Harper Grace and Franklin Jonas have teamed up for an epic collaboration called “IDK.” Despite the tune arriving late last month, the artists, who share credits on the track alongside fellow collaborator Cooper Bascom, say they didn’t intend on putting out a song together.
Harper Grace and Franklin Jonas Open Up About “IDK” Duet
“We had no idea it was going to happen,” Grace revealed in a brand-new interview with Music Mayhem, adding that the song has become “sort of a stepping stone for the next phases of our projects we’re working on.”
“IDK” plays out as an honest confession between two people as they admit to having played a role in the downfall of past relationships. With a sense of optimism and some hesitancy, they continue to put themselves out there in hopes of finding the right kind of love. On the song, Grace and Jonas take a separate verse, showcasing their respective vocal stylings and sound before delivering a call-and-response on the chorus. The song is destined to quickly become the perfect Spring soundtrack.
“I’m a dreamer / Wanna believe her / I’ve been hoping for something I don’t know / I get caught up / I get stuck up / In the moments trying to find somewhere we don’t know / Maybe I will / Maybe I won’t / Maybe we’ll find something that we don’t know,” they sing, tag-teaming the lines of the emotionally-driven chorus.
“It’s just kind of been this story of the push and pull of love and the unknown of where it’s going to be, the unknown of where it is in the moment,” Grace said of the meaning behind the song.
Franklin Jonas Steps Into Country Music For First Time
Sonically, “IDK” offers a stripped-down, acoustic feel, with the focus on each singer’s raw vocal talent. The roots-oriented sound finds Jonas stepping into new territory and getting outside his comfort zone as he leans deeper into the realm of country music — something Grace is much more familiar with.
“I’d always loved folk Americana music. It’s always been one of my main influences, but I was afraid to write anything in that genre,” Jonas admitted. “And the session we had over a year and some change ago was really the first step for me to think I could write in this space. It’s inspired me so much and opened up so many new voices that I’m really excited to share eventually.”
“I think my experience with releasing music in the past has not always been the most positive,” he added. “This has been exclusively positive, which is changing the way I look at music now.”
The Story Behind How The Collaboration Came Together
Sharing how the collaboration came together, Grace said, “We actually had the opportunity to see each other play live, and I think that really sparked both of us to be intrigued to do something together and collaborate. And when Franklin had a trip to Nashville, I was eager to get a writing session down with him, and it was the first time we ever wrote, and that’s when ‘IDK’ popped out.”
“IDK” was created in under three hours, proving that Grace and Jonas are a perfect match in the writing room. Of putting pen to paper, Jonas said, “It was pretty easy. I think that we went into it, and we talked for a little bit and really got to know each other a bit more on the intimate side of our lives, and that informed the ideas and the things that we came into it with and the rest is history.”
Performing At JonasCon
Grace and Jonas have had an opportunity to perform “IDK” in various settings. Two days after the song’s release, they took their duet to the stage at JonasCon, a milestone event at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey on Sunday, March 23, as part of the 20th anniversary of the Jonas Brothers celebration.
“The Jonas fans as a whole are already so family-oriented and so embracing of just really anything new that comes their way,” Grace noted of the two’s experience, singing their song in front of a massive audience. “And so having the honor to do that with Franklin was just incredible doing it live.”
Franklin Previously Received Advice From Jonas Brothers
Franklin Jonas, also known as Frankie Jonas, who has stepped out of the shadows of his brothers, having previously released songs like “Cherub,” “Cocaine,” and “Hoboken,” says he often receives guidance from his older siblings, Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas.
“I think that from my brothers, there’s been so much, they’re incredible role models who I look up to, and I look to for guidance and all sorts of thoughts and opinions. And they’ve been nothing but supportive about this song, which is really incredible,” Jonas, who shared that he is currently working on more music, said. “And I have mentors here in Nashville who’ve been equally supportive and given me a bunch of advice, which has been fantastic. But it’s an exciting time for my family, for sure.”
Of the responses they’ve received on “IDK” so far, he adds, “It’s been fantastic. It’s been so lovely to see people resonate with this song, and to have people be excited about it and enjoy it is great….. It was so spectacular to be able to play this song in front of people [at JonasCon]. A lot of people knew it, which was crazy. So yeah, it’s just been really encouraging and exciting, and gratifying.”
What’s Next For The “IDK” Singers?
So, would these two talent artists collaborate again?
“I mean, of course. Yeah. I think we love working together. We love writing together, we love playing together, and I think we’re going to leave it to the wind and see what happens,” they acknowledged.
Fans can look for a live studio session video of “IDK” to come soon, according to the pair of collaborators. Additionally, Harper Grace and Franklin Jonas will join forces once for a live performance at Live In The Vineyard Goes Country event, taking place in Napa Valley later this month.
