-certified and provides an intimate look into the childhood of brothers and bandmates Sam and Casey. VHS features massive hit singles “Unsteady” and “Renegades” which have over 1.3 billion streams on Spotify combined and led the band on a three-year world tour.VHS was followed by the trio’s sophomore album ORION (2019) which included “Boom,” the hit track featured in Sonic the Hedgehog. Their next project, the Belong EP (2020), was heavily inspired by ’60s and ’70s soul and R&B, and preceded their third full-length record The Beautiful Liar (2021) which is considered perhaps their most ambitious and features fan favorites “My Own Monster” and “Okay.”Outside of X Ambassadors, Sam Nelson, the front man and founding member of the band, has had an eclectic career as a songwriter and producer for artists such as Rihanna, Lizzo, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, SZA, 21 Savage, d4vd and Maren Morris. Additionally, he has collaborated with artists such as Eminem, Jay-Z, Jacob Banks, K.Flay, grandson, The Knocks, Kygo, Illenium, Machine Gun Kelly and more.
Photo credit: Tyler Jay Hanson