Last week I was fortunate enough to see husband and wife duo Lauren and Matt Barus, otherwise known as Terrible Sons, perform at Wine Cellar, and it was truly a magical evening. Both are wonderful singers, with Matt providing different styles of guitars and Lauren piano, and they created a spell with their music. Putting on their latest single I was again transported back to that time and place, as it is incredibly catchy with some wonderful clapping throughout, and their harmonies which only come from years of being together and understanding what each has to offer. There is even a trumpet on this song, along with some delicate bass and percussion, but for the most part it is just two of them.
While the music is upbeat and joyful, the lyrics are somewhat deeper, talking about the lockdowns we all became somewhat used to, “The more I know, the less I understand, But don’t worry, worry, Hands in a hurry, Tomorrow, always comes.” For some reason this song takes me back to a classic album of many years ago, as it makes me think of Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ (can that really be more than 35 years old?), just in the way it all comes together in the arrangement. This is a wonderful song, upbeat but designed to make us think, with incredible harmonies and hooks throughout. Their top listened to song on Spotify is currently Tears Don’t Fall with 20.6 million plays (yes, you did read that right), and one can only hope this does as well, it deserves to.
Terrible Sons is the moniker for songwriters and musicians Lauren and Matt Barus, who live with their two children in a small intentional community in Otautahi. Their music reflects their local neighborhood while exploring the more interior feelings we all share: exhaustion, heartbreak, loneliness. Previously, Lauren released albums as L.A. Mitchell and currently is still a part of the Fly My Pretties family. Matt founded pop/rock band Dukes who had a top ten hit with Vampires and of note toured with and wrote songs for Blondie.
Terrible Sons emerged after the couple had children and sought a less obtrusive way of making music. They built a small, home studio and invited others in. Taking their cues from folk tradition, the duo blend their two voices, backed with spare piano and acoustic guitar. An early single Tears Don’t Fall gained millions of listens on Spotify and the duo were signed remotely to Vancouver’s Nettwerk Records. Terrible Sons, working alongside producers Ben Edwards and Tom Healey, and their go-to rhythm section of Jo McCullum and Jo Barus, have released four EP’s to date and are close to completing their debut LP.
“Truly ethereal. Everything is melded together so well that it’s dreamlike, the listener is suspended in time". - hhhhappy.com