After Ours Photo credit: Alex Greenberg
New Jersey native Kayla Janowitz, known musically as After Ours, grew up immersed in a wide spectrum of musical influences. Her mother, a classically trained opera singer, performed internationally in Hong Kong and across the U.S., while her brother—whom she describes as “a wizard on guitar”—introduced her to an eclectic mix of punk, jazz, alternative, and classic rock.
Her own foray into making music began for her as a teenager performing covers by ear – “I never learned in the traditional way – I learned chords by learning songs first,” Janowitz explains. This instinctive, feeling first approach still defines her original work, where sparse, lyric-driven arrangements foreground her raw, emotional songwriting.
Now, stepping further into her artistry, the introspective and promising talent is releasing her sophomore record, Imaginary Friend on June 6th via Acrophase/Secretly Canadian Records. Written between New York and Los Angeles, the album was recorded over ten days with Josef Kuhn in his Nashville studio and mixed by Al Carlson (Jessica Pratt, Weyes Blood, Arthur) in New York. Drawing from her wide-ranging influences, Janowitz says, “Every song on this record is so different from the song before or after.” Imaginary Friend explores the intensity of lived experience—layering moments of humor and self-awareness into its emotional core. Set for release on June 6 via Acrophase Records, the album promises to be a standout debut.
Today, Janowitz is sharing,“Congratulations” a tender and personal rendition of MGMT’s 2010 track. Janowitz explains, “Before I started writing my own music, I solely did covers by my favorite artists. It helped me understand music from a non technical POV,” Janowitz explains. ‘Congratulations’ by MGMT has been one of my favorite songs since it came out in 2010. It was always a standout to me in MGMT’s discography, being slower and more stripped down than their usual tracks. Her version joins a tradition she began with her first EP, which included a cover of The Zombies’ “The Way I Feel Inside.” “I always thought it was super cool when artists included a cover in their projects—it shows you a glimpse of their inner world, what inspires them.”
The accompanying video, shot in a quiet field after a summer rainstorm, feels intimately familiar and nostalgic, much like Janowitz music. With “Congratulations,” Janowitz offers a window into her musical roots, artistic values, and emotional world—a perfect introduction to the gentle landscape of the album to come.
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