A years old demo turned into something spellbinding, the chances look good Cavetown and Frankie Cosmos’ new collab. Check out the latest cover story for our New Music Friday playlist edit, PLAY.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
We know. In the days of algorithm boosts and monthly listeners, collaborations between your faves are ten a penny. But when Cavetown and Frankie Cosmos join forces, it’s less a meeting of minds and more a collision of creative universes, all to make something about as indie as a hand-knitted jumper made from ethically sourced alpaca wool. Their just-dropped new single, ‘magic 8 ball’, is a delicate confection of bedroom pop that feels both familiar and refreshingly new – like finding an old diary entry you don’t remember writing but that somehow captures exactly how you feel right now.
Cavetown, the musical alter ego of long-time Friend Of The Magazine Robin Skinner, has been a fixture in ‘the indie scene’ since his teenage years, crafting intimate, emotionally resonant tracks that speak directly to the hearts of his devoted fanbase. Frankie Cosmos, the brainchild of Greta Kline, has similarly carved out a niche with her poetic, often whimsical approach to songwriting. Together, they’ve created something that feels like a gentle rebellion against the certainties that previous generations clung to, wrapped in a lo-fi lullaby that feels like a warm hug from your coolest, slightly awkward friend.
The genesis of ‘magic 8 ball’ is as intriguing as the song itself. What began as a practically prehistorical demo gathering digital dust in Greta’s hard drive has blossomed into a fully realised collaboration that showcases the strengths of both artists. “I made a demo called ‘magic 8 ball’ around 7 or 8 years ago, and it never went anywhere,” Greta explains, with the casual nonchalance of someone who probably has entire albums worth of brilliant, unreleased material just lying around. “I sent it to Robbie recently, and he expanded on it and made it into this awesome pop song! It’s so different now; only the beginning and the end of my original demo made it into this song.”
This transformation from demo to finished product is an example of the alchemy possible when two artists truly get each other on a deeper level. Robin’s production prowess and ear for what makes a song tick has breathed new life into Greta’s original concept, resulting in a track that feels both effortlessly timeless and thoroughly modern. The talented bastards.
But what exactly is ‘magic 8 ball’ about? For Greta, it’s an exploration of uncertainty and the search for direction. “It’s about sort of feeling out of control, looking for signs that you are on the right path, and deciding that it’s ok to not know what’s going to happen,” she muses of a track she initially wrote “after a series of huge life changes.”
Robin echoes this sentiment, delving deeper into the song’s meaning: “It’s about the pitfalls of relying on the universe to give you signs about what to do next. Sometimes, it feels good to let the world make tough decisions for you, or you look to your surroundings to give you hints about what to expect. But sometimes – often – you find yourself calling out questions only to be answered with a big question mark.”
This exploration of uncertainty and the search for guidance is a theme that runs through much of both artists’ work – understandably, as whole generations of young people look at the lives their parents and grandparents built and wonder ‘what gives?’ as the drawbridge is pulled up behind them. In ‘magic 8 ball’, it takes on a particularly poignant quality, though, as both artists try to grab hold of what they can control, while feeling the pressure of societal expectations and conventions that were decided in a different world.
As Robin explains: “It’s overwhelming to acknowledge that your life and future are literally in your hands. Every decision you make leads you down a new path, and it can feel like you’re always being pushed to move forward… chased by the big magic 8 ball of life. It’s scary but thrilling. For me, ‘magic 8 ball’ is all about the illusion of fate.”
“I wanted it to feel both hopeful and hopeless”
frankie cosmos
The collaboration between Robin and Greta seems to have been written in the stars, or perhaps predicted by a particularly prescient magic 8 ball. Both artists speak warmly of each other, with a mutual admiration that shines through in their words. Robin reveals, “I’ve been a fan of Frankie’s music for a while!! I’m not sure exactly how our paths finally crossed, but recently, we welcomed a new guitarist who had worked with her in the past, so we managed to bond over our mutual friendship.”
This serendipitous connection has blossomed into a creative partnership that feels natural and effortless. Greta shares this sentiment around their new collab, explaining how “Robbie picked it out of a few random demos I had sent over”.
“I just think it came together really naturally,” she explains, “and the places he took the song felt perfect to me.”
The process of transforming Greta’s original demo into the finished track was a collaborative effort that allowed both artists to bring their unique strengths to the table. Robin describes the evolution: “I tried some new chords under Frankie’s original melody to give it a new direction, and that immediately inspired me to write a new chorus, which I just ran with. I wanted to select the best melodies from her demo and maintain the charm that she’d put into it already, so I also took inspiration from a section she’d written, which became our bridge and outro: ‘the heart is not what it was, it seeps through the cracks…’”
Greta adds her perspective on the process: “Robbie texted me ideas for new sections, and they were awesome. We talked about the lyrics for the new bridge, and I think I wanted it to feel both hopeful and hopeless. This kind of in-between place of like, being ok with feeling unsure.”
This balance between hope and uncertainty is a delicate one, but it’s a tightrope that both Cavetown and Frankie Cosmos walk with grace. As with any collaboration, there were moments of surprise and delight. Greta particularly loved Robin’s addition of the line “man, I don’t know” – something he, in turn, took inspiration from her for. “I pretty much just heard that line in my head after her iconic opening verse,” he reveals. “I thought it made a funny visual, too. So many of the magic 8 ball responses are super dismissive and uncertain, which is kind of funny since its whole deal is supposed to be predicting your future. The idea of the 8 ball just being like [shrugs] is so funny.”
“The idea of the 8 ball just being like [shrugs] is so funny”
cavetown
So what should the 8 ball be saying? “Maybe ‘Phone a friend’ and ‘Look up!’,” Greta proposes. Robin, in turn, offers his own suggestions: “I’d love to see a Magic 8 Ball with some more encouraging phrases, like ‘I don’t know, but you’ll figure it out’, ‘Whatever happens, you’ll be okay’, ‘Fuck it, we ball’, etc.”
That playful approach to serious themes is characteristic of both artists’ work, and it shines through in ‘magic 8 ball’. The song manages to be both introspective and lighthearted, a delicate balance that few artists can achieve with such apparent ease. The collaboration has clearly been a positive experience for both, and with a joint tour to come, there’s plenty more life in it yet. Robin enthuses, “We’ve only hung out a couple of times so far, but I can already tell that touring with her is going to be a blast. She’s so sweet and funny, and I can’t wait to see what we get up to together!”
As for the future, both Cavetown and Frankie Cosmos hint at exciting things to come. Robin teases, “I’ve been doing a lot of touring, travelling, and writing! Kind of bouncing between creative brain and active brain. It’s been tiring but also fun. I’ve been learning how to work with new people and challenging my creative process. I’ve got a bunch of new music I’m really excited about and am hopefully working towards a new album to release next year!”
Greta, too, is keeping busy, with “lots of random music stuff here and there! Mostly working on a new album and playing shows!” She’s also been involved in other collaborative projects, including a reimagining of songs from Margo Guryan’s album ‘Take a Picture’ with the Australian duo Good Morning.
In the end, perhaps the magic 8 ball isn’t about predicting the future at all. Maybe it’s about embracing the uncertainty, finding joy in the journey, and creating your own destiny. As Cavetown and Frankie Cosmos demonstrate with their enchanting new single, sometimes the most beautiful things come from not really knowing what’s next. ■
Cavetown and Frankie Cosmos’ new single ‘magic 8 ball’ is out now. Follow Dork’s PLAY Spotify playlist here.
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