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GRAMMYs

Madeon

Photo by Daniel Mendoza / The Recording Academy

News
Madeon On Debuting 'Good Faith' Live djproducer-madeon-talks-debuting-his-good-faith-live-experience-lolla-2019

DJ/Producer Madeon Talks Debuting His 'Good Faith' Live Experience At Lolla 2019

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"I think it's a show that works best on a larger scale, and a festival felt like a great place to do that," the French DJ/Producer tells the Recording Academy
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Aug 4, 2019 - 3:58 pm

French DJ/Producer Madeon has had an enormous last few years, what with the success of his debut, 2015's Adventure. These days, he's taking an extended break from touring, relocating to Los Angeles and working on his sophomore LP, Good Faith, out this year. 

But the most exciting news to come out of this record cycle is that he'll be debuting the Good Faith Live experience at Lollapalooza 2019.

Madeon On "Shelter," 'Good Faith' & More

"I've been working on the album Good Faith and the live show Good Faith Live [over] the last few years," he told the Recording Academy on the ground at Lolla. "I think it's a show that works best on a larger scale, and a festival felt like a great place to do that so I can bring an appropriately sized production."

When asked what goes into creating such an expansive live production, Madeon had plenty to say. "It's so many steps," he elaborated. "From conceptualizing what the stage looks like to making those visuals to all of the technical implications to rehearsing all of your parts, it's been like this for months now... I've been spending weeks with the visual teams making the video content and actually rehearsing it and the light design. Everything that you see is an intentional decision that somebody has made. And it takes dozens and dozens of people being passionate about it to deliver an experience like that."

Check out Madeon's full Lolla 2019 interview above, and stay tuned for more amazing Lolla interviews on GRAMMY.com.

Alesso On Lolla 2019, 'PROGRESSO VOLUME 1' & Making New "Hardcore Dance Music"

GRAMMYs

Matoma

Photo by Daniel Mendoza / The Recording Academy

News
Matoma Talks Playing His First-Ever Lollapalooza matoma-playing-lolla-2019-its-all-about-spreading-love-positivity-thats-why-im-here

Matoma On Playing Lolla 2019: "It's All About Spreading Love & Positivity, That's Why I'm Here"

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While On The Road At Lollapalooza 2019, Norwegian DJ and producer Matoma sat down with the Recording Academy to talk about his single "Bruised Not Broken," working with MNEK, when his next single is coming out and more
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Aug 3, 2019 - 8:22 pm

Norwegian DJ and producer Matoma has played Chicago many times, but this weekend marks his first-ever time playing Lollapalooza. He's pretty excited; the Windy City fest is an institution he really respects.

"Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the U.S.," he exclusively tells the Recording Academy. "I think Lollapalooza in general has delivered so many years of quality, good festivals. It's organized. They bring big acts but they also see the future in the up-and-coming ones."

Matoma Talks "Bruised Not Broken"

As for what he brings to his set, Matoma says he tries not to overthink anything when playing to a live audience. "I always try to play fresh new tunes that I believe in. Mash-ups, remixes that I've worked on. It's just a good combination. [If] people feel connected to the music, I'm more than happy. Music isn't rocket science, it's all about the good vibes."

Matoma also chatted about his collab with GRAMMY nominees MNEK, "Bruised But Not Broken," which, turns out, only took 40 minutes to produce in the studio. "Once Kiana [Lede] got locked and recorded her parts, it sounded amazing," he says. "I'm super-pumped and happy. If you ask me, every song I make is the best song I make."

And heads up: Matoma has a new single coming very soon, on August 23, to be exact. "It's called 'All Around The World,'" he tells us. "Basically it's a happy sing-along tune that's about finding that special person wherever it is, all around the world and traveling with that person and sharing moments and experiences and not taking anything for granted."

Watch Matoma's interview in full above, and stay tuned for more Lolla 2019 coverage, right here on GRAMMY.com

SHAED Talk Lolla 2019, Touring The World & The Meaning Of "Trampoline"

Shaq at Lolla 2019

Shaq/DJ Diesel at Lolla 2019

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

News
Shaq/DJ Diesel On Lolla Debut & DJing Since '88 shaquille-oneil-aka-dj-diesel-lollapalooza-debut-loving-bass-music-djing-88

Shaquille O'Neil, A.K.A. DJ Diesel, On Lollapalooza Debut, Loving Bass Music & DJing Since '88

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"I like bass music. I'm seven foot, 350, I consider myself hard, when I played on the basketball court I was hard. I like the hard drops," the NBA Hall Of Famer told us before his lit Lolla set
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 7, 2019 - 12:56 pm

NBA Hall Of Famer Shaquille O'Neil may be best known for his awe-inspiring moves on the basketball court, but now he's perfecting the art of making crowds go crazy from behind the DJ booth as DJ Diesel. With his Summer League 2019 tour, Shaq has brought his favorite bass drops to clubs and festivals around the world, most recently at Lollapalooza 2019.

The Recording Academy caught up with him before he got the kids dancing at his packed—and apparently very lit—Sunday DJ set. We discussed his musical evolution, love of bass music, how he crafts his sets on the fly, scratching his father's Commodores record after getting his first turntables in the '80s and more.

Shaq AKA DJ Diesel On Lolla Debut & DJing Since 88

"I was taught a long time ago that when you find something difficult, break it down to where it becomes easy. For an artist, being a DJ, it's hard work. Everything has to be done right, so I always break it down. The only common factor that I'm familiar with is large crowds. So, then I say to myself, 'What did I do to make the large crowds go crazy in L.A.?' You make a great play," Shaq said.

He continued, emphasizing that he's not a celebrity DJ, as he's been doing it since before he was famous. At the end of the day, he just loves making people jump and have fun.

"I've been doing this since 1988, so a lot of people, especially on social media, they think I'm doing it for the fad. One, I'm not getting paid anything. I enjoy watching people jump up and down. I take pride in looking at people and saying, 'Okay. You paid money to watch me perform? I'm going to give you your money's worth.' So, it's about the sport. I could have chosen any style music, I like bass music. I'm seven foot, 350, I consider myself hard, when I played on the basketball court I was hard. I like the hard drops."



View this post on Instagram


JUMP @lollapalooza JUMP

A post shared by DR. SHAQUILLE O'NEAL Ed.D. (@shaq) on Aug 4, 2019 at 5:21pm PDT

CRAY Talks Singing Live For The First Time At Lollapalooza & Touring Japan With Skrillex

HONNE at Lolla 2019

HONNE at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

News
HONNE On Lolla, 'Love Me / Love Me Not' & New LP honne-love-me-love-me-not-lollapalooza-return-drinking-tea-tour-new-music

HONNE On 'Love Me / Love Me Not,' Lollapalooza Return, Drinking Tea On Tour & New Music

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"I just like [to perform] any song where loads of people sing along, basically. It's one of the best feelings in the world for us," James Hatcher, one half of the British duo electro-soul duo, told us
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 6, 2019 - 5:59 pm

British electro-soul duo HONNE, consisting of James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck, put their musical vibes front and center in 2014, making waves with their debut single, "Warm on a Cold Night." The smooth, longing-for-love song would serve as the title track of their debut album, released the following year.

In August 2018, they followed up with their sophomore album, Love Me / Love Me Not, on which, as the name hints, the first songs are themed around falling in love and second half highlight romantic challenges (alternate half-moon symbols next to the tracks names denote this, too). Even with the duality, the album is a rather sunny, upbeat sounding one. As Hatcher describes it, "in terms of production, we wanted it to be a bit more open, daytime and upbeat, whereas the first album was very nocturnal and chilled out."

HONNE On 'Love Me / Love Me Not,' Tea & Next LP

We sat down with the pair shortly before they returned to the Lollapalooza stage—they also performed in 2017—to chat about the album, new music on the way, how they stay at home on the road—English breakfast tea is must—and more.

So, you guys are going to take the stage here at Lolla later today. How are you feeling about it?

James Clutterbuck: Feeling very great about it. It's been two years since we've played, so we're back fairly soon I would say. And yeah, can't wait. The crowd last time were brill, and I'm sure they'll be brilliant once again.



View this post on Instagram


3 performances in 1 dayThank you Chicago. Thank you @lollapalooza AND congrats once again to Noah and Teddi who got engaged at our after show the night before

A post shared by HONNE (@hellohonne) on Aug 3, 2019 at 5:13pm PDT

Do you have any pre-stage rituals before a show, or do you just kind of go up there?

Andrew Hatcher: I think at a festival, it's so tight, the turnaround, there's not much time for any rituals really.

Clutterbuck: No, not really.

Hatcher: Just checking we can hear ourselves and getting ready. Pacing around a bit. Maybe have a gin and tonic. And feel a little bit panicked. [laughs]

Clutterbuck: We've started doing press-ups, so maybe we'll include that in our ritual. Trying to get biceps [both laugh] for the first time ever.

Hatcher: Which apparently doesn't do much for his press-ups, but yeah.

You put out a new album, Love Me / Love Me Not, late last year, right?

Clutterbuck: Yeah, yeah.

Do you want to talk a little bit about the style and sounds on it?

Hatcher: In terms of production, we wanted it to be a bit more open, daytime, and upbeat, whereas the first album was very nocturnal and chilled out, so, that's kind of the difference between the two sound-wise as well.

And so, obviously, this Lolla performance versus two years ago, you have new music to play, and you've been touring lately. What's been your favorite new song to play this go around?

Hatcher: I think, maybe, "Day 1." I just like any song where loads of people sing along, basically. It's one of the best feelings in the world for us. "Location Unknown" as well, that's pretty great.

Clutterbuck: Yeah, and "Me & You."

Hatcher: "Me & You."

Clutterbuck: Yeah, it's nice to play the new ones.

Hatcher: We're playing all of them.

here ya go :) pic.twitter.com/i2XhApA1an

— selina (@_selinawang) August 4, 2019

As you mentioned, you're touring a lot and one of you is getting married later this year. Is there anything you do while on tour to stay grounded when you're away from home and flying all over?

Clutterbuck: Well, constantly talking to people back home. So yeah, just kind of trying to, where we can, experience home life wherever possible. But what else? 

Hatcher: I think we've been really careful with who we tour with in terms of our team, so it kind of feels like we've got our own little family everywhere we go. And we wake up, and go and get breakfast together, and hang out all the time basically. And it's nice to keep that, have companionship, rather than just having colleagues, if you know what I mean, have actual friends with us.

Clutterbuck: And lots of tea. Yeah, English breakfast tea.

Hatcher: Yeah. It's ridiculous. Just scrambling around, looking for teabags everywhere we go.

Do you feel like there is, on this album, or maybe in your music in general, part of it that brings you back home? And what influence from England do you feel like is most apparent in your music?

Clutterbuck: Well, "Location Unknown" is basically about being away on tour, and dealing with missing someone back at home. So every time we play that, I kind of...

Hatcher: Think about home?

Clutterbuck: Yeah, think about home. But in terms of just English traits, the whole music has got this kind of quirky feel to it, which maybe reflects a bit on our sort of stupid personalities. 

Hatcher: Yeah. Cheeky little English boys.

What kind of music did you guys grow up listening to? What's at the base of your musical influences?

Hatcher: Loads of '90s stuff. Yes. I mean, just everything. Like Destiny's Child. All that kind of stuff just seeps into you during that age. But for me, Michael Jackson was a massive influence. First gig ever went to, think I was like 10, saw him at Wembley Stadium, which is a big... I don't know if... Do you guys know that place?

Yes!

Hatcher: It's that that famous?

Yeah!

Hatcher: Oh, great! Yeah, so that was nuts. And Quincy Jones' production on all that stuff is amazing. It's kind of similar for you on that-

Clutterbuck: Yeah, similar for me. My sister used to work in a record shop, so I would go in there, and she would blast out hip hop when I was a young teenager. So, she'd be listening to J Dilla and the Beastie Boys, and all sorts of different types of people. I'd just basically listen to whatever she would listen at the time.

Hatcher: And your dad's a rocker, isn't he?

Clutterbuck: My dad's a bit of a rocker.

Hatcher: Yeah, I can remember him upstairs with... Well, his dad has like guitar amps and guitars, and he used to just go up and sing and play guitar, didn't he?

Clutterbuck:  Yeah, he did. He still does. Bless him!

And then, what was the starting point for each of you thinking about making music professionally and seeing it in that lens?

Hatcher: We both set out with the intention of doing that. I mean, even from... This sounds ridiculous, but when I was 12, within a week of starting to learn guitar, I was like, "This is it. This is what I want to do now." And I carried on trying hard at school still, but I'd go home every day and play guitar, and, on weekends sometimes, I'd play guitar for like six hours or something. It was a bit of a joke.

Clutterbuck:  How are your friends from your childhood?

Hatcher: I didn't have any. E, A, D, G, B, and E. That's a really sh*t guitar joke. I think even at that point, I wanted to do it. And then I met Andy when we studied music at university. We just had to slog on for a few more years and hone our craft a bit.

Clutterbuck: I think we first realized, when we first started HONNE, and we'd written "Warm on a Cold Night" and a couple of other tunes, we were like, "Okay."

Hatcher: We were on to something.

Clutterbuck: Like, "I feel like this could be something that people like and grab on to." And we've got lucky, I guess.

You mentioned the first album, it's more of that darker, nighttime feel and this one was more daytime, a little sunnier. What about the next project? Do you already have a vision or plan to go to the studio after touring?

Clutterbuck: Yeah, we're kind of working on it as we go. Every gap between gigs and touring, we're back in the studio. And we're hashing it out as we go along. And, at the moment, it's a bit of a mixture between the second album and the first album. So, it's kind of these two different types of vibes.

Hatcher: We'll see.

Clutterbuck: We will see. We just need to figure it out for ourselves, but we're getting there. And it feels like it's coming along nicely.

SHAED Talk Lolla 2019, Touring The World & The Meaning Of "Trampoline"

CRAY at Lolla 2019

CRAY at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

News
CRAY On Singing Live At Lolla & Tour With Skrillex cray-talks-singing-live-first-time-lollapalooza-touring-japan-skrillex

CRAY Talks Singing Live For The First Time At Lollapalooza & Touring Japan With Skrillex

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"I'm transitioning to being a live act, so being able to sing at Lolla for the first time was a really amazing accomplishment," the L.A.-based singer/DJ/producer shared right after her big Lolla moment
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 5, 2019 - 4:56 pm

Gamer-turned-singer/DJ/producer CRAY has an infectious energy both on and off stage. The Croc-loving artist—whose stage moniker is a childhood nickname adapted from her full name, Cheney Ray—started DJing and making electronic music for fun shortly after relocating from Vancouver to Los Angeles for college. In 2016, she put out her catchy first single, "Infinity Signs," and quickly started to make a name for herself in the indie-electro scene.

Fast-forward to 2019: CRAY is playing major festivals across the country, dropping new tracks along the way and even has a Japanese tour with GRAMMY-winning electronic legend Skrillex under her belt. While On The Road at Lollapalooza 2019, the Recording Academy sat down with her right after she debuted new music—while singing live for the first time—during her set.

CRAY On Singing Live For First Time At Lolla 2019

So, you performed earlier today here at Lolla, how did it feel? How was the vibe?

I mean, it was the first time I ever sang live. So it was very intense and I almost barfed, in a good way. But it was incredible, honestly just being able to do that. We've been working so hard to get there. I'm transitioning to being a live act, so being able to sing at Lolla for the first time was a really amazing accomplishment.

That's awesome. Did you have a lot of nerves going in? And then once you did it, did it feel like a relief?

Yes, I was shaking at first, and then I started and…everything went away. And then after, I was like, "What the hell just happened?" And I almost barfed, it was good.

Thank you @lollapalooza for having me. Singing live for the first time truly opened up my entire self. I’m so excited for the future. Thank you guys for being so open and for all ur energy today. Happiest day I’ve had in EVERpic.twitter.com/8TMSPvEcnq

— CRAY (@craysounds_) August 2, 2019

You did it! That's awesome. And you're doing an Aftershow here also tonight; are you looking forward to that?

Yes, I am.

Are you going for more of a nighttime vibe?

Yeah, I'll play a little harder, a little more fun, a little more night time stuff. Because today was more my stuff and my singing and everything. But tonight I'll be a little more afterparty vibes, which I'm excited about. I'm still going to keep the hair in, it hits people, I like it. But I'm excited to play. I love Chicago, I love being here, I love the crowd, I love the people here. I'm excited.

And you've been up to a lot lately. I think last year you went on tour with Skrillex?

I did, yeah.

What was that like?

It was an incredible experience, Sonny [Moore a.k.a. Skrillex] is an incredible human being and so open and honest and I felt so inspired. I've never been to Japan. I've never been that far away, ever. So going there was so eye-opening of the world and different cultures. And their music and food and people and customs, it was beautiful to learn that. I felt really, honestly, blessed to be a part of it, and also so inspired. I came back home and was like, I gotta work harder. I gotta keep going. It was awesome.

My song idontwannatalkaboutlove comes out in 5 days. I sang it live at lolla and I can’t wait till it’s out and I can share it with you.

Presave: https://t.co/Q1LbUh2FMm pic.twitter.com/Hw1QTFxzrP

— CRAY (@craysounds_) August 4, 2019

Are there any artists you're excited to see at Lollapalooza?

Yeah, I want to see Yaeji. Bring Me The Horizon I want to see as well, and Death Cab for Cutie. I kind of want to go back to old-school stuff, some more band type stuff. Party Favor is playing, he's a good guy. There's a lot of fun stuff happening. I'm really excited.

SHAED Talk Lolla 2019, Touring The World & The Meaning Of "Trampoline"

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.