The anthem of the summer is here and we have the Pulp Fiction-loving, reggae rock-hip hop duo, Get ‘Em Wet, to thank for it!
“Hang Loose” featuring Brandon Hardesty of Bumpin Uglies, dropped on Friday and if it wasn’t the dead of winter, I would already be lounging poolside with this jam on repeat.
After pressing play, the song hits you hard with noteworthy combinations of easy-going vibes, lyrical sophistication, and genre-bending instrumentals that are immediately absorbed by the ear.
“Hang Loose” is a beautiful reminder that despite the stress of everyday life, there is an intrinsic calmness in each of us. Tapping into it will evoke a sense of calmness that supports mental wellbeing through the encouragement of a positive perception. Get ‘Em Wet blends the musical styles of reggae rock with hip hop in such a way that the listener can simultaneously experience mellow acoustic notes and more electric heavy beats. The dichotomy of this results in an overtly aesthetically pleasing sound — one that pairs perfectly with sunshine. Read on to hear what the boys of Get ‘Em Wet had to say about the single.
Can you tell me a little about who you are as individuals?
- Tom: Get ‘Em Wet consists of two members, Tom Blake who is into comic books, old black-and-white movies, music, and spending time with his wife and two sons. Jesse Anderson is a go-with-the-flow dude who loves staying active, watching, movies, and hanging out with his doggie son Thor!
Tell me about the Get ‘Em Wet back story. How’d you guys start making music together?
- Jesse and I met in 1998 when I moved to York, PA from Baltimore, MD. We were neighbors for years before we became friends. In 2008, we started hanging out, doing stupid shit, and getting in trouble. I was always messing around with a guitar, but wasn’t really that good. We both loved music, so one day, we were messing around and decided to write a funny song. That song turned into a couple different funny songs that we showed friends at parties and stuff.
- Eventually, people started to really digging them and asked if we ever tried writing serious stuff… so we did. In 2011, we gave ourselves the name “Get ‘Em Wet” — a name that came from a line in the movie Pulp Fiction, which we were both fans of.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
- I’d say that the bands that had the most effect on both of us as a whole would be Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Sugar Ray, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Smash Mouth, The Pharcyde, Barrington Levy, The Damned, The Cramps, The Stooges, Travis Tritt, The Temptations, among MANY others.
What inspired “Hang Loose”?
- “Hang Loose” is really an atmospheric song about how life often gets hectic and overwhelming, but you should learn to take it easy and know that things will get better. Especially in the summertime: beautiful sunny days and breezy weather make you feel a lot happier and at ease. It’s a straight windows-down, stereo-blasting summer vibe.
How does collaborating impact your creative process? Was Brandon a rewarding artist to work with?
- Brandon Hardesty killed it! He is a master songwriter, so, when an opportunity like this happens, you just let the man do his thing. We sent him the jam. He liked it and sent back a verse. We sent him the mixed version. He liked that. Doesn’t get any easier than that when collaborating!
Who is your dream collaborator?
- Man, we would love to do a jam with Ras MG.
What are your hopes for the future? What can we anticipate?
- We would love to hop on tour with somebody and spread the songs! We will be releasing two to three singles over the next couple of months before the release of our first album sometime in June 2023. We don’t have a name for the album yet… but we are taking suggestions!
Stream Get ‘Em Wet’s “Hang Loose” single:
Artist Links: Instagram | Apple Music | Spotify | Merch
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