Doing things their own way has always been part of Sports’ DNA, and for their latest chapter, the Oklahoma duo pushed that instinct even further. They built a studio from the ground up in Tulsa and crafted a self-titled record entirely on their own terms.

The result is Sports, an album that leans into hazy synths, warped textures, and a broader, more psychedelic take on their sound, while holding onto the quiet intimacy that’s always been at its core. New single “Gravestone” sits right at the centre of that shift. Minimal, close-feeling, and faintly unsettling, it sets the tone both sonically and visually for this era. The accompanying video follows that same instinct, stripped back, tightly framed, and driven more by atmosphere than spectacle.

With the album out and a long-overdue return to the road underway, Sports are stepping into a more self-directed phase.

In this 18 Questions, Cale and Christian talk building their own space, trusting instinct over perfection, and knowing when it’s time to step away.

1. What’s the first thing you usually do when you wake up, especially when you’re on tour versus at home in Tulsa?

Cale: I usually just head down to the hotel lobby to get some hot water. A coffee shop from our hometown in Tulsa gave us a bunch of instant coffee for the tour. Shoutout Coracle Coffee. It’s delicious and beats the hotel coffee by many miles.

Christian: I fight my animal brain to not get on my phone to check Instagram, but on tour I kinda love seeing fans post videos from the show. Get a view from their perspective.

2. You built your own studio from scratch. What was the moment you realised, “okay, this is actually going to work”?

Cale: Our studio had roof access, and so I went out there with a long headphone extension cable and listened to a bounce of a pretty much finished version of If You Want Me, which was the first song we finished on our own. I remember thinking “wow it actually sounds like a finished song.”

Christian: Once we had the first song towards the end of the finish line. Cale and we were like ok we got this. Clocked in everyday after that.

3. How did having your own space change the way you approached making the Sports album?

Christian: In the past we had to book a set amount of studio time and usually had most of the songs selected that we were going to record for those sessions ready to go. Having our own space allowed us to experiment a bit more and also write more songs than needed. So naturally the good ones just sort of rose to the top. It was nice to be able to write freely and if it wasn’t good we would just try again the next day.

4. “Gravestone” feels intimate but also a bit surreal. What headspace were you both in when that track came together?

Christian: The working title for the album was Cale and Christian for a bit. So I had the idea of the record starting with our voices. I also had this riff that I was stoked on. This one came together in a unique way where the production was an idea first that we then created instead of just jamming or messing around with an already made demo.

5. Do you tend to overwork songs when you have unlimited studio access, or does it actually make you more decisive?

Cale: We are definitely aware of that being a very slippery slope. And I tend to lose perspective pretty easily, so we tried to just move on to another song or just go home for the day when we started to feel confused or uninspired. Once I sniff that feeling of being overwhelmed, I know it’s time to take a break or move on. You can’t trust yourself in that headspace.

Christian: It feels like you should just keep working it until it reveals itself but we’ve learned the best way to get clarity is to step away for a day or two and come back with fresh ears. Then the next move is so obvious.

6. What’s one small habit in the studio that keeps you grounded when everything starts to blur together?

Christian: Step outside, have a cup of tea or coffee. Look away from the screen.

7. The album leans more into synths and psychedelic textures. Was that a natural shift or something you consciously pushed toward?

Cale: We always like to buy a new synth or piece of gear before we make an album. For this one, it was the Sequential Trigon-6. I think that synth just lead us down a path toward more synth textures and arps. Also we are just listening to more and more electronic music, so that for sure influenced the vibes we were chasing.

8. When you’re creating together, how do you know when an idea is worth chasing versus letting go?

Cale: Most of the time you just chase the excitement. Sometimes there’s a moment when it stops being fun and it’s a good idea to just set it down and come back to it in a week or a month because the answers will probably be more obvious later. Realizing you’re forcing something onto the song.

9. The “Gravestone” video is really stripped back and close-up. What drew you to that visual direction?

Cale: We worked closely with our creative director, Haley Appell, and we were all pulling images of mouths really zoomed in like that. It made sense to use that idea for Gravestone because of the “ahs” that start the song. We were really into the simple ideas for the visuals this time, since our last record we went pretty maximalist.

10. Do you feel more connected to your music in those minimal, intimate visuals or in something more expansive?

Christian: I think it could go either way. We’ve learned that the idea itself has to be really strong for the video to work no matter the budget. You could have an insane budget and want to try all of these wild things but if the idea isn’t solid I feel like it disconnects from the song. We actually prefer the more simple music videos.

11. What’s something fans might not realise about how hands-on you were with this record?

Christian: The entire process is quite hands on for us. From the creation of the record, to putting the set together, stage design, programming lights, loading in and loading out. We are a pretty lean self sufficient team. That’s sort of the nature of the biz right now if you want to see any money from it. It all feeds back into itself and hopefully there is some intrinsic value that fans can see and feel.

12. You’ve had support from places like NPR. Has that changed anything internally for you, or do you try to block it out?

Cale: It’s something that’s cool in the moment when you hear about it, but it doesn’t change much about how we operate or how we feel about ourselves. It’s good advice to not need external validation, and not to take it too seriously.

13. When you hit a creative block, what actually helps and what definitely doesn’t?

Cale: There’s nothing better than taking a break. And I don’t really believe in blocks. You’re just not making it fun for yourself, most likely. Anytime I’m “blocked” it’s usually because I’m bringing the pressure of making something “good” or something people will like. But you never see a kid creatively blocked. That’s because they’re just following their instincts and having fun. There’s no pressure to make money or get approval.

14. Touring North America and then heading to the UK and EU is a big run. What are you most looking forward to, and what are you slightly dreading?

Christian: We haven’t toured in over 4 years. So finally getting to play these songs and be in the same room as the fans is huge. When you put songs out online and get likes and comments it’s great but there’s nothing like everyone gathering in one room and listening to a live performance. I’m dreading parking.

15. How different does a song like “Gravestone” feel when you play it live compared to when you first recorded it?

Christian: Actually this feels really close to the album version. We are opening our set with it just like the album and using the same gear from the record so it sounds quite close. But just the nature of hearing it blast through a PA system just adds some new energy to it!

16. Are you more drawn to control or chaos when it comes to your creative process?

Cale: I tend to be really messy and organized when I’m lost in the flow state, so I guess I thrive in a little bit of chaos. That being said, I do need some structure to my environment. I need things to work, and be plugged in. I don’t want anything slowing me down at all.

Christian: I tend to oscillate between the two. Start out really organized, clean space, then once I’m creating I kinda just flow and keep my head down. Then once I get the idea out I do some housekeeping and try and organize it a bit so I don’t lose anything.

17. Looking back at earlier Sports releases, what do you hear now that feels completely different from where you are today?

Cale: It’s cool to listen back to our old albums. I feel like I can hear them objectively, perhaps the way most people hear them. I feel really proud of what we did, almost amazed because I won’t remember how we did certain things. I’ll hear a sound and be like “what the hell is that?” But at the same time it fuels me to make something new.

18. After building your own world with this album, what does the next chapter for Sports actually look like?

Cale: I think this album was a stepping stone, like all of our albums are, and I think we’ll head in more extreme directions. We want to work faster, release music faster, play more shows. Just operate at a new speed. Move more and think less.

Christian: We self-produced this one and hope this opens the door for us to expand that outwardly. Working with other artists, producing, writing, collaborating.

Sports album Sports is out now, follow via @sportsband