If you like your synth-pop with a whimsical wink, look no further than New York City electronic duo Shallowhalo. The group, comprised of Allyson Camitta and Ezra Tenenbaum, is gearing up to drop their new EP Connection on April 5, and today they’re sharing the first taste of the album, “You Are My Religion Now.” The track, which features fellow NYC electro-popper Swordes, comes with a dizzying, gritty beat under the hushed repeated confirmation, “You are my religion now,” like a sweet, synthy prayer.
“'You Are My Religion Now' was written last June and inspired by love, limerence and cult-like figures,” Camitta tells PAPER. “We wanted to capture the feeling where desire steeps and obsession explodes like fireworks sparkling in your fantasy nightmare. Sometimes you want someone so bad that you would surrender yourself to them and it feels like the most romantic thing you can do.”
Directed by Aria Cabello, the video for the track was inspired by filmmakers like Dario Argento, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Sofia Coppola. “Aria Cabello, who directed the video, had just watched Priscilla by Sofia Coppola and we talked a lot about the female gaze in films that we love such as The Love Witch and Jennifer’s Body,” Camitta says. “There’s a reference to Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain, especially in the final scene where me and Swordes perform ritual magic on Serge (Drink More Water).” They also wanted the video to exist outside an actual era, time or place. “The video has a late '60s early '70s feel, but the costumes and props are meant to suspend this timeframe,” she says. “Like Miuccia Prada and Betsey Johnson on acid.
The collab behind that track happened by accident, with Swordes originally coming in just to add backing vocals. “Working with Swordes was awesome and this track actually came together quite unexpectedly,” Camitta tells us. “This was the last song we wrote for the EP and it honestly almost didn’t make the cut. We asked Swordes if they would be down to add some backup vocals and she sent back a full-on verse that ended up being perfect for the track. It ended up all clicking into place and quickly became one of our favorites.”
Working with director Aria Cabello was also an organic, natural collab. "I met Aria through being out and about in the NY music scene and we bonded over having similar music tastes," Camitta says. "Aria directed a music video that I made a cameo in last summer and although that video was never released, I saw how meticulously Aria worked and knew I wanted to make a music video with her. This is the first music video she’s ever released and it’s one of our favorites."
Now, the duo has their sights set on dropping Connections on Fools Gold records: "We’ve been working on this EP for about a year so it’s really exciting for us to finally be able to share it with people."
Photography: Marcus Maddox
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