FARR

COVER STORY

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COVER STORY ✦

For nearly five years, R&B duo FARR has carved out their own unique space in the music industry with over 100M streams and 2M monthly listeners stemming from the pair’s ability to blend mesmerizing components of R&B, alternative, soul, indie, and pop — forged by the dynamic pairing of seasoned vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Roméo and GRAMMY® Award-nominated producer and multi-instrumentalist Linden Jay.

Photography: Sabrina Miller | Cover Design: Laramie Cheyenne

Before the duo’s formation, Jay’s celebrated contributions as co-writer and co-producer to hits such as Doja Cat's "Woman" established him as a sought-after veteran producer, while Roméo’s collaborations with artists like Joey Bada$$ and Gorgon City masterfully highlighted his versatility and well-rounded artistry. However, when the pair joined forces to create FARR, they unknowingly tapped into a rare, perfectly collaborative style that the industry needed.

“Linden originally said ‘no’ to starting a band with me, so I guess we didn’t really see that much potential [in each other].” Roméo sarcastically notes, to which Linden then responds, “[Laughs] Seriously though, I feel like we kind of filled in the gaps for each other creatively.” After getting to hear his partner’s thoughts on their complimentary styles, Roméo shifts gears and explains, “We both had a lot to say as individuals and when we came together, our individual strengths complimented each other and created something that neither of us had come across before.”

Photography: Sabrina Miller

Because of the duo’s extensive history in the music industry, FARR’s union immediately made use of their hands-on skillsets and the irreplaceable lessons they learned along the way. When revisiting their experiences prior to joining FARR, Roméo details some of his biggest takeaways from his own career, telling us, “When I met Linden, I had spent a lot of time writing with other writers and producers – I felt like I had incubated my creativity for a really long time, but was looking for a better outlet for it. I always had an interest in producing and I knew eventually my background in strings would come into play — it informs my sense of melody and harmony.” The singer-songwriter continues, “I think FARR became the perfect outlet for a lot of my experimental tendencies.”

Conversely, Linden shares that some of his pragmatic behind-the-scenes experiences with other artists have also contributed to FARR’s identity. He begins to explain, “Before I started FARR, I did a lot of producing for other artists, touring as an engineer and a musician, so I feel like all these skills came together when we started the project.”

Throughout their time together, FARR has had palpable success connecting with R&B fans or even those with respect for rich vocals and riveting production elements — and while they also have the rare ability to expand their discography with other genres, including alternative, jazz, or pop, it’s impossible to define the duo’s expansive sound. Roméo divulges his thoughts on the duo’s intended sound, telling us, “As time goes on and old genres of music come back into the mainstream, the lines differentiating them become blurry. It’s a really exciting time in music right now because everyone has access to so many different things.”

Photography: Sabrina Miller

Expanding on the duo’s potent interest in blending styles and sounds, he further explains, “I don’t think you have to be any one thing these days. FARR was a bit of an experiment and a leap of faith. We’ve always tried new things, and fresh ways of approaching how we make music, and every time we try something new it leads in a different direction. We both are interested in, and fans of so many different types of music, and we don't see any boundaries when we’re making it.”

The result of their ongoing mission to evolve through musical styles has led to several hit songs and streaming success with vibey, timeless tracks like “Heal Me,” “Shook Up,” and “Bulletproof” — with the 2020 reimagining of La Roux’s "Bulletproof" serving as a massive, viral launchpad for FARR. Though, on a personal level, the song will always be a track that both artists cherish for the rest of their careers.

When reflecting on some of their favorite tracks, Linden admits, “Our Bulletproof cover was a special one, we didn’t expect it to connect in the way it did. We also didn’t expect a message from La Roux saying she liked it.” The producer then regretfully reveals, “There’s a really funny photo of us with La Roux’s hair Photoshopped on us that we wanted to send to her but never did.”

Photography: Sabrina Miller | Cover Design: Laramie Cheyenne

After gaining recognition for multiple viral tracks like “Bulletproof,” FARR has since taken its artistry to the next level, with mainstream recognition, packed live shows, and even universally adored collaborative opportunities that have changed the trajectory of their lives. “Linden, on my birthday last year, sent me a video from Wembley Arena of 12,000 people singing words to a song I wrote in my apartment,” Roméo candidly shares. “That was a pretty surreal moment where I really felt like I was doing something meaningful.” Revealing one of his own surreal career highlights (courtesy of Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler), Linden points out that the athlete, “sometimes posts our songs on his story.” casually admitting, “That’s pretty cool.”

Now, with the release of their brand-new EP, Blink Twice If You’re Okay, FARR’s heartfelt, soul-stirring collection of songs effectively serves as a testament to their growth as artists. Drawing on their separate strengths, a strong partnership, and unwavering sincerity, the string-heavy EP cements itself as a multi-faceted curation of songs appropriate for nearly any circumstance where music can be applied.

Delving into the duo’s recent shift in sound, Linden remarks, “We were always into tons of different types of music, and the way the first record sounded was a moment in time, but we’ve got more in us that we keep developing. There’s a lot more electronic instruments on the first project, but on the EP, I really wanted to bring in more live instruments, and it ended up being much more guitar-driven than that first album. It also makes a lot more sense when we play it live, it feels like a band setup.”

Photography: Sabrina Miller

Roméo also contributes to the album’s thoughtful production topic by adding, “Because of Covid, a lot of the process of starting this EP was done remotely, and because my main writing instrument is guitar, a lot of the songs were started that way. Once they got to Linden, it felt right to keep the guitars as a driving force as we continued to develop them.”

Some of the EP’s tracks like "Doom Gloom," "Restless Child," and "Make It to Summer" exhibit the duo’s compelling band-tinted pivot, but more importantly, depict a cohesive story that’s integral to the EP’s overall narrative. Roméo details some of the essential ideas behind these songs, stating, “All of these either have to do with a relationship or relationship with self. ‘Blink Twice’ is a reminder to check in with yourself and be fully honest at all times – something we can all be guilty of overlooking.”

The vocalist continues to open up about the EP’s core themes and objectives, telling us, “We wanted to be honest and vulnerable if nothing else, to let people who are going through hard times know that they’re not alone. ‘Make It to Summer’ was written during a tough patch in a relationship. The song is about holding out hope that everything can be alright if you just make it over the hill.”

Photography: Sabrina Miller

While FARR has perfectly utilized each track’s purpose across Blink Twice If You’re Okay, it’s also impossible to ignore its flawless, sleek 2024 hit, “In Need of a Friend,” a song that acts as an emotional plea to a partner. When asked about the song’s creation and origin, Linden reveals, “Rome started the original idea in LA, and when he sent over the demo I dug into the production and developed it. Between London, LA, and New York, we recorded friends and different parts of the song. There are so many details that carry the song.”

Opening up about the specific intricacies of the dark horse track, he goes on to explain, “One being that when we first played it in a show in London, it was around the time we were finishing producing the song, and we took a VHS recording of the crowd from that show singing ‘la la la,’ and overlaid that in the actual studio version that’s out now. This makes it feel like you’re already in a crowd singing along, and happens to be one of our favorites to play live.”

Having worked on a majority of the tracks on the EP for several years, FARR has displayed extreme patience and resilience in this talented partnership — two qualities that are imperative to surviving the unpredictable twists and turns of the industry. However, regardless of what the future holds for FARR, the balanced partnership still has plenty of hopes and aspirations for the future. Linden professes, “A big goal for both of us is to have a fully functional bi-coastal setup, to be able to exist and create music in both London and LA seamlessly.”

“We’ve imagined so many different iterations of what FARR could be,” Roméo proceeds to tell us, “We’ve had the privilege of trying out so many different things in the years that we’ve been working together, and we feel like the opportunities are endless. We also have such a talented group of friends and peers, and it seems like every year we get put into these new situations that allow for creative output. Along with promoting this EP, we’re excited to get on the road again after two successful tours. And I personally am really excited to see new places, create new fans, and meet more fans.”

But like any natural artist, it’s only a matter of time before FARR is back to making hits — with Roméo concluding, “There are a few songs I’m also excited to finish writing once we have a minute to get back into the studio.”