Released on Valentine’s Day 2025, Water Season is a four-song collaboration between the Philadelphia band Hooky and the Brazilian-American artist Winter. It’s a winning link-up. Both have a bedroom pop sensibility that combines playful, washy sonics with an acute sense of melody. Put out by the Philly label Julia’s War, the EP is the result of an online friendship turned IRL, which saw Winter traveling to the City of Brotherly Love to do more work. Read about all of that and listen to Water Season below.

So, how did this collaboration come about?

Scott: We met online and we made a song through email that went really well. We decided we should meet up and make more music.

Samira: I feel like once Scott sent over the first song idea it was clear that we should keep making more songs.

Sam: I've been a fan of Samira's music for a while, one of my friends showed me a Winter album a couple years ago and I really fucked with it. I was really hype when I found out that her and Scott were planning on making some tracks together like a year ago because I thought it was such a cool pairing of artists. And then a couple months later we all linked up and made the rest of the EP together.  

What role did jamming play in the construction of these songs?

Scott: We wrote “Lost Tears” and “In Your Pocket” through jamming together in person, so it did definitely play a role in the creative process.

Samira: When we met up it was really fun to jam for some hours. A lot of ideas just flowed in person especially with melodies. I feel like trying to write a song with other people always gives me butterflies in my stomach and I like being in that state sometimes when I’m coming up with ideas. 


Sam: It was cool being able to collaborate on music in the same room and just have fun making music. I don't think we had any real plans to put out an EP on a label while we were making it, so we just had more freedom to make whatever we wanted and have fun.

Did this collaboration unlock anything in either of you that you don’t think you would’ve been able to find in your own projects?

Scott: When we met up we weren’t really trying to make something in specific, we made these songs really naturally. I guess the collaboration brought out the things we all normally do and they complemented each other well.

Samira: It was cool because each person got to do their own thing and that synergy unlocked the music. 


Sam: I think it's always good to collaborate with new people. Good or bad, you get to learn a lot about how you want to make music, how to stay out of the way and let everyone get their chance to do what they're good at. I don’t think I really unlocked anything when we made this EP but I had a really fun time making it and I'm proud of how it turned out. And we all got a 

chance to do what we're good at. It was cool to just see everything come together.

What did you do during your time together in Philly, besides work on music? Did you go out and eat any good food?

Scott: We went to Ba Le and had incredible banh mi sandwiches, got coffee at Hermann coffee, went thrifting in NJ and shot the music video.

Samira: Was really awesome getting to experience Philly with Sam and Scott. Some of my favorite moments were us driving around and listening to music.

Sam: We mostly just chilled when we weren't working on music.

Tell us about the video for “horseshoe.” 

Scott: We spent the day hanging out and filming the video at John Heinz and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Was a really fun time.

Samira: Each person got to film a bit on my miniDV camera. It end up being a really nice day and it was so beautiful getting to check out the nature and cute animals.

Sam: The video was really fun to make because it was such a nice day out!  




What’s your favorite song to dance to right now?

Scott: “#CERTIFRIED” by dj ess, babytron.

Samira: “Gorgeous International Really Lucky” by Coco & Clair Clair.

Sam: “Fri Dat Shit Up” by Traxman.

Do you have a go-to Wawa order?

Scott: Black coffee and a cigar.

Samira: Sour gummies and a vitamin water.

Sam: Red Bull and pretzel. 


What does the future hold for Hooky and Winter? Any plans to link up in Brazil?

Absolutely!