In a universe where the sun casts a neon glow, where city streets come alive with a kaleidoscope of light and color, and where the message of love and heartbreak is conveyed through soaring synths and haunting vocals, you'll find the music of Causeway. Through sophisticated downbeat melodrama, lyrical motifs of isolation, and an ultra-vivid wall of sound, Causeway brings a sizzling synth-laden take on the dream wave genre.
What Is Causeway? Allison Rae And Marshall Watson's Musical Collaboration
Causeway, the musical brainchild of vocalist Allison Rae and producer Marshall Watson, is well-known for providing the sounds to TV series like Netflix’s Never Have I Ever and The CW’s Riverdale. The duo’s first full-length album, We Were Never Lost, released in 2021, shot them to immediate acclaim. On Valentine’s Day 2025, they launched their second album, Anywhere, working with Manchester label Sprechen Music to create music that embodies the idea of forward thinking melody. Hailed as a “cosmic journey,” Anywhere is still going strong.
How Did Allison Rae And Marshall Watson Create Causeway?
But long before Causeway could go Anywhere, its dynamic pair was just trying to explore somewhere. Rae and Watson first met at an industry party in San Francisco in 2011, deciding to combine their talents when Watson asked Rae to sing on a new project. While that initial collaborative effort, as they recall, “was released into obscurity,” it turned out to be only the beginning.
Fast forward nine years to 2020. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rae had relocated to her hometown of Boise, Idaho. She and Watson reconnected, despite the fact that he was still living in San Francisco. Across a distance, the two began collaborating once again, creating what ultimately became “We Were Never Lost,” an anthem of love and defiance set against the backdrop of isolation created by the pandemic.
On a whim, Watson sent the unfinished track to the record label Italians Do It Better. To his surprise, they loved it. Not only that, but they wanted to include the song on their upcoming After Dark 3 compilation album. The duo didn’t even have a name yet, but the pieces were already falling into place.
Soon, they donned the moniker Causeway, leaning into that cosmic connection between collaborators hundreds of miles away. Over the course of the next few years, Rae and Watson released several singles and the full album of We Were Never Lost, bringing their journey to new heights.
What Should We Expect From Causeway's New Album Anywhere?
In Anywhere, the enigmatic pair has crafted a reverb-drenched voyage across ten tracks where narratives of dark and light are conveyed through emotional synthesizer soundscapes coupled with captivating melodies and ethereal vocals, taking the listener on a diverse and cinematic listening experience. Hints of post punk, new wave, and 80s noir run throughout the album where influences such as The Cure, Cocteau Twins, OMD and New Order are embraced by Causeway's own unique sonic stylings of electronic music neatly wrapped around each track.
Read on for one of the duo's favorite tracks from ANYWHERE!
Causeway's "Heavy Rotation" Weedsday Playlist
For their Weedsday Playlist, Causeway invites readers to hop aboard their starship and check out what inspires them. “I’ve put together a list of current tracks in heavy rotation at my studio,” Watson states.
Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Featuring Hannah Peel - "Diagram Girl"
This song is nearly 10 years old and it still holds up. I absolutely love the original which leans a little more into the indie/electronic sound with a more defined lead vocal, but this version, much longer and stripped back to only the backing vocals, still gets spins in my DJ sets. I love the space and euphoria and all the synth work. The song is just beautiful.
Click here to play on Spotify!
Golden Bug And The Liminanas Featuring Vega Voga - "Hi No Tori"
Golden Bug is a new discovery for me, but has been around for quite a while. “Hi No Tori” was featured on a couple of Best of 24 playlists toward the end of last year and this track is amazing. I love the slow burn vibe and the vocals. I went down a serious Golden Bug rabbit hole after this one. In fact the vinyl should be arriving any day now at the studio.
Click here to play on Spotify!
Causeway - "Dancing With Shadows (Original Mix)"
I suppose we’d be remiss not to include one of the new songs from the new album. “Dancing With Shadows” is our first single from Anywhere, and it landed late last year with a slew of remixes. This track came out of a fever dream I was having, birthed nearly completely formed. A few lyrical amendments from Allison and we baked this one in about three days. It’s driving, dark and melancholic. It sets the tone of Anywhere perfectly.
Click here to play on Bandcamp!
Fluke Featuring Hardway Bros - "Insanely Beautiful (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown Dub)"
I have a long lasting love for Fluke. Some of my earliest clubbing memories are centered around Fluke classics, SLID, Atom Bomb, Bullet… there are so many.... AND they’re back. This time with remixes from Sean Johnston, AKA Hardway Bros. This remix is nine minutes of joy, 100 percent happy face, hands in the air but under 120 bpm.
Click here to play on Bandcamp!
GLOK And Timothy Clerkin - "Empyrean"
This track rules. It starts off right out of the gate with this aggressive synth line, but then takes this amazing turn when the vocals drift in. I love the slo mo intensity and ultimately uplifting feel. I highly suggest staying with it.
Click here to play on Bandcamp!
For more about Causeway, follow @weare_causeway on Instagram. Click here to check out ANYWHERE on Bandcamp.
What are your favorite Weedsday tracks? Tell us about them - reach out at @honeysucklemagazine on Instagram!
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Featured image: Causeway creators Allison Rae and Marshall Watson (C) Khoa Nguyen @khoathephotographer
