In the fall of 2015, we found ourselves forlorn and bemused, driving across the Midwest on a release tour that was, once again, not selling many tickets. The music we were promoting—“Spirit Cold,” “Back to Autumn,” and the rest of the Holding On Holding Out EP (2014)—represented an ambitious new sound that we were really excited about. And yet, in the silence of my parents’ minivan (don’t worry, we gave it back to them after 250k miles), we were both struggling to stave off the nagging question of, “What the hell are we doing?”

I’ll never forget that van ride and those feelings in the minutes before our career shifted. Suddenly, our phones started dinging with text messages and phone calls informing us that our song “Spirit Cold” was trending on all the viral charts of this new streaming service called Spotify.

It’s been 11 years since that ride. “Spirit Cold” and the rest of this album, Neptune, came out a few months later (2016), signed to a major label. It really changed our lives. It brought us opportunities, experiences, personal and career growth, and achievements that amaze us to this day.

As we celebrate a decade of Neptune, it’s worth noting that she’s ours again. After a 10-year license with the label, we are deeply heartened to welcome these songs, these masters, this intellectual property back as ENTIRELY our own.

So, yes, it’s time to celebrate in gratitude!