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O.A.R. are geeking out over the fact that they got to work with producers Brady Watt and DJ Premier. On Friday, the rock band released their self-reflective “Gonna Be Me (the friendship song),” their first single of the year.
“The first time we played Madison Square Garden, we walked out to ‘Work’ by Gang Starr,” said vocalist and guitarist Marc Roberge in a press release, referring to the Premier-produced track. “DJ Premier is such a giant in music, but also in the world of O.A.R. To have the opportunity to make a song from scratch with him, and the genius of Brady Watt is literally once in a lifetime.”
Premier and Roberge crossed paths during a New York Rangers game and talked about working together at some point. “Fast forward, we finally booked a session at my studio mainly to exchange some ideas with Brady Watt,” Premier said. “I heard them both singing the initial first words in our Live Room, and I started beatboxing a drum pattern to myself. By the time they walked in my control room, I had programmed the drums and Marc brought his guitar in and strummed the opening melody to my cadence.”
He added, “From there, he and Brady wrote the rest of the lyrics and next thing I know, we had a song and a single. It happened that fast.”
The new track from O.A.R. comes as the group kickstarted their summer tour alongside Fitz and the Tantrums, which will see them stop in cities such as Atlanta, Irving, Austin, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.
“It’s time for us to get out there and play a full set, jam out, and have another best summer of our lives,” said Roberge. “We can’t wait to hang this summer with our friends Fitz and the Tantrums, Ripe and DJ Logic!”
The group’s last release came in June 2023, when they joined Cory Wong on “Hiding on the Moon.” Their last album, The Arcade, was released in 2022. As for Premier, he joined Chance the Rapper on “Together” and Nas on “Define My Name” earlier this year.
