Interview with Indie Pop Duo 76TH STREET on New Single ‘She’s My Handsome’, Influences & What’s Next

MuzicNotez: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.

Introduce yourselves, what are your names and rolls in the band?

76TH STREET: Thank you so much for having us! We’re 76TH STREET. I’m Spencer! (vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist)
I’m Haley! (vocalist, songwriter, pianist)

How did you meet and form up? How long have you been together?

76TH STREET: We met back in 5th grade at the school lunch table in Phoenix, Arizona and have been making music together ever since! Our friendship and musical chemistry was pretty instantaneous. We wrote our first song together the very first time we hung out and that became our ritual almost every day after school. We took every possible opportunity to sing together, talent shows, choir groups, musical theater, and after our first show as a duo at the 2015 Arizona State Fair, we were off to the races playing 3-4 shows a week around the southwest before moving to Nashville in 2021. We’ve always had this unspoken agreement that this was more than just a hobby for both of us, that this is what we wanted to dedicate our lives to, and we wanted to do it together. – Spencer

Website: www.76thStreetOfficial.com
TikTok: @76thstreetofficial
Instagram: @76thstreet
Facebook.com/76thstreet

How did you come up with the name 76TH STREET? What does it mean?

76TH STREET: 76TH STREET is the name of the road that we grew up on in Arizona. It took us a few years to land on the name, and back in high school, we called ourselves “Haley and Spencer” before realizing that our band name was right in front of us the whole time. Our childhood and years of friendship are the foundation of who we are as people and the music we create, so it made perfect sense to choose a name that connects us back to the place where it all began. – Haley

Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the band you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?

76TH STREET: We’ve always been inspired by powerhouse female artists like Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Brandi Carlile, and The Indigo Girls. We love seeing women who inspire individuality and authenticity in their songwriting and message and they’ve empowered us to be bold in the music we create as well. – Spencer

What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to or performed?

76TH STREET: LA Pride this past summer was an especially memorable show for us. Our set was during golden hour and the sunshine and breeze in the air was truly poetic. The stage was set up on Hollywood Blvd and it was so cool to play in the heart of Los Angeles. The energy of the crowd was electric, and it was incredible looking out at the sea of people, all wearing fun, colorful outfits, waving flags and signs, and dancing and singing along to our music. This show also kicked off our Summer Pride tour and gave us a glimpse into how epic the rest of the summer would be. – Haley

What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a band? Any particular message you wish to send?

76TH STREET: The goal for the music we create has always been to inspire and empower people to be the fullest, truest version of themselves, and to embrace your own power and independence. Whether you’re listening to our music in your home, in the car, at a party with friends, or with us at one of our shows, we hope you feel unconditionally loved, celebrated, and proud of who you are and who you love! – Spencer

Your latest release is ‘She’s My Handsome’, what inspired this track? What does it mean to you?

76TH STREET: “She’s My Handsome” is definitely one of our favorite songs we’ve ever written. We wanted the song to encapsulate the fresh, giddy feelings of falling in love for the first time and for the song to be a place for people to come back to those feelings and memories and celebrate their love story every time they listen. When it came to the hook and title of the song “She’s My Handsome”, we wanted a phrase that carried the same endearing sentiment as “my love,” but was something we’d never heard before and something the queer community could also connect with. – Haley

There is a lot of emotional vulnerability in the songs you write, intertwined with catchy pop melodies. How do you create that balance? Was it a bit scary at first to open up and expose yourself through your music? Or more freeing?

76TH STREET: It’s fun to see how naturally those two things come together in our songwriting and I think that’s what I enjoy so much about our music and what makes our songs entertaining to listen to. We’ve always been drawn to rich, intimate storytelling and almost giving the listener a sense of reading from a journal entry or having a conversation with a friend on the phone. I think the vulnerability has always been there because, as lifelong bestfriends, we bring out the most authentic version of each other and we’re both committed to writing what is true and real to us. As for the melodies, we write what feels good and is enjoyable for us to sing. It’s also very liberating to sing emotional lyrics at the top of your lungs to a fun, poppy melody and it gives others permission to do the same. Writing songs about some of our experiences as queer women and the queer experience as a whole has been extraordinarily freeing and empowering. The fact that what starts as a song we wrote in our home studio can then become an anthem for an entire community to feel seen, heard and celebrated is beyond words. We’ve been chasing this dream since we were 10 years old, and seeing the ways our music is making a difference in people’s lives and giving them a voice has been the most beautiful, life-changing part of the journey. – Spencer

What else are you working on? What can we expect to see and hear from you in the future?

76TH STREET: We’re currently working on the Deluxe Edition of “WILD” which you can expect by the end of 2025! – Haley

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