Music Interview: Electronic Duo CUTTS Releases First Single

WASHINGTON, DC — Patch recently got the chance to sit down with the electronic duo CUTTS, a group that started in a DC studio apartment and just released their new single "Entertain Me."

The group is DC and New York City-based and is comprised of singer Lillian Cutts, 24, and music engineer Peter Bonaventure, 23, who met while attending American University.

Their first single, "Entertain Me," was released on Feb. 18 and features sultry vocals and electro beats. The sound falls somewhere between contemporary RnB and Electro-Pop.

The dark rhythm paired with Cutts' sensual voice "draws the listener into the headspace of 4 a.m. choices," Cutts said.

"We tend to make music that fits our mood," Cutts told Patch. "'Entertain Me' has this dark sort of conflicted vibe when you listen to the lyrics that was reflective of a point in time where I wasn’t sure how to feel about someone I loved who had really screwed me over."

Cutts said she and Bonaventure worked to capture the emotion of a dark nightclub in the song, the kind of place where you're more likely to do something you regret. Lyrics like "Know that you're tired and know that I used you, but baby I'm too young to act like I'm supposed to" tap into the common alcohol-fueled choices many of us have made in our early twenties.

"Peter and I always write music in a very visual way," Cutts said.

Cutts and Bonaventure originally started working together over a year ago, but took a brief hiatus. Their collaboration was renewed by the loss of a loved one, which became the catalyst for "2.18.18."

"The date February 18 is significant because it was the birthday of this person who really wanted me to see me release music," Cutts told Patch. "After she passed away, Peter agreed to help me re-create 'Entertain Me' the right way for my project."

"We finished that and more songs and realized, 'Alright, we need to keep making music together because this feels right,'" Cutts said. "Moments like those when you're at a low and someone helps you dig yourself out and together you create something, that’s a truly beautiful thing."

Cutts and Bonaventure received positive feedback on "Entertain Me" and plan to release more music this year.

"As far as the other stuff we’re working on, we’ve really been honing in on our process. Every song has its own vibe, feeling and place in time," Cutts told Patch. "We want each one to be better than the last one."

Cutts said the "tight-knit" DC music scene has helped inspire and encourage her to work on more music. While the music community is smaller than cities like New York or Los Angeles, it enables artists to offer each other unique support and guidance.

"We’re obviously newcomers as this is just our first release, but so far we’ve been really excited about the support from the community," Cutts said. "The funk and soul influence here is infectious and there is so much inspiration that can be drawn from other artists."

>> Watch out for new CUTTS music on SoundCloud and Spotify. Keep up with them on Twitter, Instagram and their website cuttsmusic.com.

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Photos via Lillian Cutts