Modern Cult’s New Single “Tell Me” & Interview

Photo Credit: Ilona Donovan

If you enjoy Synth-pop, 80’s vibes, and high concept music videos then you may already be familiar with Modern Cult. The Florida based duo whose first single was produced by former Cage the Elephant artist Brad Shultz. We got the opportunity to interview Augie Pink and find out more behind the creative mind that made “Be My Friend” and “Tell Me,” the latter of which was released today!

Iyanu: For those who are new to Modern Cult, could you guys introduce yourself and explain briefly what the band’s musical journey has been so far? 

Augie: This has been years in the making, but we’re finally starting to release music and play shows so it’s feeling very much real now. It’s good to finally be at this stage.

Iyanu: Modern Cult is such a unique name. How did you guys settle on that name for your duo, and how does that connect to your overall message as a band? 

Augie: In truth, I came up with the name before Rod joined me, and I just always thought it sounded cool. I think the concept of a band can fall under what a '“Modern Cult” could be considered. People gather together to watch this person or group speak, or in this case, sing, and connect and follow their way of life. Mind you, I’m not trying to be a cult in any way, shape, or form. Haha.

Iyanu: You guys have had 3 official releases so far: “Relapse” in 2020, “Goodbye Again” in 2021, and “Be My Friend,” which recently dropped on March 27, 2026. Talking about each song, how has Modern Cult’s sound evolved with these releases? 

Augie: “Relapse” was the first song I made with a friend 11 years ago. It definitely started my vision of what this project could be, but in 2020, I took it down and re-released it under the new name.

“Goodbye Again” was a song that blew up a bit on TikTok. I did a duet with a couple of other musicians, and it took on a life of its own, and we all decided to come together and record/release it. 

The evolution of the Modern Cult sound has definitely come a very long way, I think “Be My Friend” is the one that truly represents what’s coming, but the essence of “Relapse” will always be there too. 

Iyanu: Music is often therapeutic for the listener as well as the songwriter who writes it. Please describe the band’s songwriting process and talk about any songs you’ve written that've been healing for you guys? 

Augie: Either Rod or myself will come up with a base of an idea, and we send it to each other and start riffing back and forth from there. He and I have known each other for over a decade now and played in a band before all this, so I suppose sometimes chemistry really flows with the people you love. I put a little bit of everything into writing lyrics; a lot of it is a collection of experiences that tend to manifest into a song. I do have the rare case of actually writing exactly what I want to say, but most times you tap into the cloud, and it pours out lol 

Iyanu: You guys collaborated with Baileyrp and The Bret Crow Show for Goodbye again (2021). What was this collaboration like, and what led to it? Are there plans for future collaborations with other artists? Artists you’d like to collaborate with? 

Augie: Working with them was an awesome experiment! TikTok can really connect people from all places. Hahaha. As far as plans to collaborate, there are none at the moment, but it would be cool to work with people like Mark Ronson, Kevin Parker, or maybe James Murphy from LCD.

Iyanu: As you know, artists are often inspired by other artists. Do you have any bands or artists that have had a big influence on the Modern Cult’s formation? 

Augie: There are so many, and I tend to get inspired by anything that clicks with me, but I can say LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire... a lot of 80’s stuff like Springsteen, Foreigner, Phil Collins. I’ve been on a Billy Joel vibe lately as well haha, honestly, anything good.

Iyanu: Let’s talk about your music videos. The music video for “Relapse” contained multiple shots of Augie Pink making eye contact with the camera, his hands entrapping him, and shots of him grasping a fence. As for “Be My Friend,” there was imagery of paint and a more retro-analog ambiance. Please describe the evolution of the vision for Modern Cult’s music videos and what the process has been like to shoot these music videos? 

Augie: The “Relapse” video was made during COVID with an iPhone. My now fiancé, her sister, and I just hit the streets and improvised. It was a fun time, but I don’t think there’s any correlation between then and now, haha.

“Be My Friend” is more of a representation of what Modern Cult is. I’ve always wanted it to feel larger than life, like the movies. I think we’re on a good pace to achieve that vision. 

Iyanu: Focusing on “Be My Friend,” there has been a 5-year gap between your latest release and your previous one. Can you explain what the process has been to develop “Be My Friend” and if there was anything that transpired in the gap that aided in the creation of that song? 

Augie: I went up to Lollapalooza with Rod and his previous band, and I showed him one of the songs I was working on, and he dug it, so we decided to write a song when we were back home. There weren't plans for him to be part of the project yet, but we wrote “Be My Friend” in like 30 minutes and that was that. We just had to do it together now. That was almost 5 years ago now. Since then, we’ve been working on a lot of music in Nashville with Brad from Cage the Elephant as the producer, so we’ve never stopped; it’s just one of those things that pans out when the time is right.

Iyanu: Stepping away from singles, performing is a huge part of an artist’s career. How did you guys come to love performing? Any pre-show rituals? Inspirations? 

Augie: I’ve always wanted a pre-show ritual, and I’ve never had one. I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me this, so this is my sign to start one. I’ll keep you posted, haha. As far as performing, I think at this point we’ve been doing it our whole lives. We grew up in the 90s, so at least for me, MTV had a chokehold on who I was going to be before I even knew it. 

Iyanu: Let’s go back to 2020 for a moment. What advice would you guys give yourself or do differently when starting out? 

Augie: There’s probably a lot like “work harder” or “make it happen faster,” but like I said before, this happened when it needed to happen, so I wouldn’t change a thing.

Iyanu: Your new single “By My Friend,” is this the beginning of a big wave? Any sneak peeks or information about future releases? Any tours or shows coming up soon? 

Augie: Yeah, we have a ton more coming via Parallel Vision/Big Loud Rock. I think if you stay tuned, you’ll be able to watch it unfold for yourself!

Iyanu: Last but not least, in your own words, what is Modern Cult bringing to the Indie genre? What should someone take away from the band?

Augie: I would guess just some sort of good, honest, emotional, and at times dramatic way of expression. I tend to be an open book emotionally, so I prefer a bit of honesty instead of small talk. My hope is that it translates well into the music!

If you want to hear more Modern Cult, check out their page on Spotify or you can follow Augie on Instagram as well!

Be sure to also check out the new single “Tell Me” now!