Dear Hughes is a Harlem based trio fresh on the EDM/Pop scene, though their music holds a nostalgia that both music and film fans will enjoy. The group, who gets their name from the legendary writer and director John Hughes, features musicians River Hooks, Christian Alexander, and Merc Yes. Today mxdwn has the pleasure of premiering both their debut single and music video, “Diamond Heart.” 

As a song, “Diamond Heart” is a melodious electronic track that speaks to lost love and longing. With a fuzzy, vocoder sound and serene vocals, “Diamond Heart” is an 80s song for the indie era. The song’s atmospheric synth along with soft beats and percussion gives “Diamond Heart” a sense of warm familiarity. 

In a statement, Merc shared that “The three of us have previously worked together in different capacities, but we’ve found a real sweet spot in our mutual love for John Hughes and his whole vibe. We like to think we are capturing much of what we love about his movies in some tender anthems.”

Hughes’ influence is clear right away, as the video opens to a title card featuring a cake with 16 candles, a nod to the iconic Hughes film. What follows are clips of the band performing in front of strobing stage lights mixed with animated clips of the sunrise. Dear Hughes channels an early internet-based nostalgia as the video continues through the use of heavily saturated filters that feel straight out of Mac’s Photobooth. The result is a bright, exhilarating video that compliments the song’s upbeat techno tempo while still maintaining the somber feel brought on by its lyrics. 

On the track, Hooks and Alexander sing, “I know you got a diamond in your soul/I know we gotta push against this mess going/please know that I have never ending bliss for you/it’s about time to just throw all down.” The lyrics are full of heartache and melodrama, much like the feelings of the young, love-struck characters often found in Hughes’ films. Continuing, “I still own the arrow shot through my heart/kept the message you attached and read it twice a day/once when I wake and then before I sleep/this message is something I will always keep for you/and I try not cry when I pass our fountain”

In a video for the group’s label, Internet & Weed, the trio shared that they hope to release an EP in early 2021. So far though, with “Diamond Heart” Dear Hughes has crafted a sensitive, encompassing electro-pop song and made a stellar debut.