Formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2007, Mint Julep is the husband-and-wif… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2007, Mint Julep is the husband-and-wife team of Hollie and Keith Kenniff. Subsequently relocating to Portland, Oregon, the duo cut a limited release album, Songs About Snow, in 2008 – effectively a trial run for further recording in their home studio, the fruit of which is a sublime follow-up, Save Your Season, released in 2011. The duo self-released Broken Devotion on Unseen in 2015. An ambient album, A Deep and Dreamless Sleep, is slated for release in late 2016.
Hallmarked by Hollie’s seductive, dreamy vocals and a succession of memorably soaring choruses, all of it etched with Keith’s vivid, glinting keyboards, towering guitars and miscellaneous instrumental hooks, Mint Julep make lustrous modern pop music that is wistful and mellifluous yet simultaneously powerful, even epic – equal parts shoegazing romanticism and cool, Kraftwerkian polish. Their songs seem instantly familiar, like old musical friends, a ’classicism’ offset by the freshness and luminosity they exude as they usher you on a breathless ride through the sunlit uplands of electronic indie-rock.
Mint Julep was designed as a conscious departure from Keith’s previous, ambient- orientated projects. “When Hollie and I set out to do something, I wanted to find some way to incorporate her vocals into a slightly different style, rather than just write similar material to my solo work and lay her vocals over top”, he says. “I had the need to write something that had some distorted guitars, loud drums and was a little bolder than what I had previously done. We messed around with a track one night (which became ‘Stay’) and it was a fun process, so we just kept writing more songs so we could do a project together.”
Soon a working pattern emerged, with Keith composing music around Hollie’s lyrics or making tracks which Hollie would then add to. “It just developed after a lot of trial and error, and after a while the material started to plateau and began to sound like an album…”
A Pennsylvannian by birth, Keith Kenniff is an honours graduate of Boston’s esteemed Berklee College of Music, best known as the brains behind dulcet ambient/electronic practitioners Helios and the fingers on the ivories of post-classical piano minimalists Goldmund (the latter’s music once described by no less an authority than Ryuichi Sakamoto as “…so, so, so beautiful…”). A succession of albums under those aliases has made Kenniff the darling of discerning critics and his music has also been widely used in film, television and advertising, not least on the soundtrack to Harmony Korine’s 2007 comedy-drama Mister Lonely and the trailer for the 2009 Academy Award-nominated Revolutionary Road, directed by Sam Mendes.
Originally from Ohio, singer Hollie Kenniff maintains dual US/Canadian citizenship, having spent part of her life in Ontario. Aside from Mint Julep, she has collaborated on several additional musical endeavors in tandem with husband Keith, including a children’s music project, Meadows, (inspired by the couple’s young son), whose debut longplayer was recently released, and an ambient diversion under their own names.

www.mintjulepmusic.com
Mint Julep on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mintjulepmusic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/_MintJulep

Other projects by Keith Kenniff: Helios and Goldmund.

Why Don't We
Mint Julep Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

salt wash of the sea
in the heavy summer rain
i feel you move in softly
and set me free

the motion of the morning light
carried us in from the black night
i don't want to feel anything else but you

as you hold me tonight

you say it all the time
why don't we
why don't we

let's escape from this place
you always say to me
there's an end and we can begin again
far from here

a blur of color lit our way
replaced the black and grey
i don't want to be
anywhere else but here
as you breathe me in

you say it all the time

why don't we
why don't we

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mint Julep's song Why Don't We deeply explore the theme of escape and the emotions that come with it. The song starts with the imagery of the salt wash of the sea in the heavy summer rain. The singer feels their loved one's presence around them, which sets them free. As the morning light comes in, both of them are drawn from the black of the night into the new day, hoping to only feel each other's presence. The escape they seek is not only a physical one, but also one from the burden of negative feelings that they might be carrying.

The lyrics further highlight the personal and intimate moments between the two lovers. The singer delves into how their loved one holds them tonight, and they do not want to feel anything else but being with them. A sense of absolute surrender to the one they love is evident. The last stanza emphasizes how the singer wants to be nowhere but with their lover held in their arms. The song is as much about the personal journey of emotional escape as it's about the physical journey for a new beginning with the one they love.

Line by Line Meaning

salt wash of the sea
The cleansing nature of the sea reminds the singer of how liberating the presence of the person they love is to them.

in the heavy summer rain
The rainfall exemplifies the weight of the emotions the singer carries for their significant other, even in a season of lightness.

i feel you move in softly
The gentle ease with which their love moves together brings comfort to the singer’s heart.

and set me free
Their love empowers the singer to release themselves from their doubts and fears of the past.

the motion of the morning light
The beginning of a new day symbolizes hope for new beginnings and a future with their loved one.

carried us in from the black night
Their love is like a beacon of light, leading them from the darkness of their past and into a brighter future together.

i don't want to feel anything else but you
The singer emphasizes their desire to solely feel the presence of their loved one in their lives.

as you hold me tonight
Being in their lover's arms gives the artist an unparalleled sense of safety and comfort.

you say it all the time
The person the artist loves reminds them constantly of their affection for each other.

why don't we
The person the artist loves suggests acting on their desire to start a new life together.

let's escape from this place
Their desire to move away from their current situation and start anew with their love is strong.

you always say to me
Their significant other constantly reminds them of their potential to leave their circumstances and start a new life.

there's an end and we can begin again
The singer highlights how their love and connection can bring an end to their struggles and initiate a new chapter in their lives together.

far from here
They imagine a new life with their loved one, far away from their current circumstances.

a blur of color lit our way
Their love has the power to add vibrancy and joy to their lives.

replaced the black and grey
Their love has a transformative effect on their life, making everything more hopeful and positive.

i don't want to be anywhere else but here
Being in their loved one's presence gives the artist all they could ever ask for and more.

as you breathe me in
The singer feels at home in their loved one's embrace, almost as if they are a part of them.

why don't we
The singer's partner reminds them to act on their desires and start a new life together.

why don't we
The artist's partner continues to emphasize pursuing their dreams together.

Contributed by Skyler R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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