Video Premiere from the International Collaboration, Favored Nations

The world runs on collaborations.

From the ensemble cast of your favorite movie to arms control deals brokered by an international committee – heck, even baby-makin’ can’t be done alone! Music can be the ultimate artistic collaboration, where multiple members of a band get together to play their individual instrumentals to combine into something magically greater than its parts. In the case of the new project Favored Nations, three musicians from across the globe have collaborated for an intriguing album, The Great Unknown, due out on September 18 on Antler Records.

James Curd (of Greenskeepers & DFA fame), Morgan Phalen (of Diamond Nights & sometimes vocalist for Justice) and Surahn “Sid” Sidhu (who tours with Empire of the Sun & has written songs for Usher & Kimbra) make up Favored Nations, who all collaborate from their far-flung home bases of Los Angeles, Stockholm and Adelaide, Australia.

The sound is as kaleidoscopic as their settings, from sunny pop to dimly-lit disco-flavored grooves, and their diverse resumes only adds to the fun. The video for their new track, “Always,” has a particularly cinematic look, as it comes from the feature film, “Cash Only,” making for yet another unexpected collaboration. Enjoy the track here: