One year ago, Brayden Tabakian and Ethan Rupp, AKA Tanisako, had no idea the other person existed. Now, through the power of social media, the two artists have become close friends and formed the ultra-talented duo HOME LATE. With Tabakian on drums and vocals and Tanisako on production and vocals, the two mix their strengths to create a high-energy alt-pop atmosphere. Their debut song, “Skydive,” sets their tone as invigorated and complex, introducing an abstract narrative on trust. Sonically, you can expect an ear-worm chorus melody, raw unapologetic vocals, and their signature big modern production. After hearing the song I knew I had to meet the duo to hear more about their story:

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What’s the meaning behind the name HOME LATE?

Our name’s based off the idea of getting home after a long night of ‘who knows what’ shenanigans. However, the meaning of Homelate for us is deeper in the sense of why we’re home late time. Being home can make you feel trapped where all that surrounds you are stresses of life. So lots of times growing up, I (Ethan) prefered getting home later when everyone was asleep. Similarly, Homelate can literally mean being at home late. It's always nice to have the house to yourself late at night when no one’s awake. 

How did you two meet?

Pretty special. We met over social media. It can be a small world for Artists on social media if you recognize the different niches. Both of us covered “Sweater Weather,” and that’s when I (Brayden) discovered Ethan’s version and then dm’d him for the first time. At first I wasn’t sure what he was like or if he even wanted to talk, but once we connected it became super apparent that we had similar energy. 

When was the moment you knew the duo officially needed to be formed?

Once I met Brayden in his small town in Missouri, we spent time getting to know each other. We knew we wanted to make music because we believed in the same vision. Doing a few covers together on social media really sparked that fire. After our first video we made together, we knew the band was real. That’s also around the time we first thought of our name! At first I wasn’t sure about the name, but it became more and more true to our vision for the band.

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‍Tanisako, you sold your car to move to New York on a whim. Looking back on that experience, what did you learn from it.

Yep, my school shut down due to covid and honestly, I saw New York as a way out of my boredom and spark to my inspiration. Moving to NY from New Orleans was one of the highs of my life even though I hardly had money. I had to be crafty, but luckily my friend gave me a space for $200 a month. Also, I built a desk out of junk from the street and It’s still in that same apartment because I genuinely put lots of time into making it nice. I made lots of music there and that led to my first small record deal with Chad at DreamsNeverDie. 

My manager at the time would often take me to rooftop parties with her friends. Also, I would hang out at the skatepark everyday where I met lots of great people. NY taught me who to trust. Many people in big cities make big promises in the heat of a moment, so you always need to have your own back. Especially working with people on the east coast, they aren’t so open and readable compared to the west coast people. Maybe I’m too laid back. Really though.. I think I’m quicker to see people’s true colors after my experiences since then. I’m grateful that I have Brayden and my Manager Luka who I can trust.

Brayden, you’ve tapped into internet success 18-year-olds can only usually dream of. What have you learned from the experience?

Iv been super blessed and fortunate to be where I’m at now. I never would’ve expected that making drum covers in my bedroom could lead me to being supported by so many different people and having opportunities that weren’t even in my mind a couple years ago. It’s been such a fun journey so far and I've learned overtime that consistent hard work pays off and that it’s the process that’s worth enjoying. Sometimes making videos daily can become monotonous if I let it be, but I've also realized that every new video is a new experience for someone else that doesn’t know me and that’s always a special thing to think about. 

Now onto your new single, “Skydive.” Why did you choose to debut your project with that track?

We think Skydive introduces our sound and theme in a great way. Soon, our second single will release as a nice segway and it’s one of our favorites. We decided that starting our release with an energetic song was the best way to start. Our changes in mood will be very dynamic as we roll out.

If you could explain your sound in just a few words, what would they be?

Moody, Energetic, Pop driven

Can you tell us anything about your upcoming EP?

Our EP consists of 4 songs that will be released around April! We wanted to build a consistent sound that could fit well with our first single “Skydive” but what also wouldn’t sound like people were listening to the same thing. We’ll also have a couple more music videos coming out along with them. 

What’s next?

The rest is mostly unknown as of now, however we have such big dreams for the future! We really hope that after our EP & future album are out, we can start touring the world! We want to meet everyone who has been supporting the journey and on top of that we will be putting out more content on our band pages! @homelate

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