It’s a bit of a miracle that Aly & AJ are still doing what they’re doing.
Once a Disney-powered Hollywood Records mainstream teen-pop project – “Potential Breakup Song” forever, obviously – the girls eventually disbanded and rebranded as 78violet, then un-branded, and returned as themselves, only better, in 2017.
Ever since their re-debut, they’ve been consistently putting out lush and elegantly crafted pop tunes like “I Know” and “Promises” – two personal favorites from Ten Years – joining the ranks of other dreamy pop duo acts I’ve adored over the years, like Say Lou Lou and the all-too-fleeting Frank + Derol.
“Don’t Go Changing,” the second single off of their upcoming Sanctuary EP, is their latest in a seemingly endless winning streak, supplying a Drive soundtrack-style synthiness and propulsive drums with their reliable knack for smart, catchy hooks.
“Don’t go changing on me, babe / Typical feeling / Who ever told you you’re not good enough?” they urge. It’s a kind of subtle self-encouragement anthem as someone slips away from being themselves that feels appropriately adult, especially when compared to some, um, other recent big budget pop releases.
It’s quality work – and, of course, a labor of love behind-the-scenes.
“We are independent artists. And at the end of the day, this process takes a lot of time, work, and rejection. A lot of this comes out of our own pocket. When our fans are streaming our music, that’s really, truly going into what our next release will be,” the girls explained to Bustle.
The girls are hitting the road in the states beginning in May, including a stop at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey on May 14, then heading to Europe in July. Show up and show them some love. They’re showing love back: they’ve teamed up with The Trevor Project to bring donation bins and awareness booths to every tour date in support of the organization, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth. More likes ALLIES & AJ, am I right? Sorry.
And Aly & AJ? Don’t go changing anytime soon.
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“Don’t Go Changing” was released on April 26. (iTunes)
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Aly & AJ/NBD PR
