Salim Nourallah (left), Faris Nourallah (right) Photo credit: Jayme Okerblom
Texas-based indie pop-rock outfit Nourallah Brothers is planning a double-vinyl, 25th-anniversary reissue of the self-titled album, Nourallah Brothers, in 2025. Salim and Faris Nourallah have added some never-before-released vault gems as bonus tracks, including their latest single, “We Listened to the Radio,” out May 16th.
Faris and Salim spoke exclusively to The Big Takeover about the song,
“When my brother and I were kids, we had a little cassette recorder with a microphone,” Faris recalls. “I suppose it was our dad’s at some point. We’d sit for hours on end, waiting for our favorite songs to play on the radio, and it would be like, ‘Quick! Hit the record button!!’ That way we could listen to the song whenever we wanted to. Trust me, these were not the best sounding recordings, but to a kid? Sheer delight!” Salim unearthed “We Listened to the Radio” recently. “I found this recording while sifting through boxes of CDs my brother had left behind when he split Dallas years ago,” Salim says. “I’d never heard this track before, and he had no recollection of ever writing it. We used some newfangled technology to separate the vocal tracks from the backing track, and I added some vocals and handclaps to it – voilà – a ‘new’ Nourallah Brothers song!”
For a time, the pair was estranged, not collaborating, speaking, or seeing each other for years. Salim, a well-regarded solo artist and producer, reflects,
“I’ve always thought Faris was a genius songwriter; even when we weren’t speaking to each other, I still listened to his music and played his songs from time to time.” When Salim began combing through the brothers’ recording vaults, he found a large number of unreleased songs. “I was blown away by how fresh they sounded,” he states. “I could see why we didn’t release them at the time – there were so many songs floating around, and these didn’t seem to ‘fit’ with the album we released.”
With the 25th anniversary of Nourallah Brothers now here, Salim and Faris are on the best terms they’ve been on in ages. Even if they never record again, there is plenty of unreleased material that might also see the light of day.
Fantastically nostalgic, “We Listened to the Radio” is a stunner, propelled by the brothers’ family harmonies. The piano line is a poignant counterpoint to the pulsing beat, while the brothers sing about the common ground they found in listening to the radio every night together, creating a shared musical experience and a bond that eventually led to artistic pursuits. It’s charming and exhilarating, all at once.
We sat down with the Nourallahs recently to talk about this terrific new single in honor of its premiere today and release later this week.
This is a song on your forthcoming double-vinyl reissue of your album, Nourallah Brothers. Can you give us some detail about the story behind the song and what inspired it?
SALIM: When we were boys, we shared a cassette recorder with a handheld microphone that we would hold up to the AM radio. We’d frantically hit record anytime a song we loved came on. The beginnings would always be a little clipped no matter how fast we were.
FARIS: That’s right! There would always be a part of the song clipped. We’d be lucky if we got half a song!
What about this song made you want to include it on this album?
SALIM: When I found a mix of “We Listened to the Radio” in a discarded cardboard box that was left in a storage shed years ago, I couldn’t believe my luck. It’s a great sentiment, deftly expressed by my brother, Faris. Loads of melody, harmony, and a nice beat to boot. How could we have left it off the record?
FARIS: I’m glad Salim found the song, I think it turned out pretty great!
What is the message you hope this song imparts?
SALIM: There’s no particular message we’re wishing to impart here. This isn’t “Imagine.” But it invites the listener to “imagine” days when little kids gathered around transistor radios and danced around the room, singing along with their favorite pop songs. We spent years doing that when we were kids, growing up in El Paso.
FARIS: Yes, it’s kind of a nostalgic, joyous bit of music. Although I hear there’s a rumor that transistors will soon be tariffed, so you might wanna look for that old cassette recorder while you still can afford it!
SALIM: The kids of “today” might not relate to this song, because kids these days probably don’t listen to radios. But what they might be able to relate to is the melody and the joy in the feelings we’re expressing. Technology is great – “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” says the luddite – but there’s plenty of things that we’ve lost along the way. This might be one of them.
What can fans expect from the rest of the reissue, as far as bonus material goes?
SALIM: It’s a double-vinyl collection of 26 songs that run the gamut of whatever you can express within the context of pop music. Two singers, two writers, two perspectives. Sides 3 and 4 have lots of previously unreleased tunes that might blow your minds – if you’re open to your mind being blown.
FARIS: Yes, some pretty cool, previously unreleased songs. We’re both pretty excited about it.
What else is on tap for Nourallah Brothers in 2025?
SALIM: More new singles. A full-length record of new material we’re finishing up – most likely coming out next year on Sir Sebastian Gallagher’s label. We need an album title and cover. Waiting on Noel to tell us…
FARIS: What? I had no idea we were on Sir Sebastian Gallagher’s label! When did that happen?
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