Quarantunes: A playlist by Foreign Air

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Foreign Air

Bicoastal duo Foreign Air announced this week that their debut album “Good Morning Stranger” will be out in October, and with the news came the feel-good anthem “I Believe.” In today’s QUARANTUNES, Jacob Michael talks about striving for what’s fresh, staying sane in his studio and their playlist of risk-takers.

THE LATEST FROM FOREIGN AIR

Bicoastal duo Foreign Air — Jacob Michael (Washington, D.C.) and Jesse Clasen (L.A.) — got together a few years ago after the demise of their respective bands and embraced a gleeful, anything-goes approach to songwriting. After an EP and a slew of singles dating back to 2015, Foreign Air’s debut album “Good Morning Stranger” will be out Oct. 16.

Their mostly long-distance collaboration has spawned songs that mix and match genres, employing vintage synths, sharp guitars and modern beats and production to create songs with a fun swagger, whether they lean rock or electronic. “We both came from rock bands, but we wanted to do something neither of us had ever done before with this project,” Michael says of the duo’s beginnings. “That was the idea behind our name, that we were going to dive into something totally unfamiliar and the music would be this blast of fresh, invigorating, foreign air.”

Their latest single, out this week, is the clap-along rocker “I Believe,” a straightforward affirmation with a stadium-sized chorus. “I wanted to write a song that was universal, that could unify people with a simple message,” Michael says of the tune, which was co-authored by Gabe Simon (Dua Lipa, Adam Lambert, Morgxn).

You’ll have to imagine enjoying in a big crowd for now, but …

||| Live: Foreign Air will do an online session at 4 p.m. today for Jam in the Van on YouTube.

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MANAGE THE ‘STAY AT HOME’ EDICT?

Jacob Michael: I built a home studio in my basement, which is where I spend 90% of my day now. I think that helps me stay sane. I’ve also been riding my bike thru the city a lot to get out of the house. It’s been really nice not having as many cars in the city. I could definitely get used to that.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN THIS IS OVER?

Jacob Michael: I am looking forward to being around people again and traveling. I think I took for granted how much those two things inspired my creative process. I definitely enjoyed settling into a healthy home routine for the first couple of months of quarantine, but now I’m itching for some type of excitement. I’m really looking forward to the next impromptu hang with friends over some really good food and a couple of bottles of wine. It’s going to be nice to just sit back and enjoy each other’s company again.

ANYTHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PLAYLIST?

Jacob Michael: We get really excited about artists that take chances and make unique music. Whether it be an incredible vocal, an interesting sample or drum sound. We wanted to put together a group of songs that you might not typically find on an algorithmic playlist. I think it’s important to lift artists up who are willing to take chances because they tend to make the world a more interesting place.