How does the city of Vienna speak to you in your creative musical pursuits? Cobblestone streets echo whispers from the big history of a former empire. The timeless morbid flair of Vienna forms the typical Viennese with his grumpy mood, pessimism and cynicism. But there is also another side of Vienna. Eat Schnitzel and cake and dance waltz – likely at a funeral party. Who knows, maybe tomorrow we are…
The making of “Who Can It Be Now (Reimagined)” was an interesting process for sure! The song and video went through a few iterations before the version that you guys are able to hear today. Initially the song had completely different music production and a different music video, which had a more formal vibe. After feeling it wasn’t rock n roll enough and didn’t quite reach its potential, my team…
What was behind the scenes like for “Hell 2 Pay”? Exciting! Fun for all. Watching actors act and being able to take control of the story line was really the coolest. How do your personal experiences shape your songs? By a few bad break-ps. Seems like writing about them tends to make me feel better. What are your favorite topics to write about? Breakups and also issue songs in regards…
Who are your musical influences? Andrew X: For my new record, I was really influenced by the late ‘80s work of Steve Winwood, Bruce Hornsby, Tracy Chapman, Don Henley, Peter Gabriel, and a lot of late ‘80s and early ‘90s pop and adult contemporary music. What or who inspires you? AX: When it comes to my songwriting, my biggest inspirations are usually situations around personal relationships, romantic relationships, and stories of people…
What was important to you when creating the visuals for the song “People Get Ready”? I have a good girl who is very creative. I just gave her a blank canvas. Did you have an idea of what you wanted the video to look like when you were creating the song in the studio? Not really, but surely love what she came up with. Especially that big train. How has…
When and how did you discover your passion for music and songwriting? What made you want to pursue music as a career? I was around eleven years old. I was really into Broadway music and showtunes. I had such an admiration for composers such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Schwartz, and Alan Menken. Broadway, Disney…really great songs with big orchestrations. My mom and I loved listening to Broadway soundtracks in…
What was your favorite part about filming the music video for “KILL THA KING”? The beach scenes, being able to walk on the sand and feel the sand on my feet, and just having a tranquil moment. What is next for your music career? I’m going on tour in 2024 and releasing the Back2Basics EP. What is your favorite lyric from “KILL THA KING”? My King was my hips though!! Who are some…
What inspired you to start creating music? I just wanted to get things I had experienced or observed or felt out of me and into the world. I believe songs are the best way for me to share. There’s an old saying about not dying with all your music still inside. Did being raised in the greater St. Louis area have an influence on your music? I’m not sure that…
This video feels like an invitation to an intimate and laid-back groove session. How did you try to achieve this feeling in the video? Just being who we really are, no acting, with the personal and group photos, along with the group performing helped to pull it together. How have elements of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop helped create your sound today? The hip-hop and jazz elements are covered by Slum…
How much thought did you put into the visuals for “I Hate My Ex”? How did you want them to look? It was a spur of the moment video. We were shooting video for “Someday” and we had all the models and the location. I just was like, “fuck it” – I knew I wanted to make a video for “I Hate My Ex.” It was really on-the-fly vibe. A…
What was it like adopting a new genre? It’s actually very different and fun. It feels very normal because it’s a genre of music that I’ve always wanted to do. Your lyrics in “Love Language” are very vulnerable, can you speak more to that, and how you had the courage to speak from your heart? I’ve always wondered how I could get the thoughts of how I felt in a…
What is your favorite lyric from “It Takes Two”? My favorite lyric in the song is, “It takes two, baby, to make a dream come true.” What has been your favorite memory in regards to your career? My career spans over 50 years… so to pick a favorite moment is almost impossible. There have been so many memorable moments. One was performing in front of Princess Diana and then Prince Charles.…
How has the music industry changed from when you first began your career up until now? The music industry has changed so much and so quickly as technology has advanced. On one hand, the big label gatekeepers have lost much of their power. Technology has leveled the field quite a bit, allowing any person on earth to create their own music & videos, and put it out there for all…
Has your home of Zurich, Switzerland, had an influence on the sound of your music? I don’t believe so. Switzerland is at the crossroads of Germany, Italy, and France which all have a strong music tradition that Switzerland absorbed to various degrees. But I grew up with American and British music in the late sixties and seventies. In my songwriting and arrangements, I am mainly inspired by folk, rock, and…
Do you feel like your previous work as a dancer has influenced your current music career? If so, how? 100%. I love combining the two. Whenever I write a song I’m always thinking ‘how can I incorporate dance into this?’ Also, I got a sneak preview into the music world when I danced for many great artists. I wanted to be in their shoes…not literally. What was your favorite part…
Your sound in the “No Goodbyes” music video is so smooth! What part of the vocal process do you enjoy and why? Thank you! I love the whole process of creating music. From having the vision, creating the beat, writing the lyrics to recording the song. I really enjoy all parts. How has your experience living in Europe transferred into the music you make today? If I had to pick…
What is your favorite element of music creation? Working out the parts and the creativity with the band, giving the songs energy. What part of the production process do you enjoy the most? Working in the studio, laying down parts, and feelinf git grow. We love the plotlines in the “Motor Scooter” music video! What inspired this concept or sparked this idea for the music video? Inspiration for the concept…
The “Panic” music video cinematically depicts an apocalyptic blackout! What was the brainstorming process for the music video’s concept? Panic is the main featured song in the new Y2K comedy film called Millennium Bugs. We wanted to have the video relate to the goofy fear-of-the-apocalypse way the characters are portrayed in the film. What has the experience in the New York rock underground scene been like? Is there a favorite…
How would you describe your musical journey with the country genre since you first started making music? Lance: Our journey in country music hasn’t always been the easiest. I (Lance Curtis) started playing music at a year old with my grandpa and uncle’s family band. I played with them whenever I could for 16 years, until my grandpa passed away in 2017. It was always a family affair and he…
What was the experience of creating “Sunday Afternoon”, and can you walk us through your songwriting process? I was working on my album, sitting at my piano and the extremely rough idea for the song started to come through. I began mouth syllables for the lyrics. Soon after I had this idea to write a love song and love tragedy in one. Relationships can be beautiful, painful, complex, and fragile, “Sunday…
