Seattle-based duo Modera share some insight into their artistic journey, their latest singles, where the project is headed in the future, and more.
The Pacific Northwest continues to be a hotbed for rising talent in the electronic music scene. Artists from a wide array of genres have staked their claim on an increasing number of followers well beyond the region’s borders, and Modera is one duo that’s making some serious waves in the community lately. Caleb Hamlin and Evan Koessier make up this Seattle-based duo, and last year saw them deliver powerful soundscapes on their debut album, From Walks Of Life.
That album landed on the beloved label Colorize and showed Modera’s passion for crafting quality progressive and melodic house grooves that touch hearts. This year, the duo continued to grow as they meandered down their path, first by releasing remixes from the album but more recently by dropping two fresh singles.
“Covered” is a rework of JT Roach’s original as Modera blends acoustic and electronic elements to create a gorgeous soundscape. Meanwhile, “Stand Alone” shows off their collaborative nature by bringing Andrew Burrow and Josefina into the mix. Both tunes are simply stunning and set the tone for what’s to come on their forthcoming EP that’s due out in the fall. It’s clear that this duo is one to watch, so we caught up with them to chat about their roots, where they’re heading, and more.
Stream Modera, Andrew Burrow, Josefina – Stand Alone on Spotify:
Hi Caleb and Evan. Thanks for chatting with us today. To kick this one off, let’s touch on your backstory a bit. How did you two first come together as a duo? What’s the story behind Modera?
It’s somewhat of a long story, but I’ll try to keep it short. We both grew up in the same town, about 30 minutes outside of Seattle. We were introduced in 2012 through my brother, who was good friends with Evan. Evan had found out that I downloaded Ableton, so he wanted to hangout and make some tunes. After that It wasn’t long until we were working on tracks together pretty much on the daily. In 2014, I left for college. The distance made it tough for us to keep that same schedule, but we did find some time to work on things here and there. As soon as I was out of college and back home, we reconnected and decided we were going to take the music thing a bit more seriously. In 2021 we decided to move in together to try and maximize our efficiency. After a few failed projects, we finally came across something that stuck, and that was Modera.
Your debut album, From Walks Of Life, was released last year and was an absolute treat. Can you describe the reception and its impact on your artistic journey?
Ever since Evan and I first started working together we talked about doing an album. When Enhanced approached us with the idea, we were thrilled, we didn’t think that opportunity would present itself so early on in our project. With From Walks Of Life being our first album, we didn’t know what to expect, everything was relatively new to us. We figured we’d just make the best music possible and see what happens.
As we were rolling the album out, we didn’t know what to expect as a reaction, but with each single that was released, we kept getting amazing feedback. Ultimately the album ended up being much more popular than what we had expected, which we’re extremely grateful for. Artistically, the album came out exactly how we wanted it to, there’s not all too much we wish we would have done differently.
From Walks Of Life certainly marks a significant milestone in our career. It sets a new benchmark for what we expect of ourselves and the quality of music we want to release moving forward. It’s also changed the way that we think about the project and what could be possible in the future.
Moving to the present, you recently released a new single, “Stand Alone,” which saw you team up with Andrew Burrow and Josefina. What was the production process like for this track? Was it different from other releases you’ve put out?
The process for this track was a little different from what we’re used to. Typically when we work with vocalists, we aren’t in the same room as them for writing. However, with this track, we got the chance to work with Josefina in the same studio together. This was while we were in London for a show late last year. Colorize was able to line up a couple studio sessions for us, one of those sessions was with Josefina. In that one day we were able to write and track final vocals for Stand Alone. We were so impressed by Josefina during that session, she is an incredible singer and songwriter. If we were in London longer, I’m sure we would have written several more songs with her.
After recording “Stand Alone,” we didn’t re-open the project until we were in Miami for music week. At that time, we finished the track with Andrew at his home studio. So, unlike many of the other tracks we’ve been making lately, this one was made 100% remotely as we were traveling for shows.
You mentioned that “Stand Alone” is a “fresh direction” for you two sonically. Digging deeper into that, where do you plan to take your sound in the future?
We don’t want to reveal all too much on this just yet, but for this upcoming EP you will definitely notice that we’ve added some new sounds to the palette. To be more specific, you’ll be hearing some palm-muted guitars, bouncy baselines, and the occasional vocal chop. We also tried to take a slightly new approach to the songwriting by injecting just a hint of “pop” inspiration. This was something that happened by accident at first but has now become something we do intentionally, primarily because we want the music to be a bit more digestible.
One of our favorite elements in “Stand Alone” is the chop that gets highlighted in the drop. We haven’t really done something like this before, but it definitely adds a new sparkle to our sound.
You’ve regularly worked with singer-songwriters on your tracks, adding power and emotion along the way. Do you feel this element is crucial for making a tune soul-stirring, or is that something that could be accomplished by an instrumental alone?
I wouldn’t say it’s crucial, but incorporating lyrics can definitely enhance a song, depending on its style. Ultimately, our goal is to be storytellers through our music, and storytelling often relies on lyrics. Although instrumentals can convey a story, lyrics add depth to their literal meaning.
Vocals provide an additional layer of emotion and meaning that instrumentals alone can’t achieve. That said, instrumentals certainly have their place, and I’m sure we will make many more in the future.
One of the standout sets you performed recently was right on the beach in the Gulf of Mexico. These scenic sets are always a treat, but did it ever feel a bit strange to play on an empty beach with no one around? The energy must have been entirely different from playing a normal set.
Wow, yeah, that was a fun time! It was definitely an interesting experience; it’s not too often that you get to do a DJ set out in the middle of nowhere. I’d say it was strange for the first song or two, but once we started vibing to the music, it was all good times. We also had a few of our friends there to help with the gear, so once the music started, they cracked a few beers and danced along with us from a few hundred feet away. The craziest part of that entire experience was the boat ride home after. You can’t quite tell from the video, but right as the set was ending, a huge storm started to hit. It made for an eventful trip home, and a couple of good stories.
What’s your favorite thing about the scene in Seattle? Is there anything you’d wish would change about it in the future?
Seattle’s interesting, it’s a big city, with a great music scene, but our genre hasn’t quite made it here yet, so I’d say that’s the one thing we’d like to see change. That being said, the scene is growing rapidly in Seattle, and that’s mostly due to the fact that the community here is extremely passionate and supportive. We’ve also got promoters like Vivid Presents, who are doing amazing things for the melodic/progressive scene by throwing these “one of a kind” type events with great talent. So yeah, I’d have to say community is our favorite thing about the Seattle scene right now.
Finally, what can fans expect from you two as you build up to the rest of your EP, which is due out in the fall?
As we mentioned earlier, there is going to be a slight shift in the direction of our music, but there will also be a change in the visual aesthetic as well. For this project, we really leaned into our passion for cinematography and photography. All of the cover art and visual branding is something that we’ve put a lot of thought into. Other than that, I’d say to expect some good “summer vibes” music that will make you want to dance. We’ve got some really exciting tracks coming out, and we just hope everyone enjoys them as much as we do.
