Summer Music Crush: Pop Duo Post Precious’ ‘Spontaneous’ Dance Party
Sometimes the best things in life aren’t planned. At least that philosophy applies to the pop duo Post Precious, who, as their name implies, are trying to be “less precious about it all,” according to Max Hershenow, who partnered with longtime friend Alex Winston last year.
The singer-songwriters — he’s best known as half of the New York dark wave, alternative duo MS MR with Lizzy Plapinger, while Winston is an indie solo songstress, and they both write music for other artists — met almost eight years ago through Plapinger and have been BFFs and writing partners ever since.
Hershenow has since moved to Los Angeles, where he’s housemates with Charli XCX. It’s there, in the Beechwood Canyon Storybook-style mansion, that he and Winston, who’s still based in New York, often rendezvous in the guest house to write Post Precious songs. These have come out piecemeal since the pop-y single “Timebomb” last fall, followed by a catchy cover of Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.”
The summer dance tune “Lose Myself” is featured on their new EP “Crown,” out today.
“We were both in L.A., writing a song for another artist, where we had the best time at the session and totally ignored her,” Hershenow says as a hummingbird hovers overhead. “Well, we didn’t completely ignore her, we wrote her a really good song,” says Winston, who demurred on naming said artist.
“Anyway, this was maybe two years ago and we casually started writing music together and thought we’d bring on someone else to sing it. We had created this world and aesthetic that felt cohesive and different from anything either of us had done, with sounds we normally wouldn’t have done for our own projects. But we loved it and wanted to cultivate it,” Hershenow says.
“And it was like, ‘Oh wait, I can sing, so maybe I should just do that,’” finishes Winston.
“It’s funny, but when you take off that pressure you get really strong ideas,” Hershenow says.
Hence, the collection of songs that became “Crown.” Much of the EP is inspired by Hershenow’s devotion to the gay dance party scene, which he says also represents his creative awakening in L.A.
“The dedication to nightlife as a performance piece here was something I had never seen before so I definitely get a lot of inspiration there,” he says. “I want to make music for that scene and what it evokes for me. That idea that you can capture a wildness of emotion combined with this dark dance beat — there is something so incredibly evocative about that combination.”
Layered with Winston’s hauntingly pure voice and a more shiny pop flair, the result is an infectious collection of songs made for dancing the rest of the summer away, in a club or in a backyard.
They say they never want to stop referring to the band as a side project in order to maintain their no-pressure attitude — and their friendship.
“We don’t fight because we are just friends and respectful of each other’s projects. Max is even producing my solo album,” Winston says. “I think what keeps us together is five o’clock white wine time.”
Adds Hershenow with a laugh, “Sometimes 4:45.”
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