Vern Matz

Berklee College of Music

For Jordan Dunn-Pilz and Dan Alvarez, Toledo(Opens in a new window) isn't just their band—it's a way to blend their minds together and become one.

"Individually, we're a mess," says Alvarez. "But as a pair, our strongest qualities reveal themselves." Lifelong friends, Alvarez is the wildcard and Dunn-Pilz is the sensible one. On their new EP Jockeys of Love—co-produced and mixed by Jorge Elbrecht (Wild Nothing, Frankie Rose)—the duo have mind-melded yet again to create a soundtrack for those long drives when the entire world seems to be in harmony with you, and your thoughts seem monumental because of it. The EP strikes a perfect balance of light and dark; its lyrics cover heavier matters like relationship issues, anxiety, depression, and alcoholism, while the music retains a sense of better days just around the corner. You can hear almost the entire emotional spectrum spread across these six songs, but its prevailing emotion is hope. "There's a lot of that in this EP," says Dunn-Pilz. "It's not just presenting a problem, it's offering a solution as well. It's pushing through adversity, and taking action instead of sitting back and letting things happen to you."

Toledo / Vern Matz