The Swon Brothers Dish Details of Surprise ‘Timeless’ EP

Last month, Swon Brothers surprised their entire fandom by releasing an unannounced EP, Timeless. 

"We didn’t know what we were doing as artists, but we kind of just took the approach that there are no rules and it's low stress," Colton Swon explains to Taste of Country. "So we kind of took the approach that, let’s not worry about release dates, let’s just do something different, and I’m glad we did it that way because the response has just been overwhelming."

The new project includes a new sound from the 2013 The Voice contestants. Sexy and soulful is the vibe that outpours from the six-song EP — something much different from their 2014 major-label debut album, The Swon Brothers. 

"It is soulful, I like to use the term sexy, but soulful works too," Zach Swon jokes. "Who influences the sexy? It’s me. I’d say its me for sure. I bring the sex appeal to the project." 

Colton took the question a little more seriously to explain the change of sounds.

"The last three years after releasing our first record, we realized what people were responding to the most, and it was when we were doing more soulful stuff," he explains. "I think you’re dumb if you’re not listening to what people are telling you, so that’s what we did, we just went in and had fun, let’s think outside of the box, not put ourselves in a box and just run with it, and it’s working."

Another difference between the brothers' two most recent releases: the writing credits. Every single song on Timeless earned the Swon Brothers a writing credit, compared to only one on their debut project. Of course, writing "sexy" songs with your brother can be ... awkward.

"Thank goodness there are other writers in Nashville that actually know how to write, because it is weird sometimes trying to put your feelings out there with your brother in the room," Colton continues. "To a woman it’s fine, it's easier for me to do that."

To supplement the elephant in the room, Colton and Zach enlisted some of Nashville's finest songwriters. Chris DeStefano ("That's My Kind of Night," "Little Toy Guns") helped in this process, and that's how one of the most personal songs on the album came to be.

"I was going through some weird girl stuff with 'Killing Me.' We went into this songwriting session and I basically told him and Chris DeStefano, 'This is what we’re writing about today, this is what I’m dealing with — I can’t think about anything else,'" Zach dishes. "It was basically one of those songs about one of those people you know you probably shouldn’t be with, but you can’t seem to say no, and that’s exactly what I was dealing with. I went in and was like, 'This is killing me,' and Chris said, 'Well, there’s your song.'"

Timeless is available through digital-music retailers. The duo are currently on the road as a featured opening act on Carrie Underwood's Storyteller Tour.

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