Folk-pop duo Deb Talan and Steven Tannen, also known as The Weepies, are back with a new album, Sirens, after a five-year hiatus.
The pair met in 2002 when Tannen was solo touring in Massachusetts, which led to a songwriting partnership and the beginning of their unique musical sound.
Known for their rich harmonies and whimsical, acoustic-based music, The Weepies have become one of the most understated groups in the music industry with their quiet rise to fame.
They have over 18 million plays on Spotify, and their music has been featured on several popular television shows, including CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother,” the CW’s “One Tree Hill” and “Gossip Girl,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” and ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” and “Kyle XY,” with one of the most often selected songs being “The World Spins Madly On.”
They released their first album Happiness on an independent label in 2003 and signed with Nettwerk Records in 2005. They spent the next months touring and got married in 2007.
Their studio albums include Happiness, Say I Am You and Hideaway, with their most recent one being Be My Thrill in 2010, followed by a tour.
After an end of 2013 stage-three breast cancer diagnosis, Talan began chemotherapy treatments by New Year’s Eve.
During Talan’s months of treatment, the couple worked on music in their home. They brought in guest musicians to collaborate with, which resulted in an extraordinary backing band across the album.
The album includes musical contributions from Gerry Leonard (David Bowie), Oliver Kraus (Sia), Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters) and more.
The result, Sirens, includes 16 tracks of some of the group’s best work, part of which was recorded during Talan’s treatments.
“Sirens was an intense record to make, and we didn’t know if it would be our last one,” said Tannen. “…Focusing on the music kept us going through a scary time.”
Talan defeated cancer in 2014 after six months of treatment and surgery, and she and Tannen have three children together.
“The songs that made it onto the album seem to us like photographs from a long, strange year,” said Tannen. “…Some of them are pretty raw, but they all seem infused with a sort of hope we’re proud of.”
The album is full of familiar sounds The Weepies are known for, with an addition of a few upbeat tunes and a rhythmic horn section.
Sirens is set for release on Apr. 28, 2015, and the duo is headed out for a 27-city tour beginning in Madison, Wisconsin at the end of May.
“We couldn’t be more excited to get back on the road,” said Tannen. “…We’ve missed connecting in that way, and the shows will likely be pretty long because there’s a lot we are hoping to get to play.”
To pre-order Sirens or learn more about The Weepies, visit theweepies.com.
