“Matrimony” sounds like eighties synth-pop refracted through the lens of people who’ve been together long enough to know what holding something together actually costs. The Texas trio built a new wave track that moves with the pulse of New Order and the romantic remove of Pet Shop Boys, but the subject matter sits somewhere less glossy—in the space where devotion stops being an idea and becomes a series of small, ongoing decisions.
The song was pushed into existence by a very human realization: real devotion isn’t pristine or cinematic, it’s improvised. It was written from the emotional space where love feels both fragile and enduring at the same time.
Things look beautiful on the surface, but underneath they’re held together with effort, compromise, and intention. Lines like “flowers on top of the water” and “duct tape and wire” came from thinking about how commitment is often a quiet, ongoing act, not a grand declaration. Emotionally, the song is reacting to that balance—the magic of choosing someone, and the vulnerability of knowing that choice requires constant maintenance.
This theme felt important now because “we’re no longer writing about love as an idea, we’re writing about love as something lived in.” At this point in their lives, commitment feels less like a fantasy and more like a practice. There’s beauty in that, but also fear and humility. The song sits in that tension without trying to resolve it. It’s not about perfection or permanence in a traditional sense, but about learning how to float together even when the structure beneath you isn’t flawless.
Sonically, “Matrimony” pulls from the warmth and cinematic sheen of Cut Copy and Hot Chip, channeling those influences into something that feels both timeless and immediate. Cascading synths, luminous basslines, earnest vocals that rise and shimmer without tipping into triumph. There’s a stretch with what the band describes as a joyful, uplifting vibe that conjures the eighties, followed by glassy tones that start to cut at the edges, then a moment of breath where the track opens into a joyful, atmospheric dance spasm. The tempo keeps things moving – there’s enough happening that you won’t get bored, but the brightness never fully obscures the vulnerability underneath.
As a band, this song reflects where Don’t Get Lemon are right now both emotionally and sonically. They’ve been drawn to pairing vulnerable subject matter with music that still moves, dance music that doesn’t shy away from intimacy. “Matrimony” continues that trajectory, blurring celebration and confession, letting warmth and uncertainty coexist. It isn’t a one-off statement so much as a marker, a moment where their writing feels more comfortable sitting with nuance instead of chasing clarity. In that way, “Matrimony” functions as a checkpoint, not a conclusion. The band acknowledges they probably won’t keep writing “love songs” in a traditional sense, but this single reflects a time and place in their lives.
The track features Austin Curtis on vocals, Bryan Walters on bass, and Nick Ross on synth, guitar, and drum programming.
It was written and produced by Don’t Get Lemon, mixed by Ryan Santos Phillips at Lux Perpetua NYC, and mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering. Album art and photography come from Nadia Al-Khalifah, with design and layout by Nicholas Ross.
Video editing was handled by Nyle Rosenbaum, with additional footage by Nadia Al-Khalifah. Released via à La Carte Records in 2026.
