Gearing up for the full-length release of Ten Year Plan later this month, Divine Sweater released their latest euphonious single, “I Knew You Better”, teeming with their signature tight vocal harmonies and plenty of glockenspiel. 

While this song is quintessentially Divine Sweater, the band reveals that this song used to sound completely different before they recorded their version. “My brother, Brian, told me ‘I have this song, and I think you guys could turn it into something good,” guitarist Sean Seaver says, “‘I Knew You Better’ was more Oregon driven before we added synthesizers to give it a more spacey feel to it. It was funny taking recording this song that wasn’t originally ours and then turning into something that felt very much like ours.” 

While this song may sound cosmic, the story behind “I Knew You Better” is definitely more grounded. Divine Sweater’s latest single details the heartbreak of thinking about someone you used to be close with. “I Knew You Better” describes the subtle ways we remember old friends who are now perfect strangers and the melancholy nostalgia that it carries with it. Pictures, letters, and books become surfboards as we ride through waves of emotion when remembering lost confidantes. “The experience of having someone in your life that you once knew so intimately is something that I think a lot of people can relate to and tie to their own experiences– I know I can,” says lead vocalist Meghan Kelleher. 

Divine Sweater delivers their relatable new single through synthesizers that propel you into space, a glockenspiel that shines through like stars twinkling in the sky, and Meghan’s celestial harmonies. This single leaves me with one lasting thought: I gotta have more glockenspiel. 

Pro Tip: This song radiates major main character energy– like ride-a-bike-through-the-streets-of-Allston-and-pretend-you’re-in-the-opening-scene-of-a-coming-of-age-indie-blockbuster kind of energy. Just in time for the release of the single, this coming weeks’ weather forecasts warm spring weather making it the perfect time to do the bike riding movie montage– provided that the grey slush we begrudgingly call “snow” melts. 

“I Knew You Better” is out now on all streaming platforms, and you can listen to it via Bandcamp below. Divine Sweater’s full-length album, Ten Year Plan, is out on all streaming platforms and Bandcamp on March 25th.