Szwei & Marat is a songwriting duo from Hudson County, NJ, featuring Carol Szwei (vocals/keys) and Nicholas Maratta (vocals/guitar). Their music blends grounded pop writing with metaphoric lyrics and harmonious vocalization.
"Moonlighting" is Szwei & Marat's debut single. The song delves into how familiar places can change based on one's life journey. The lyrics play with this concept by shuffling lines throughout the track. The recording features multiple layers of instruments to explore a wider sonic range, with additional percussion and bass by Matt Olsson. Vocals are a blend of high and low ranges, mixed by Szwei & Marat. "Moonlighting" was engineered and mixed by Matt Olsson at North End Recording in Passaic, NJ, and mastered by Nick Bolton at Bolton Sound Studios.
Carol Szwei shared her inspiration for the music video, stating, "The music video for 'Moonlighting' was born from the images in my mind while recording it in the studio. The song sounds like a pilgrimage. To where? We don’t find out until the end. But, along the way, we are treated to cinematic backdrops that are very personal to me, as they are idyllic representations of my youth. I knew from the beginning of filming what kinds of shots I wanted and where they would be placed in the timeline of the video. Cinematographically, I wanted the wide shots to reference those of Hiyao Miyazaki films, in which his young heroines embark on their own challenging journeys. The addition of shots from a live theater performance of the song were also helpful in creating a nonlinear storyline that interrupts the action for a more whimsical narrative."
Bandmate Nick Maratta added, “The music video of 'Moonlighting' took months of grueling anxiety and pain to bring to life. I refused to let anyone else film or edit the video out of fear that I would have to swallow my own disappointment with their work. I hope that any viewers enjoy what Carol and I have created together. She pushed the boundaries of what I could expect to do for a video and forced my own personal growth as an artist and/or slave.”
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6F1AQZa9JhgeQMvOKKxNcQ?si=INmg7i2ySyKgDkwE5Thujw