Original Writeup
1.30.2023

Cut The Kids In Half – “The Quiet Life of August”

by wpengine

It’s clear we can expect great things from Jack and Charlie in the near future.

Teenage band of brothers Jack and Charlie Silver from Rahway, NJ go by the name Cut The Kids In Half. Their debut single “The Quiet Life of August” came out in December 2022. This track is a homage to the hard-pressed working musicians of yore. And from the first syllable sung, it’s hard to believe these guys are 16 and 17 years old. 

“The Quiet Life of August opens with a heavy strum on the guitar (killer tone btw). This awesome baritone voice that one can only imagine belongs to a coal miner or maybe a county lineman starts a song about a long life lived. Strong notes of Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen influence this dynamic ballad, which according to the Silver brothers is “…written from the perspective of an aging parent reflecting on their life and the lives of their children. 

The opening lyrics tell a story of someone well beyond Cut The Kids In Half’s age: /we dress like we never heard of cameras/broken walls and debt collector calls/its not the life we had imagined/ don’t let the kids see you cry/ who knows what kind of damage that could do to them/maybe this is more than I can manage/.  These guys know full well what it’s like to live in a world of performative social media where much anyone sees of someone’s “life” is through a filter, and it’s encouraging that they can see past that and put themselves so fully in the past.

The track remains hopeful throughout; looking towards the future as the song crescendos. Harmonies and energetic drums complement the repeated phrase /they’ll fight the urge to let the hurt defeat/ the promise of today/. 

Cut The Kids In Half spent the summer of 2022 in Los Angeles writing and recording. It’s clear we can expect great things from Jack and Charlie in the near future. For now, check out “The Quiet Life of August”.

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“A Quiet Life of August” very effectively tells the story from the perspective of an aging parent. How did you channel that perspective? Was it based on stories and imagery from someone in particular?

The song was inspired by our parents. We wanted an honest portrayal that neither sugarcoated the reality of raising kids nor fell into hopeless nihilism. 

Are you planning on touring anytime soon?

In the near future we definitely see ourselves going on tour. We’re right at the beginning of our career, and as we’ve played more and more small shows we’ve gotten increasingly comfortable with the idea of an actual tour. 

What would the touring band’s lineup look like; a two-piece family band or would you add some more musicians?

Honestly it depends on the shows. At our core we’re a two-piece, but we love the idea of working with other talented musicians to bring our songs to life. Specifically, we’ve played with an incredibly talented drummer who’s also a great friend of ours. 

What are some of your musical and non-musical influences?

Our musical influences would include The Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Radiohead, and Joy Division. Non-musical influences is an interesting question. Jack is a huge reader, so authors such as Sylvia Plath, Albert Camus, and Alexandre Dumas have been influential to his writing. 

You recorded this track in LA last summer. What was the recording process like and did you lay down any other tracks we can look forward to?

We had the amazing opportunity to work with Lee DeWyze, and we were able to really think about our sound in a way we had never done before. We recorded two other songs: “Oh, Sudden Lover”, a love song inspired by the likes of The Smiths and David Bowie, and “Old Manhattan”, a 6 minute ballad with poetic lyrics and vocal harmonies over acoustic guitar. 

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