The Pembina Valley’s music scene is welcoming some new sounds. For the first time in six years, Brothers Keep, a local country music duo consisting of brothers Henry and Larry Abrams, has released a new single. ‘It has been quite the process’ Larry said that it feels good to put out the new music — a lot of work has gone into the process. After mulling over which song was the right one to release, he said the pair settled on a project that was “kicking [around] in the back end.” “We just made a different version of it and got it exciting and fresh,” he said. “I thought it was a fantastic song,” added Henry. “Then all of a sudden, Larry calls me up and says, ‘Dude, you got to come check out what I've done with it,’ and ... it was just — I don't know what else to say — it's a banger.” A timeless, relatable tale The duo’s new single is called “Little Did I Know.” Henry said the song stands out in the Brothers Keep repertoire because, usually, inspiration for music is drawn from the pair’s personal lives, but with this song, he tried something new. “This is the first song that I wrote lyrically that has nothing to do with my life at all,” he said. “It came from a spot where Larry was like, ‘Hey man, let's write some stuff. Just write a story.’” Henry came up with a timeless narrative that always seems to resonate — a country boy who feels drawn to a city girl with a family who would prefer their daughter not end up with a “country bumpkin.” A natural partnership The song, with lyrics by Henry and music by Larry, exemplifies how the pair has settled into complementary roles within their group. Henry said it was a “pretty easy” arrangement to fall into as brothers. He added that storytelling is something that he has always enjoyed doing, so adding his talents to what he calls his brother’s “musical prowess” is a natural fit. Related stories: 'Time-bending,' 'prairie-rooted': Ambitious production with network of local talent to debut Youth choir hits all the right notes with fall tour across southern Manitoba For Larry’s part, he credits his brother for being the reason for some of his musical talent. He plays guitar because he borrowed his brother’s to learn when they were younger. Henry, however, phrases what happened a little differently. “He stole my guitar,” he said. Beyond that, for Larry, his brother’s writing ability and vocal talent are welcome skills that he didn’t necessarily know he possessed until he was asked for a favour that would eventually lead to forming Brothers Keep. The beginning of a good thing The favour concerned a personal project of Henry’s. “It was actually a fun thing I was doing for my wife and I's 10-year anniversary,” he said. “I made a song about how we met, ... and then I just told Larry, ‘Hey man, can you just put some music to this, or can you make this great?’ And he did. It came together so fast.” After the success of the tribute project, the pair decided that Larry would continue to add music to Henry’s lyrics, and Brothers Keep was born. ‘We’re having a great time’ The project is something that the pair does together in addition to their very involved, very different careers. “[He is] a musician almost full-time, and I'm farming, so the schedule is pretty busy, so we haven't done as much as we'd like,” said Henry. “But the other part of it is that ... this is something that I just have a blast doing with Larry, and something that we have. We have a lot of things in common, but this is something [through which] we can just create together and spend time together. It’s just a ton of fun.” “We’re having a great time,” added Larry. For upcoming performances and more from Brothers Keep, click here. With files from Ty Hildebrand and Jayme Giesbrecht