The OAR members have been very impressed with the fact that they worked with producers Brady Watt and DJ Premier. On Friday, the rock band released their first single of the year, “Gonna Be Me (Friendship Song),” which reflects their introspection.
“The first time we played Madison Square Garden, we came out to ‘Work’ by Gang Starr,” singer and guitarist Mark Roberge said in a press release. “DJ Premier is a giant in the music world, but also in the OAR world. To have the opportunity to create a song from scratch with him and the genius of Brady Watt is literally once in a lifetime.”
Premier and Robberg met at a New York Rangers game and talked about working together at some point. “After that, we booked a session at my studio to brainstorm some ideas with Brady Watt,” Premier said. “I heard them sing the first lyrics in our live room, and I started playing myself a drum pattern. By the time they got into my control room, I had the drums programmed and Mark brought his guitar and played the opening melody over my beat.”
“From there, he and Brady wrote the rest of the lyrics, and the next thing I knew, we had a song and a single. It happened so fast,” he added.
The new track from OAR comes as the group embarks on their summer tour alongside Fitz and the Tantrums, which will see them stop in cities like Atlanta, Irving, Austin, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.
“It’s time to get out there, play a full set, have fun and have the best summer of our lives,” said Roberge. “We can’t wait to spend this summer with our friends Fitz & The Tantrums, Ripe and DJ Logic!”
The group's last release was in June 2023, when they joined Corey Wong on “Hiding on the Moon”. Their latest album, CorridorsIt was released in 2022. As for Premier, he joined Chance the Rapper on “Together” and Nas on “Define My Name” earlier this year.
