Emerging alt-pop/folk duo HARLOR is capping the week with the release of their standout new single "Heart Games."

The introspective track is out on Friday (April 9), but the duo made up of singer-songwriter Nick Gerard and producer Max Anthony is premiering the song today on Variance. It's a preview of the duo's upcoming Letters to an X EP, which is out on May 14.

“The title ‘Heart Games’ is a parallel to someone playing mind games, but in this instance you know what’s going on," explains Gerard. "They’re playing with your heart, not your head. The record ebbs and flows to different places as you progress through the song. I think that’s the coolest part of this record, the growth it experiences in just a few minutes.”

That evolution is part of what makes the song so entrancing, as it expands from its tender, brooding start to a bold, festival-ready finish, with the emotion behind the song's lyrics coming to a head in the final seconds. 

Listen to "Heart Games" below.