Brainwasher’s Decade Suspended In Sound

After 10 years of collaboration, the Oklahoma duo transform reflection into an ethereal debut.

By Sarah Morrison

Photos by Blake Studdard

Published on October 23, 2025

For 10 years, Oklahoma duo Tommy McKenzie and Matt Duckworth Kirksey have existed in a space between memory and feeling, turning fragments of longing into drifting, ethereal music. Their debut album, 39 Lightyears from Heaven, under the name Brainwasher, is more than an album, it’s a decade-long testament to reflection, identity, and the emotions that linger in suspended moments.

The project began in the wake of a breakup. McKenzie recalls, “There’s this weird kind of nostalgia to it. You’re inherently projecting into the future with this person, and when that’s cut off, you’re like ‘Oh well…’ Even if you’re out of the relationship for a positive reason, you’re in this weird emotional realm where you’re in space for a little bit.” During that period, he and Kirksey — who, as of 2021, are also bandmates in The Flaming Lips — shared recommendations of music, film, and art. From Twin Peaks to Portishead, these early inspirations seeded Brainwasher’s signature ethereal sound.

Over the past decade, Brainwasher’s sonic identity remained distinct. Early sessions produced the loops and hums that became the album’s signature foundations. “To me, the Brainwasher sound is these hums and loops in the background, which form the foundation for most things, and then we build on top of that whatever is alluring to us,” McKenzie says. “Even when we started making music again in 2020, it inherently had that same sound. Some of it is just that weird feeling of longing. It doesn’t have to be happy or sad — it’s its own kind of emotion.”

For McKenzie and Kirksey, Brainwasher also marked a shift into writing and performing music that was entirely their own. “Playing other people’s music has given me a level of comfort,” McKenzie explains. “It’s easy to compare yourself to others, but I’ve reached a point of self-acceptance. Whatever I contribute is just going to sound like me. I work in a way that makes sense to me, playing what excites me… doing it in your own truth means there’s no regret. That perspective, having experienced everything I have, gives me confidence in myself and what I’m drawn to. Even if the audience isn’t huge, music that comes from a true place connects more genuinely.”

That sense of self-discovery and emotional drift carries through on their latest single, “Home,” a psychedelic power ballad written while touring with The Flaming Lips. Awash in reverberating drums, fuzzed-out guitars, and swirling synths, the track captures the romanticism of a transient life and the search for belonging in unlikely places. Filmed across California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Utah with director Blake Studdard, the accompanying video transforms that feeling into a cinematic meditation on movement and meaning — a fitting companion to the album’s themes of reflection and release.

Early demos recorded at home preserved Brainwasher’s raw emotional core, while trips to Savannah, Georgia added colour and texture without reshaping the essence of the music. Even songs written five or six years apart found cohesion through tone. McKenzie and Kirksey’s collaboration became a dialogue between intuition and patience, letting ideas simmer and evolve over time. “We’d revisit songs after long stretches away, and somehow they still felt like they belonged together,” McKenzie says. “It’s less about fitting into a mold and more about trusting what feels right, letting the music find its own orbit.”

Reflecting on the decade of work, McKenzie emphasizes growth and perspective. “You can look at things you made when you were younger and see them as reflections of who you were then, while also understanding them now. Writing from 25 to 36, you change, mature, and learn what resonates,” McKenzie says. “You gain empathy and grace. People handle challenges differently, and life is gray, not binary. You learn to connect genuinely, accept differences, and approach relationships with understanding. That’s reflected in art, too.”

For McKenzie and Kirksey, 39 Lightyears from Heaven is the music they needed to release from themselves — a patient, intuitive collaboration bridging years of emotional drift. It’s a record born of longing, reflection, and quiet resolve; a study in the space between endings and the beauty that lingers there.

39 Lightyears from Heaven is out October 24 via Mothland.