Audien Drops New Collaboration with MAKJ & Julia Church; Announces Second Studio Album
Friday, June 13, 2025 - Ahead of the release of his second studio album First Love, coming this September, GRAMMY-nominated artist Audien has unveiled his latest single: ‘Slide Away’, an emotional and explosive house record created in collaboration with American DJ & producer MAKJ and featuring acclaimed South African singer/songwriter Julia Church.
On ‘Slide Away’, Audien says: “We wanted this one to feel like the final page of a chapter – big and emotional, but also freeing. There’s tension in the lyrics, but the production feels like release. It’s melodic, it’s punchy and it feels like the perfect intersection of our sounds.”
“It’s an “I-love-you-but-I-need-to-chase-something-else” song – outgrowing someone but knowing greater love lies ahead,” says Julia Church. “I loved working together on this, it feels like the perfect blend of us all musically.”
“This track feels like a time machine – bringing back the rush of my first festivals, warehouse nights, and that golden era when every drop felt brand new,” adds MAKJ.
The concept behind First Love was sparked by a conversation Audien had while on tour, where he was told that his music perfectly captures the feeling of experiencing your first love: nostalgia, with the constant juxtaposition of high highs and low lows, all wrapped into one. Each of the songs center around relationships, including standout singles ‘Bittersweet’ with Shallou & Rosie Darling and ‘One More Thing’ with ARTY & Sara Davis, and are tied together by a shared emotional ideology rather than one linear narrative.
This is Audien’s most personal and connective work to date – rooted in his own lived experience but crafted to resonate universally. While the collection of tracks tell stories of romantic relationships, for Audien, they are about his real first love: music.
“‘First Love’ reflects who I am as an artist today,” says Audien. “I think there’s a void in dance music right now, and this album is my way of re-centering the focus around emotion, melody, and honest, heartfelt lyrics.”
Listen to Audien & MAKJ feat. Julia Church - Slide Away