Just last year, Aly & AJ returned to the pop scene to release Ten Years, an appropriately titled EP after a decade-long hiatus, but the rebrand of the pop-sister duo is continuing on in 2019 with the release of their new single, "Church."
On Friday (March 29), the comeback kids dropped the atmospheric new track and it picks up right where Ten Years left off, further showcasing the sisters' sonic evolution since their musical debut on Disney. Capitalizing on their love for '80s-inspired dream pop, synth and the concept of redemption, Aly and AJ take listeners to elevated heights, as teased from last year's material. "Too many nights and there's no end, I'm hellbent, the reckless one/ Too many nights I justified, all my casualties of love," the sisters lightly croon during the airy chorus, which uses religion as an analogy without being too forthright about the concept of faith. "For all the times I can't reverse, for all the places where it hurts/ I need a little church."
"This song is about redemption and coming to terms with looking honestly at the aftermath of making bad decisions that hurt those close to you," the sisters said in a statement to iHeartRadio. "'Church' lives in the space just before getting back to your roots after losing your way. A moment of rebirth. We all have our version of 'Church,' the body of people that represent our best hopes and values, whether that's family, faith groups, dear friends, or a place or landscape that feels like home."
"Church," which serves as the lead single off the pair's upcoming five-track EP, Sanctuary, is yet another new chapter for the pair, who will push the boundaries of their lyrical narratives with songs focused on identity, self-reflection and social consciousness. They'll support the release with a paired tour affiliated with The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth, by bringing donation bins and awareness booths to every tour date.
As the two previously told iHeartRadio, approaching their musical careers in the present day has provided the pair with opportunities they didn't necessarily have during their formative years as teenagers. "Social media was not a thing when we first released music. It's like now we have that direct lifeline to people hearing exactly what they want, what songs they want to hear on the road, [and] what they want for the next single," Aly said. "We take that seriously. Our fan base is kind of running things, outside of what Aly and I run."
Photo: Stephen Ringer