With their Chop Shop Records debut, Where We Are, Mackintosh Braun establish themselves as a formidable pop duo who blend crisp, sophisticated production with sharp, emotive songwriting. On tracks like the delicate but propulsive “Familiar” and the harmony-filled banger ”Nothing Else Is Real” the Portland, Oregon-based group conjure a cool intimacy that sets them apart from their peers. This is the kind of music you can break a sweat to on the dance floor with a new crush then play the next day to console yourself if they don’t call. “We both wanted to create something exciting and innovative, but that’s also familiar,” explains guitarist/keyboardist /producer Ian Mackintosh. “It has to sound different but it also has to give people something to hold onto. It has to give people hope.”

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