The songs of Better Dreaming came to Garbus and Brenner with unusual ease. They asked themselves what would happen if they simply let the songs come out, following any trail they wished – first thought, best thought style. There was a strong desire to move, to make music that would enter the ear and immediately loosen up the joints, get the whole body wiggling. After covid-isolation, and time away from touring and live shows, the desire to be moved by music was undeniable. The insane experience of growing an actual human being influenced this as well.

Tune Yards, the dynamic duo of Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, shared details of their sixth studio album, Better Dreaming, out 16 May. The album showcases some of their most effortlessly groove-filled music in their career. The first single Limelight was born from dancing together as a family to George Clinton, and Garbus and Brenner’s 3-year-old can be heard singing on the track.

Garbus reflects on the new track: “This one almost didn’t make it onto the album because it felt trite, especially given multiple genocides across the globe and the particular impact on children (the kids are not ‘alright’). But it kept coming back as people kept responding positively to it, in particular our own kid. Who am I to talk about getting free, about us all getting free? Fannie Lou Hamer said, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free” and it feels vulnerable but important to see myself as part of that ‘everybody’.”

This Is Pop? today’s song of the day is here for you.