Sometimes a breakup doesn’t necessarily mean the end of a relationship. That was definitely the case between the members of The Submarines, Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti, who discovered how much they missed each other through their post-breakup songs. Their first album—Declare a New State, which is made up of songs that would lead them back to each other—was even mastered as a wedding gift. The two took some time to tell us about the breakup, their reunion and how it affects their music.
Paste: Tell us the story of how you met.
Blake Hazard: John and I were introduced by a mutual friend and then-bandmate, Joe Klompus (bass player). Joe gave a charmingly sarcastic toast at our rehearsal dinner about how our wedding was “all his fault.” It’s true! Originally, I’d asked him to introduce us because I loved John’s record, Aviating, and really wanted to work together. So, it all started in the studio.
Paste: Describe your first date.
Hazard: I s’pose we never really dated formally: John produced some songs of mine and our romance sparked while we were working on what became my first record. I thought he was still in a relationship at the time, which had actually recently ended, so, it was all quite professional at the start. The closest thing we had to a first date was, after finishing up in the studio for the day, going to a show together at the Middle East in Cambridge, Mass. one fateful April evening. I don’t even remember what the band was—I was more than a little distracted.
Paste: What was it like when you started making music together?
Hazard: At first, you know, we were just really excited about what was happening musically and our plan of working on a few songs expanded into making a whole record together. Once we opened up to each other, it was the most romantic time I could imagine—it sounds silly, but, being artistically inspired like that and falling in love at the same time was pretty dazzling.
Paste: Talk about a song that means something special to you as a couple?
Hazard: “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was a mutual heartbreaker when we broke up, before we made Declare A New State. “Someone Great” by LCD Soundsystem was another one like that — just something that just feels amazing even as it’s killing you emotionally. Probably the first record we bonded over was Aphex Twin’s Richard [D.] James Album — it’s just so strange and mind-blowing. If you both like that one, it means something deep is shared in the musical weirdness department. At the moment, we’re both very into the Drake record.