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Taking cues from 90’s Boom bap artists like Digable Planets and the Pharcyde, and modern Funk pioneers like Outkast and D'Angelo, Your Grandparents has quickly established themselves as Psych Soul torchbearers. Boasting thick grooves and breezy, uncluttered vocals, the band’s musical aesthetic is built on a foundation of authenticity, forged from a mutual love for their roots and deep musical traditions passed down from their grandparents.

Ones To Watch had a chance to sit down with the group, comprised of  DaCosta (vocals), Jean Carter (vocals), and ghettoblasterman (producer) to discuss their latest single “So Damn Fly.”

Ones To Watch: How has living in LA shaped your sound?

Your Grandparents: LA is a very diverse city and we're always meeting people from different places and backgrounds, so we're constantly exposed to different music and art.  Most of the music we've made up to this point has been in places around LA where there are windows and sun, so that's always been a silent but important factor in how we come at the music.  

How do you handle splitting vocal duties while retaining such a cohesive sound?

It just kind of flows naturally for us. We've been friends and collaborators for 5+ plus years now so there's a strong chemistry between us when we're in the studio or coming up with ideas in general. We know our strong suits so we all just focus on what we can do to make the best song together.

You name The Fugees and Digable Planets as some of your touchstone inspirations. How were you introduced to their music?

Our parents and grandparents put us on to the music that inspires us, which is very true to our name. One day we'll be parents and grandparents doing the same.

Do you consciously straddle the line between old school and modern influences?

We're inspired by both equally, but it's not something we're always making a conscious effort to include in the process. However, having a background and appreciation for a wide variety of genres and eras of music definitely keeps our sound well rounded. For most of this upcoming album, we didn't listen to much music at all. Neil Pogue told us "No Outside Influences" and we definitely took that to heart.  

Tell us about the production process. How do you find those ‘sweet spot’ tones?

We just press buttons until it sounds like something we like. We try not to overthink the process. Most of the time we're just hanging out and letting it flow when we're making music, so whatever we're talking about or going through ends up being the track. After that, we focus on building the world that the song lives in, kind of like the establishing shot in a film. That context gives us insight as to how exactly to place each tone in its sweet spot.

Watch the visualizer for their “So Damn Fly" below.