I had the privilege of attending a press conference with Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler, hosted by 1824, where the iconic indie-pop duo reflected on their collaborative project brent iii. They shared how their friendship and mutual trust have shaped their creative process, enabling them to make music that resonates with both themselves and listeners.
Zucker, known for hits like “comethru” and “all the kids are depressed,” and Cutler, most recognizable for “Your Shirt” and her debut album How to Be Human, use their emotional storytelling and genre fluidity to make the brent series a hallmark of heartfelt songwriting. With brent iii, they go even deeper into themes of life’s fleeting beauty, growth, and connection.
Their strong friendship serves as the foundation for their collaborations. Both Zucker and Cutler emphasize the importance of vulnerability and mutual respect in their creative partnership. “At the end of the day, we’re friends first,” Cutler shared, while Zucker added, “We’ve got each other’s boundaries on lock.” This trust fosters an environment of support and compromise, which is evident throughout the album. The authenticity of their friendship shines through every track on brent iii.
While the project captures the essence of their bond, many songs also stem from personal experiences. brent iii explores more than just platonic and romantic love; it touches on themes like the exhilaration of touring and the love they feel for their fans, as heard in tracks like “black and white.” The album also touches on transgenerational trauma and hyper-specific issues, offering solace to listeners. Zucker and Cutler’s openness with one another allows their stories to naturally evolve as they collaborate, vent, and experiment with sounds.
Their genre-blending approach is another key quality of brent iii. Coming from different musical backgrounds—Zucker rooted in indie pop and Cutler leaning more into electronic-pop—they view genres not as limitations but as starting points. Zucker compares genres to cuisines and songs to recipes, saying that just like cuisines mix different ingredients to make dishes, songs pull from different genres to create their sound. Together, Zucker and Cutler weave influences from folk, indie, electronic, and singer-songwriter to evoke a wide range of feelings and energy. Cutler encapsulates this fluidity by suggesting that, “Zach Bryan is as much pop as SZA,” emphasizing how modern pop pulls from countless subgenres.
The album’s structure also reflects their intentional artistry. Cutler praised the opener, “ashes,” for its sonic palette and gradual build, which sets the tone for the record and their live performances. On the other hand, “good things” perfectly concludes the album, encapsulating the bittersweet truth that the finite nature of things can be a gift.
Having recently wrapped their brent forever tour, Zucker and Cutler continue to demonstrate how brent iii stands as a powerful testament to their friendship, intimate songwriting, and genre-defying creativity.
Written by: Izzy Hory