Get to Know 'Clapping on the TV' LA Duo EXES With These 10 Fun Facts! (Exclusive)

EXES is one of the rising acts we’re excited about at Just Jared, and we want readers to get a chance to exclusively get to know them even better!

The Los Angeles-based duo, made up of singer Allie McDonald and producer Mike Derenzo, just dropped their brand new single “Clapping on the TV” off of their debut studio album Don’t Give Up on Me Now, out on February 4, 2022.

Click inside to read more…

The forthcoming record is described as “a culmination of the five years” since the duo became friends in college, starting with their debut single “18,” holding “life lessons, relationships, disappointments, and triumphs.”

As for the title of their relatable, vulnerable new ode to figuring out your own way in life? It’s true to their own life stories.

“There was a time, fairly recently, where I needed to clap on game shows and talk shows in order to make money. Music wasn’t paying the bills so I turned to paid seat filler jobs. It was probably the lowest point in my adult life. I questioned everything I was doing,” Allie admits.

“I was getting older, running into people I went to college with—finding out they had babies and houses and retirement plans. I was barely scraping by. Sometimes it still feels that way. ‘Clapping on the TV’ came from that weird time. We wrote it with our friend, Petey, in the studio one day as an ode to all the late 20-year-olds who still don’t know which direction they’re headed. It’s a song for the misfits, the loners, and the kids who don’t want to grow up and give up on their dreams.”

Listen to “Clapping on the TV” and check out 10 Fun Facts about EXES inside…

1. We have a monthly dinner party where we (mostly Mike) cook fresh pasta for our friends.

2. We met while pursuing communication studies in college, and now we don’t use our degree.

3. Allie’s been playing the violin since childhood and our debut album features her string playing.

4. We stay true to the name of our band – have even included voice messages from our exes in our songs.

5. We were both stranded during COVID Thanksgiving so we hung out and watched Taylor Swift’s Disney special.

6. We wrote over 70 songs for our album because we were so bored during lockdown.

7. As a side hustle, Allie is a paid clapper on game shows and talk shows.

8. We don’t like crowded places.

9. Our favorite tour accessory is melatonin.

10. Allie has seen the Jonas Brothers in concert 7 times (all before 2014).