Ray and Paul Talk “Get It Right,” Late-Night Songwriting, and Finding Their Sound

The Los Angeles-based brothers discuss their latest single, recording with Joe Chiccarelli, and the creative chemistry shaping their next chapter.

There's something fitting about a song called “Get It Right” coming from a band that admits to being its own worst critic.

For Los Angeles-based indie-rock duo Ray and Paul, the pressure to figure everything out is familiar territory. Their latest single, released October 8, takes that restless feeling of navigating your twenties and turns it into something much more immediate: surf-leaning guitars, tightly woven harmonies, and a chorus built to be played loud.

It's the first taste of their forthcoming four-track EP, recorded at EastWest Studios with 11-time Grammy-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli, whose credits include The Strokes, The White Stripes, and The Shins.

But beneath the track's energy is something more personal.

“I really wanted to capture the feeling of being your own worst critic and just the voice in your head always trying to be perfect which just hurts your happiness and overall bliss in life,” the band tells Everyday Jams.

Written at 5 AM, Built for Something Bigger

For a song that marks a significant step forward in Ray and Paul's sound, “Get It Right” came together surprisingly quickly.

“I wrote this song and another one, which I don’t know if we will finish, at 5:00am in around 30 minutes,” they share.

Late-night writing sessions are nothing unusual for the brothers. They estimate that roughly 80 percent of their songs are written between 2 and 5 in the morning, when ideas seem to arrive without much warning.

By the time they entered the studio with Chiccarelli, “Get It Right” had already been part of their live set. The foundation was there, but pre-production brought new arrangements and decisions that pushed the song further.

Recording at EastWest carried its own significance. Surrounded by the history of artists who had worked in those rooms before them, the brothers found themselves approaching every detail with renewed focus.

“Joe’s process was extraordinary to watch,” Paul explains. “I felt that the precision of minute details that he made throughout the recording and mixing process gave us the freedom to experiment and try things because of Joe’s sheer speed.”

That balance between instinct and precision runs throughout the release. The song doesn't abandon the loose, guitar-driven character that first defined the band. It gives those instincts a bigger space to operate.

Two Brothers, One Creative Language

Long before recording at EastWest, Ray and Paul were growing up in Northern California surrounded by music.

With musician parents and a childhood soundtrack that included Nirvana, Pixies, and The Velvet Underground, the brothers developed their musical relationship early. Those influences still surface in their songwriting, even when the finished songs lean toward something brighter and more melodic.

Their connection also makes for an unusually direct creative process.

“I couldn’t imagine recording with anyone besides Ray,” Paul says. “We are able to say very little and understand what the other means which makes song writing and producing flow organically.”

That doesn't mean they always agree. During recording, disagreements occasionally ended with the brothers asking Chiccarelli to weigh in. But there's also a shared understanding of when to push an idea and when to trust the other person's instincts.

It's a dynamic that has followed them through their independently released self-titled debut, their previous EP Fading, and a growing run of live shows, including 20 dates across Australia supporting DICE.

The Beginning of Another Version of Ray and Paul

“Get It Right” may be the most energetic introduction to this next project, but the brothers aren't planning to stay in one place.

“Get It Right is the beginning of Fall, and the beginning of a different level of our sound,” Ray says. “Some of the later songs will be more fitting for the colder and lonelier parts of the year…”

Paul puts it more simply: “This EP fits the seasons.”

It's an intriguing way to introduce a project, especially from a band that has never been particularly interested in committing to one sound.

“We never want to be a band that only plays one genre or is one dimensional,” they explain. “This batch of music is who we are right now as a band, but we will always change and try to improve from our last work.”

That constant movement might be the most defining thing about Ray and Paul. Even after finishing a batch of songs, they're often already chasing something different.

And with more than 200 songs in their vault, they're hardly running out of ideas.

“Ray and I are just two brothers who grew up learning how to express ourselves through music,” Paul shares. “Our band isn’t just a band to us, it’s the only way we know how to connect with people.”

For now, “Get It Right” captures two musicians who are still figuring things out, but sound increasingly sure of what they're capable of creating together.

“Get It Right” is out now on all streaming platforms. Ray and Paul will headline SOHO in Santa Barbara on October 15, MOROCCAN in Los Angeles on October 16, and Mercury Lounge in New York on October 29.