PublicART is a Silverlake-based synth-folk duo. Individually Stevvi and Jan have been in demand as hired guns and collaborators for artists ranging from Fleetwood Mac, Frank Ocean, Shakira, Macy Gray, Róisín Murphy and The Roots. Stevvi is presently working with composer Ramin Djawadi, featuring as the lead soloist for the touring production of the score from Game of Thrones. Jan, originally from London, is currently the principal guitarist for Charlie Puth, working closely with him on tour as well as on the recordings of many of his hits. With the realization that their musical tastes compliment each other seamlessly, it was only natural that they would join forces and make their own noise.
PublicART’s first release Kites explored their love of Americana infused with alternative sonic textures and an added R&B sensibility. Now evoking the cool folk distillations of Zero7, the tenderness of Sade and the industrial aesthetic of Beach House, their follow up EP Modernika is a reflection of their growth into more electro-informed production. With pulsing synth lines, retro drum machines, acoustic instruments and Quincy Jones-inspired arrangements, each song represents a lyrical snapshot of a true experience. In “Montreux” we are transported to a lake in the hills of Switzerland, where two people attending the historic music festival have an extraordinary exchange that gives them a glimpse into what could have been. “Forever Keep Me” tells the tale of a woman who is forever held in the grasp of a love that is always promised but never executed. In “Light Years” a new relationship promises a special connection but instead we find out that the paradise we’ve discovered was inside ourselves all along.
Modernika is a collection of thoughtfully-written, masterfully-produced songs that will surely find their way onto many curated playlists and media of all kinds worldwide. As they are soon to take their music on the road, PublicART are about to leave their mark on the indie world with their own original sound.