Gracie and Rachel Resist the Surveillance State on “Don’t Know” (premiere)

“When did it become all right for you to take away our rights?” In the new video for single “Don’t Know” from the Brooklyn-based duo’s eponymous debut, Gracie and Rachel resist the surveillance state and the dull dreariness of modern culture – here represented by harsh shots of isolated texters and gray concrete – in favor of freedom. They’re not retreating into nature, though; they’re advancing into it, moving forward and finding color, natural beauty, togetherness. Warm sunlight and lyrical violin come together in the wide open spaces away from the city, lifting the high school friends-turned-collaborators to a more centered frame of mind.

The artists describe the track as “a song of empowerment and an urgency to fight back from being controlled,” sentiments that have never been more front-and-center than they are now. With “Don’t Know”, Gracie and Rachel voice concerns relevant to an entire generation. It’s a feat that takes spiritual strength, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed: the two are supporting Brooklyn-based group San Fermin and touring with legend Ani DiFranco this year in addition to having a showcase at SXSW in March. Few young artists have such fruitful starts to their careers, and the opportunities speak to the duo’s talent and timeliness, though their music speaks for itself just as well.

“We come away with the understanding that if we can’t stand up for ourselves, we won’t be able to stand up to anyone else controlling our destinies,” Gracie and Rachel add about the single. “Don’t Know” expresses these concerns both visually and aurally, but it also shows that even growing up in a cold world, the duo has perhaps the most important characteristics for an emerging group: hope and the determination to work for a better world.

Gracie and Rachel is out now. Tour dates are below.

TOUR DATES

2.20.18 // Kansas City, MO // Madrid Theatre ^

2.21.18 // Iowa City, IA // The Englert Theatre ^

2.23.18 // Minneapolis, MN // First Avenue ^

2.24.18 // Chicago, IL // Park West ^

2.25.18 // Madison, WI // Capitol Theater ^

2.27.18 // Grand Rapids, MI // 20 Monroe Live ^

2.28.18 // Bloomington, IN // Buskirk-Chumley Theater ^

3.2.18 // Nashville, TN // Marathon Music Works ^

3.3.18 // Baton Rouge, LA // Varsity Theatre

3.12-17.18 // Austin, TX // SXSW

3.19 // Dallas, TX // Gas Monkey *

3.21 // Davenport, IA // Raccoon Motel *

3.23.18 // Sellersville, PA // Sellersville Theater +

5.4.18 // Durham, NC // Carolina Theatre ^

5.5.18 // Washington, DC // 9:30 Club ^

5.6.18 // Tarrytown, NY // Tarrytown Music Hall ^

5.8.18 // Wilmington, DE // The Queen ^

5.10.18 // Brooklyn, NY // Music Hall of Williamsburg ^

5.11.18 // Wilkes-Barre, PA // FM Kirby Center ^

5.12.18 // Charlottesville, VA // Jefferson Theater ^

^ supporting Ani DiFranco

+ supporting San Fermin

* co-headlining with Vita and the Woolf