Earlier this summer, Matthew Dear gave us an anxiety-driven single called “Modafinil Blues”. The DJ/producer returns today with another offering, a slightly more lighthearted affair featuring guest collaborators Tegan and Sara.

Titled “Bad Ones”, it’s a track that “presents flirtation as mischief, and honesty as power.” Here, Dear’s production maintains a minimalist airiness which complements the sisterly duo’s wistful reflections. Both Dear and Tegan and Sara’s Sara Quin spoke about the track in a press statement:

Sara Quin: “I heard the piece of music Matthew sent through while driving to get a haircut in West Hollywood. I always feel like an interloper on that side of town and the phrase ‘freaking out and paralyzed’ was suddenly looping in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about how finding someone who loves the more complicated parts of you is a relief, especially when they’re not turned off by your socially awkward insecurities or tendencies to retreat inward. Matthew’s music has always been my go-to for late night bus rides in headphones and I still geek out that we made this together!”

Matthew Dear: “I have been a fan of Tegan and Sara since first hearing ‘Walking With A Ghost.’ My interest was greater piqued with their album Heartthrob. I sent a message that I loved it to find out they were fans of mine. This led to a remix and a collaboration on a Tears For Fears cover in 2013. The connection was made, and we discussed future collaborations. When working on new songs I had them in mind. I had a loop for ‘Bad Ones’ and thought they’d be great on it. Tegan and Sara eagerly accepted the challenge to write more, so I sent it over. Practically overnight, they returned with the verse and the chorus, written from scratch over my loop. I spent the next month working on it, turning a demo into a full-fledged song. Working with Tegan and Sara reminds me the best songs are born from an open and free process. Often times, we need to get out of our own way to let the magic happen, and this song is a bold reminder of that.”

Hear it below.

Dear and the Quin sisters previously teamed up on a cover of Tears For Fears’ “Pale Shelter” in 2013. Dear’s last full-length was 2012’s Beams; Tegan and Sara’s came with Love You to Death in 2016.