Following the release of their transcendent single ‘Monster’, the Los Angeles based duo Grace & Moji return to Unrecorded with another emotionally resonant song. Brand new release ‘Tipping Point’ is a guitar-led indie pop narrative that captures those precarious moments when it seems as though a relationship could completely collapse. This subject matter is all the more poignant as Grace & Moji are a married couple who have built a strong creative and personal relationship across different cultural and national boundaries.
Here, one-half of the pair, Martin Wave, discusses the inspiration behind their new song: “This song symbolizes one of the hardest times of my life, when I really thought that our marriage might be coming to an end. ‘Tipping Point’ helped us express those feelings when we needed it and is part of the reason we managed to make a full recovery.”
Now, let’s dive further into ‘Tipping Point’. It opens with a softly plucked guitar and Martin Wave‘s breathy voice which he uses to translate the raw feeling following a couple’s argument. He sings, “she’s been open and honest, brutally honest…” Next, Grace Hong counters with her more soulful, yet placid, vocal, “I’ve gotten used to talking to myself, can’t break through the noise.” It’s evident that communication lies at the heart of this dispute, as is the case for so many relationships. These tender introductory verses give way to a sense of hope with rich layers of expressive vocals, energetically strummed strings, a crowd’s worth of hand-claps, and thumping drum. What we really enjoy is the contrast between those more stripped-back verses that convey the sense of giving up on a relationship and these bolder choruses that are filled with a renewed fighting spirit.
As Grace Hong succinctly states, “This is one of the most powerful and raw moments on our EP. It captures the drama and how hard communication can be sometimes coupled with beautiful moments of commitment to working it out.”
The other element of ‘Tipping Point’ we can’t miss is the beautiful music video. It’s an intimate scene displaying glitter encrusted lovers exploring one another. Once again, there are points of effective comparison throughout the visuals, with a few shots of each performer in isolation. There lies a key message at the heart of ‘Tipping Point’, that in every romance there are individuals whose own needs and desires also must be tended to. This single comes as a reminder to communicate effectively and to support one another, but also to look out for your own heart.
You can also listen to ‘Tipping Point’ in our Shades of Pop playlist.
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