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Mar 10, 2021 By Christopher Roberts

Jenny Lewis and Chicago-based rapper Serengeti (aka David Cohn) have teamed up once again for a new collaborative song, “Idiot,” shared via a music video directed by Lewis mainly featuring Lewis in a bathing suit by and in a pool. This is their third song together, following December’s “Unblu” and January’s “Vroom Vroom,” both also shared via music videos directed by Lewis. The duo first met in East Berlin in 2018. Watch the video below.

Lewis had this to say about “Idiot” in a press release: “These songs with Dave (Serengeti) start with a late night feeling and access to—because of where we’re at right now in the world—whatever you have in your house that makes a sound. Or, I don’t have Pro Tools, so I use my phone, and I’ve got a little drum machine and a drum kit. Sometimes when I’m doing my vocals, Forensic Files is on in the background. That makes it onto the track because that’s just what’s happening.”

Serengeti adds: “Jenny sent the beat and it’s always a great joy, it’s fun to do. I wrote a small rap about a man who gets knocked out by his mom’s boyfriend and then reconnects with his high school girlfriend.”

Lewis released her album, On the Line, back in March 2019 via Warner Records (stream it here). Earlier this week she reunited with her former Rilo Kiley bandmate Blake Sennett to perform together for the first time in six years, doing “Let Me Back In” for Linda Perry’s Rock-N-Relief livestream.

Serengeti released a new album, Ajai, in 2020.

“Idiot” is out via Lewis’ own label, Love’s Way.

Lewis and Cohn collectively had this to say about their collaboration in a previous press release last December:

“Jenny met Dave down a long hallway in a former Communist Media Center in East Berlin during the People Festival of 2018. Dave asked Jenny to sing on a song about Tom Selleck passing on the part of Indiana Jones. Can you imagine a world where Tom Selleck is Indiana Jones?

A fast friendship was born as they skulked about, cracking jokes and chatting about their mutual love for boxing.

Jenny threw a show for Dave at Dino’s in East Nashville when they returned from Europe. The bartenders said it was the best show they ever had. Jenny was among the 9 fans that attended and danced their asses off.

To cap the torrid evening, Dave said ‘J, I need 7 tracks! Just piano or guitar or whatever!’ Jenny inquired if one would do?

Then the world shut down and Jenny & Dave hunkered down in Los Angeles & Chicago, respectively. Jenny smoked weed every day and Dave stayed totally sober.

The result is five songs made on Jenny’s iPhone, for Dave. Beats, bass, drums, digital tanpura & topline, sent via text, ripe for Dave’s poetry. To accompany the music, Jenny made videos on her phone during the witching hours, editing while under the covers.

Then Jenny texted the tracks to another People alumnus–Andrew Broder in Minneapolis—who co-produced and mixed the songs, taking them from Garageband phone music to music that gently thumps you. Music to dance around your living room in a Day-Glo bathing suit to. Music to go bananas to while watching the news & Forensic Files on mute.

Thank you for reading this.

Enjoy, Jenny Lewis & Serengeti”

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