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Brooklyn-based duo Gardenia have released their debut album, Knowing You Know Nothing, and throughout the eight tracks, the band aims to tell listeners, "We're pissed, and you should be too." They push the idea that it's okay to be angry at the state of the world and that although every story might not have a happy ending, it doesn't mean you can't try to find yours.

Armed with bass, drums, and a vision, the NYC-based rock pair constructed their singular and massive sound. Meeting first as co-workers at a local studio, Ry Zakin (vocals/bass) and Tamir Malik (drums) quickly became friends and bandmates, starting the band in the same studio in 2018. As a result, their music is a cohesion of not only the sights and sounds of the city that raised them but of the bands they perform alongside at clubs and theatres nationwide.

"When I first heard SZA's 'The Weekend,' I remember how that was such a wild position to take in a song, and I wanted to do the same,” says Zakin. “I pulled stories from every friend about people they've dealt with, and the result was this song."

The duo have shared their track-by-track thoughts behind their first-ever album Knowing You Know Nothing with The Noise, and opened up about their influences and creative process below!

Hall Pass

Ry had a conversation with his girlfriend about celebrity "hall passes," and a few weeks later, he ended up running into one of his. This was the spark behind "Hall Pass," which is about how people idolize celebrities in such strange ways. People get REALLY weird around famous people at times, and it can range from hysterical to dangerous, and we thought it would be something unique to write about. 

Daydream Nightmare

Ry had COVID when he wrote this one, and it was nasty (high-grade fever, chills, no sense of smell or taste, and no sleep). This was still when COVID was very much the real deal in New York, and Tamir went all the way from the Bronx to Manhattan to pick up Ry's bass and then to Brooklyn to leave it at his door. After spending three days with no instruments or distractions, Ry just started writing stream-of-consciousness about the party scene in Los Angeles, which he had just visited for the first time a week prior.

Believe Me (Or Don't)

Before Tamir took a nap in the studio, Ry asked if he had any ideas for this song, which was already recorded instrumentally. Tamir said, "Write about infidelity...but it's your fault". By the time Tamir woke up, the lyrics were done and almost exactly the same as on the recording. The words came from Ry thinking of some of the awful stories he's heard of people dealing with cheating.

Mattress Actress

Have you ever been screwed over by someone so badly that you felt like you belonged to a particular profession? "Mattress Actress" is based on a collection of stories from Ry's friends and their respective love lives. From one-night stands to infatuations to rejections, this song is about the underbelly of the dating scene in New York. Tamir thinks this song always ends up being the most chaotic onstage.

I Hope Ur Crying

This song was written by Ry on an acoustic guitar and then was sat on for three years, never to see the light of day. It had never made sense to be a "Gardenia" song, but once Ry switched from playing guitar to bass, the song took on a much moodier, sleazier flavor. This really helps carry the lyrics; it's all about the ruminations of the worst part of a breakup - the memories.

Black Perfume

"Black Perfume," much like "Daydream Nightmare," is about the people that Ry met his first time visiting LA. He found a lot of the people there to be very mysterious, with very ambiguous and manicured backstories. This song was our attempt at encapsulating the feeling that seeing these people brought - so dark yet so calm.

Maybe I'm Just Being Paranoid

This is the "I'm going insane" song on the record. This song is about snapping, the moment when everything falls apart. A lot of the topics on the album are a little heavy, and all the emotional weight inevitably leads to a breakdown. Tamir was instantly hooked on this song, and knew exactly what he wanted the intro to sound like; A sprial.

All the Ugly Things

"So of course I'm feeling angry, wouldn't you be angry too?" is the message of the whole record, so it only made sense for this song to be the closer. Tamir and Ry went into writing this song knowing it would give listeners a glimpse into their intensity as songwriters. It really embodies the album's feeling of pushing through hopelessness and fighting back at all costs. When it gets too dark, that's all we can do.

Be sure to check out Gardenia’s debut album, Knowing You Know Nothing, today!