Real Thing / The News

Over two years in the making, and many more in the two musician’s shared dream, Real Thing unites longtime collaborators Michael Collins (Drugdealer) and Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood). Recorded across continents, Real Thing is a return, a refinement, and a reminder of the deep connection that has bound these two titans of song over multiple collaborations. The journey of Real Thing began when Collins, while on a European sojourn, crossed paths with Parisian producer Max Baby. As one does while in Paris, they found themselves in a studio owned by a member of the ’70s French prog rock band Magma. There, a chord progression long-gestating in Collins’ brain blossomed into a bonafide demo. Collins recalls, “I realized immediately that it was the perfect thing to show Nat, who I had been wanting to collaborate with again for years.” The connection, and musical camaraderie, between Collins and Mering dates back to 2014 in Oakland, where a chance meeting and studio session marked the genesis of their enduring partnership. Collins reflects, “Since then, I’ve felt like she’s my musical family. I can’t really ask for more in terms of someone who inspired me to even get to this place in my songwriting.” On the B-side is The News, Drugdealer’s first collaboration with Robbie Chemical. What began as a simple harmony grew into a panoramic partnership, the musician’s voices effortlessly entwined and a pop paragon envisioned. Inspired by generational conversations on chaos, change, and connection, the track opens a new chapter-topical, personal, and unmistakably Drugdealer.