GRAMMYs

The Revivalists

Photo: Josh Brasted/FilmMagic/Getty Images

News

The Revivalists On 'Take Good Care' & How New Orleans Music "Seeps Into Your Bones"

Facebook Twitter Email
Backstage at Lollapalooza in Chicago, the New Orleans-based group dissect the city's influence on their sound and discuss the recording process behind their most recent album
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 6, 2019 - 3:39 pm

Eight-piece soul rockers The Revivalists went big for their fourth full-length album, last year's Take Good Care, enlisting the help of a trio of producers to let their New Orleans sound shine. The group recorded in Nashville and the Big Easy with Dave Cobb [Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton], Andrew Dawson [Kanye West, Fun., Sleigh Bells] and Dave Bassett [Elle King, Vance Joy], pulling from a collection of over 100 new songs. The resulting album, 2018's Take Good Care, brough together their myriad influences and took the band to new heights. 

The Revivalists On New Orleans' Influence At Lolla

"You start working with different producers and it's nice having another mindset in there where they can completely flip the idea of what you had for a song and then reinvigorate it and put new life into it," bassist George Gekas told us backstage at Lollapalooza 2019. "Like 'Hate to Love You,' where when we recorded the first time to the second time, there's no way we could have imagined the song would have gone that way, but you have guidance with other people to help you through the whole process."

Corralling that much talent and input into one coherent album couldn not have been easy, but the band kept things organic, feeling out which songs were the best fit for which sessions.

"It was interesting because we whittled the demos down to about 30 and then we sent them to the producers and we wanted them to listen and hear what excited them," said pedal steel guitarist Ed Williams. "Because at this point we've, we've made a few records and we will make more records and the fact that we can take songs from the past and bring them back, we want the producer to do what excites them. And we can go into that space with them and they're all our songs and we we're proud of all of them." 

Something about the album—and the band—is distinclty New Orleans, which makes sense considering bll but one member (PJ Howard, who is from Chicago) from there. 

"There's just music everywhere in the town. It's completely immersed," explained Gekas. "Whether you go outside and you see a jazz funeral second line, or you see guys busking downtown in the corridor or you go to see actual shows, you can't get away from it. It just kind of seeps into your bones."

The Revivalists' sound covers a lot of ground and harkens back to many of their diverse influences, from Dr. John to Queen, the Beatles to Stevie Wonder, and more, but they are constantly moving forward. Recently, they recorded a live version of their song "Oh No" at the historic Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

"When you get into a place with that much history and you're literally walking in the footprints of giants," said keyboardist/trumpetist Michael Girardot, "It kind of makes you step back and approach things differently."

Find out more about the band's process in the interview video above and be sure to catch them on tour this month.

AJR On Their Dream Lil Nas X Collab, Their Favorite Thing About Festivals & More

 

 

 

GRAMMYs

The Band Camino

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

News

The Band Camino Celebrate Lolla Debut, Impart Their Ethos: "Be Honest With Yourself"

Facebook Twitter Email
Memphis pop-rockers talk early influences, the band's hopeful message to fans and their Lolla debut: "This will be the biggest festival we've ever played, by far."
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 7, 2019 - 3:23 pm

Playing Lollapalooza is a dream come true for many artists, especially the Band Camino.

The Band Camino On Hopes & Influences At Lolla '19

"This will be the biggest festival we've ever played, by far," singer Jeffrey Jordan told us backstage before their Lolla debut at noon on Saturday.

The Memphis pop-rock quartet also cited some of their biggest musical influences growing up, including everything from the Eagles to the Killers to Coldplay and even Taylor Swift. Now, with a string of successful singles, the Band Camino signed to Electra back in May. Now, they hope to maintain their humble roots as their music draws more and more attention.

"I hope people don't think we're unapproachable. We're just normal people," said Jordan, "And we come together and make something bigger than ourselves."

"Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself," added guiarist Spencer Stewart, referencing the band's anthem "Fool Of Myself." "That's our big thing, be honest with yourself." 

For a full list of tour dates, check out The Band Camino's website, and watch the interview above for more from backstage at Lolla.

Judah & The Lion On Choosing Hope In Tough Times: "Just Talk About It, And You'll Feel Less Alone"

 

 

Jeremy Zucker Lolla 2019

Jeremy Zucker at Lolla 2019 

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

News

Meet Us Behind The Scenes At Lollapalooza 2019

Facebook Twitter Email
Chicago's iconic Lolla fest is a marathon four-day event, and the many artists who've visited our Recording Academy tent have kept the good vibes strong all week
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 3, 2019 - 9:16 am

The Recording Academy is at Lollapalooza 2019 this week, meeting up with a slew of amazing artists on the lineup. Scroll down to go on the road with us, live from Chicago's gorgeous skyscraper-lined Grant Park, as it becomes the Midwest's music mecca for the long weekend. We'll update this gallery as more artists pop in, so check back here for more excusive photos and soundbites. 

Jeremy Zucker Lolla 2019

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

Rising chill-pop singer/songwriter Jeremy Zucker was our very first guest on day one and shared his excitement for the sunny day ahead and the opportunity to play for one of his biggest crowds to date.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

As singer/songwriter/producer King Princess walked through the press lounge, she couldn't get too far without being stopped for a photo—she was ready, in her mom's vintage '92 Lolla tee and custom painted-to-match white jeans. In addition to her epic look, we talked about her hopes for her Lolla performance, new music and more—read the full interview here.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

French producer/looping-master/multi-instrumentalist FKJ stopped by before his Thursday set to talk musical experimentation on stage and generally preferring to go with the flow whenever possible. He also shared how his breakthrough single with Masego, "Tadow," was created in one-take in the studio—read the full interview here.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

French electronic composer/producer CloZee also stopped by to chat with us Thursday, right before she got the crowd grooving to her trippy, expansive music. She shared her excitement for her first-ever Lolla experience, some of her diverse musical influences and her love of Hans Zimmer. Find the conversation here.

RÜFÜS DU SOL Lolla 2019

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

Australian indie electronic trio RÜFÜS DU SOL made time to stop by the Recording Academy lounge during their busy and quick Chicago trip, which included two Lolla Aftershows to bookend their electric sunset show the first night of the fest, before they headed to Montreal's Osheaga Festival. They talked about their love for the Windy City, hitting up arcades on tour and their plan to work on their follow-up to Solace once they wrap up their 2019 tour in late-October.  

The revealed that the forthcoming fourth studio album, like the last three, will be recorded in a new space. Lead singer Tyrone Lindqvist told us, "We always like to relocate somewhat from the place that we wrote the previous record. So, I think that we're gonna try to write separately, just for a little bit, in our own homes… We're gonna do that for at least the next six months and then we'll probably find a place to go write again next year."

Alexander 23 at Lolla 2019

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

Fresh off his Lollapalooza debut, homegrown hero and rising indie-pop artist Alexander 23 stopped by to talk about his "surreal" experience performing the fest he used to attend as a local teen. "The last time I was here, I saw Chance [The Rapper] play the same stage I was playing, so to be on the other side of that, six or so years later, was the best day of my life," Alexander told us, grinning ear to ear.

Jackie Foster at Lolla 2019

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

Singer/songwriter Jackie Foster stopped by our lounge shortly after her first-ever festival show, beaming, shimmery and still glowing from the crowd's love. A recent graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Foster was one of six artists hand-selected by the students of the Berklee Popular Music Institute year-long course, which provides practical experience for everyone involved, as they team up to prepare those selected for a festival show.

"I am ecstatic and honestly, more so than anything, the crowd that I had, they were so into it. That obviously makes me want to be a better performer. I loved the crowd, I felt so confident and I think this just reassures everything that I've hoped as an artist that this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life," Foster told us, smiling.

Krilly at Lolla 2019

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

Emerging Canadian rapper Killy stopped by after his big Thursday set at Lolla, sharing how he loved the energy of the crowd and their ability to mosh and get "lit" with him.

Josie Dunne at Lolla 2019

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

Bubbly Chicago-born, Nashville-based pop singer/songwriter Josie Dunne was not officially on the Lolla 2019 lineup, but she was asked to cameo for several other artists' sets and was having a great time. She shared that it was her seventh time at the big fest, but first time as a performer and was having a fabulous time so far.

Falu at Lolla 2019

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

GRAMMY nominee Falu, whose 2018 album Falu's Baazar was nominated for Best Children's Album at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, brought her "musical journey through South Asian culture" live show to the fest's lively Kidspalooza stage over the weekend. She shared her joy for bringing the album's live show to the fest, telling us; "I've never felt this excited to be performing at any festival before, it's a lifetime experience and I'm so lucky…I think a whole new world opened up for me."

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Rising electropop trio SHAED sat down with the Recording Academy to talk about living the dream as they travel the world, the meaning behind their hit song "Trampoline" and working on their debut full length album. Check out their interview here. 

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

DJ/Producer Whethan hung out to chat about what to expect on his upcoming debut album, working with longtime heroes STRFKR, playing in his hometown of Chicago and more. Check out his full interview here.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Norwegian DJ and producer Matoma also 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. Check out his full interview here.

Alesso at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Swedish DJ/producer Alesso and his all-black clad posse stopped by our tent shortly after arriving in Chicago on Friday for his massive headline set at the fest. He talked about the big Lolla show, Tomorrowland, recent releses and more "hardcore dance music" that's on the way. Check out our full conversation here. 

HONNE at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

British electro-soul duo HONNE, consisting of James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck, sat down before their vibey Friday evening Lolla set to talk about their return to the fest, their last album, Love Me / Love Me Not, and connecting back home on the road by drinking loads of English breakfast tea. Check out our fun chat here.

Conan Gray at Lolla 2019

Photo: Ana Yglesias/Recording Academy

Rising singer/songwriter Conan Gray stopped by to talk about his Lolla debut—and first-ever festival show. The 20 year-old artist was glowing and excited for the big moment and we were grateful to share it with him.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Rising indie electro-pop star Chelsea Cutler sat down with the Recording Academy to talk about her latest album brent with friend and fellow singer/songwriter Jeremy Zucker (pictured above!). Check out our conversation here.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

DJ and producer SNAILS did his first-ever DJ collab set with his label, Slugz Music, and Gud Vibrations, a.k.a. NGHTMRE & SLANDER during their shared Friday headline set. "It's a dream coming true, it's pretty insane," the Canadian DJ said the day after the big show. Hear more about it from him here.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

AJR, made up of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met, stopped by to chat with the Recording Academy before their Saturday set to share why they love playing festivals like Lolla.  

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

L.A.-based DJ/Producer Elephante stopped by to chat about everything he's been up to lately. First and foremost, he's just released a new song called "Diamond Days," which also happens to be the name of his upcoming fall tour. 

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

French DJ/Producer Madeon debuted the Good Faith Live experience at Lollapalooza. "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," he told the Recording Academy.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Gamer-turned-singer/DJ/producer CRAY has an infectious energy both on and off stage. She brought that same glow backstage during a chat with the Recording Academy right after her Friday Lolla set, were she debuted singing live on stage. 

123 Andres at Lollapalooza

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Latin GRAMMY winners 123 Andres—their bilingual Spanish and English album Arriba Abajo won Best Children's album at the 17th Latin GRAMMY Awards—stopped by, all smiles, before they brought their upbeat, inclusive music to the Kidzapalooza stage.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

The Memphis pop-rock quartet The Band Camino stopped by before their big Lolla stage moment on Saturday to share their excitement. We also talked about other fun things, like their early musical influences, which including everything from the Eagles to The Killers to Coldplay and Taylor Swift. "This will be the biggest festival we've ever played, by far," singer Jeffrey Jordan told us. Check out the conversation here.

Evan Konrad at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Emerging Canadian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Evan Konrad visited the Recording Academy's lounge after his Lolla stage debut to share in the excitement of the long weekend.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Tucker Pillsbury, a.k.a. singer-songwriter Role Model, stopped by to chat with the Recording Academy before his debut Lolla set, which also happened to be his first-ever festival performance. He talked about his mentality going into playing to live audiences (he doesn't like to overthink things), feeling impatient to release new music and more. You can listen to our chat here.

Loud Luxury at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

L.A.-based Canadian DJ/producer duo Loud Luxury, consisting of Andrew Fedyk and Joe Depace, got loud during their massive-energy Lolla set on Saturday. They were excited to follow up the big vibes they experienced during their Lollapalooza shows in South America earlier this year with one at its flagship fest, on Depace's birthday, nonetheless. You can hear a bit about that in our Lolla recap video.

Tessa Violet at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

The effortlessly stylish Tessa Violet came over to give us her fiercest looks and share in the excitement of Lolla 2019, before she performed some of her new music on Saturday.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Nashville folk/pop trio Judah & The Lion, a.k.a. singer/guitarist Judah Akers, singer/mandolinist Brian Macdonald and banjoist/singer Nate Zuercher, recently released a powerful third LP called Pep Talks. The three of them sat down with us before their big Lolla show to chat about the album and Aker's deeply personal life experiences that inspired its subject matter. You can watch the interview here.

GRAMMYs

Photo: Jacklyn Krol/Recording Academy

Fresh off releasing her Una Vez Mas EP, pop singer Malu Trevejo stepped onto the Lollapalooza stage for the very first. The moment was a scary one for the 16-year-old Cuban-Spanish artist, but it was one that made her feel proud. She talked to the Recording Academy about the big moment, the album, advice for staying focused and more. Check out her full interview here. 

Coi Leray at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

New Jersey-raised rising rapper Coi Leray has mad swag at all times, especially when she visited us at Lollapalooza, with her bright orange tiger-striped look. She shared a bit of her big on-stage vibes afterwards in the press lounge, and we were grateful.

6LACK at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

We caught up with GRAMMY-nominated Atlanta alt-R&B artist 6LACK shortly before his Saturday Lolla show to talk about his return to the fest, recent collabs and when we can expect new music. We also learned more about his latest video for "Seasons" and how it felt to reunite with his fellow GRAMMY nominee Khalid. You can peep the whole interview here.

Shaq at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

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. We sat down 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. Check out our chat here.

J.I.D. at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Rising hip-hop artist J.I.D., part of J. Cole's Dreamville Records powerhouse squad, has been on fire lately. Just minutes after making his Lollapalooza debut, the Atlanta rapper explained the mood behind his new album, DiCaprio 2. "I wanted it to be a festival-like project… So I made these songs specifically for energy, for working out, for cardio." You can enjoy the conversation here.

The Revivalists at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Eight-piece soul rockers The Revivalists went big for their fourth full-length album, last year's Take Good Care, enlisting the help of a trio of producers to let their New Orleans sound shine. Six out of eight of the bandmembers stopped by to chat before their powerful Sunday Lolla show.

"You start working with different producers and it's nice having another mindset in there where they can completely flip the idea of what you had for a song and then reinvigorate it and put new life into it," bassist George Gekas told us. Learn more in our interview here.

Yung Gravy at Lolla 2019

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

Minnesota rapper Yung Gravy is continuing to grow a following for his humorous lyrics and rap beats, and just released his debut album Sensational in May. He stopped by before his Sunday Lolla set to talk about Chicago, which he calls his second home, to reminisce about his first show ever, talk about the LP, musical influences and more. Check out the convo here.

6 Reasons To Be Psyched For Lollapalooza 2019, From J Balvin's Historic Set To Dancing With Shaq

GRAMMYs

Tayla Parx

Photo: Erika Goldring/FilmMagic/Getty Images

News

11 Breakout Acts You May Have Missed At Lollapalooza 2019

Facebook Twitter Email
With so many larger-than-life headliners at this year's Lolla in Chicago, here's a deeper dive on stellar artists who may have slipped under your radar
Jacklyn Krol
GRAMMYs
Aug 5, 2019 - 3:59 pm

Everybody's talking about the many memorable performances from this weekend's latest Lollapalooza installment in Chicago, from Kacey Musgraves "golden hour" set to J Balvin's surprise guests to Ariana Grande premiering her new single. But the best of the fest might belong to the newcomers, artists who made the most of their chance to shine in front of fresh audiences.

Take A Look Back At Lollapalooza 2019

In case you couldn't be everywhere at once this weekend, here are nearly a dozen stellar sets you might have missed at Lollapalooza 2019.

Alexander 23 

For fans of: Alec Benjamin, Cautious Clay, Jacob Whitesides

Alexander 23 had an impressive crowd turn up for his set on the BMI stage, kicking off the first day of the festival. The Chicago native showed off his instrumentality on stage, performing on several instruments while keeping the crowd engaged and belting out his songs. Alexander performed “Another Summer Night Without You,” his latest single which will be on the upcoming season of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why.

Picture This 

For fans of: Keywest, Vance Joy, The 1975

The four-piece rock band from Ireland performed their music off their latest album, MDRN LV. Picture This filled the giant stage space effortlessly and put on an energetic performance that fans won’t soon forget. The main stage’s jumbotron showed a group of fans that came from Ireland for the occasion, hoisting up their native country’s flag. Though their set was early, fans showed up and Picture This had them jumping up and down. 

Against The Current

For fans of: Misterwives, PVRIS, Paramore

The trio took the shaded BMI stage to perform their debut Lollapalooza set on Sunday. Against The Current had the audience dancing throughout their entire set and even went into the crowd at a point. The band seamlessly blend pop, rock and hints of other genres to create a unique sound. During the show, lead singer Chrissy Costanza did her signature back-breaking bend where she still managed to belt out her vocal part without missing a beat. 

The New Respects

For fans of: Alabama Shakes, Andra Day, Sufjan Stevens

The New Respects kicked off day two of the festival on Friday with a standout performance on BMI’s stage. Hailing from Nashville, the band have performed at a number of high profile festivals including Bonnaroo. Even casual passers by at Lollapalooza seemed to walk away converted to fandom after seeing their electrifying performance. 

Whipped Cream

For fans of: Zeds Dead, Rezz, Bauer

Whipped Cream (Caroline Cecil)  is a force to be reckoned with in electronic music, and her Lollapalooza set proved this. Performing on the legendary Perry’s Stage, she brought the production and high energy to make the crowd move. Playing at 2:10 PM, she drew the largest crowd at an earlier slot for the festival, extending well past the soundboards and pulsing with the music.

Scarypoolparty

For fans of: Lukas Graham, John Mayer

You may remember Alejandro Aranda from "American Idol" as the runner up on Season 2 this year. Arnada became known for performing his own original music on the television show which normally uses cover songs. Now he has created his own stage name, Scarypoolparty, and has one sold-out headlining tour under his belt and a fall tour coming up next. Even though he has yet to release a full-length debut album, fans knew every word to his songs at Lollapalooza. 

Ruston Kelly

For fans of: Brent Cobb, Jason Isbell, Brandy Clark 

Lollapalooza has a space for every genre of music, including country. Ruston Kelly is one of three country artists on the festival’s lineup which includes his wife, Kacey Musgraves, and up and coming artist, Jade Bird. It’s easy to be serenaded by Kelly’s vocals, and a number of festival-goers just walking by his stage ended up being pulled in by his performance to stay for his entire set. 

The Band Camino

For fans of: Chase Atlantic, Bad Suns, Nightly

Nashville-based rock outfit The Band Camino kicked off day three of the festival on Saturday afternoon, proving just why pop-rock is making a comeback into music's mainstream. The quartet was humble yet had a confidence in performing that seemed to consistently coax the crowd into every song. 

Tayla Parx

For fans of: Solange, Janelle Monae, Ariana Grande

You may not know Tayla Parx's new solo music, but you know her music and lyrics from songs recorded by artists such as Ariana Grande, Tori Kelly, Christina Aguilera, BTS, among other acts. Parx walked onto the stage, which was filled with giant inflatable cactuses, with infectious energy. Her live performance sounds every bit as on-point as her debut album recordings, which speaks to the performer and vocalist Parx is. 

Omar Apollo 

For fans of: Leon Bridges, Cuco, Boy Pablo 

Omar Apollo seemed like he was living the dream on stage at Lollapalooza. After watching Apollo perform, there’s no denying that he has a true passion for musicianship with a sharp focus on connecting with the crowd. Apollo doesn’t need a giant production or stage gimmicks to win an audience over, his inspired delivery of his own brand of psychedelic soul songs is unmistakable.. 

Sam Fender 

For fans of: Hozier, Blossoms, George Ezra 

The UK's Sam Fender may only have released four singles, but his festival performance proved why he is on his way to becoming a future headliner. His fusion of retro pop, indie and rock create his own lane, and his set consisted of his released material along with songs from his forthcoming debut album, Hypersonic Missles.

Meet Us Behind The Scenes At Lollapalooza 2019

GRAMMYs

FKJ at Lolla 2019

Photo by Daniel Mendoza / The Recording Academy

News

Looping Guru FKJ Talks Improvising "Tadow" With Masego & Being "A Melting Pot"

Facebook Twitter Email
"Many people just have their own culture, and they stay in their environment. But I don't really have my own culture. I just move everywhere," the French multi-instrumentalist tells the Recording Academy on-site at Lollapalooza 2019
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 2, 2019 - 11:28 am

If you've heard "Tadow," the chill-house 2018 track that served as a breakthrough for both of its collaborators, Masego and FKJ, you already have a sense of the latter artist's love of electronic sounds with a healthy dose of experimental jazz. FKJ, which stands for "French Kiwi Juice," has an appreciation for a lot of music—an exploration that began at a young age digging through his parents' music collection.

"[My] first interaction to music was my parents' libraries. my mom is French, my dad is from New Zealand; there was a lot of English rock, Queen, Pink Floyd, The Police. There was a lot of '70s rock, Led Zeppelin. And then some jazz or Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis. And then a little bit of French music, but not too much, like Serge Gainsbourg," he tells the Recording Academy at Lollapalooza 2019.

Right before the French multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer took the stage—along with his four guitars, two saxophones, two keyboards and more—to offer big vibes at his debut Lollapalooza set, we sat down to discuss the magic that led to "Tadow," all the music that most inspires him and his love of going with the creative flow.



View this post on Instagram


 festival season goin smooth @loveboxfestival @andre_c

A post shared by Fkj (@frenchkiwijuice) on

You're about to go on stage soon. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling great. I'm feeling just like any beautiful festival I'm going 'cause I don't know a lot, at all. I've never been there before. I don't live in the States, so for me, it's just another festival that I'm discovering. I'm about to maybe understand later why people love it so much, you know? But I don't know yet. I'm just here discovering.

Do you have any rituals that you do before a show?

I just breathe a lot and I'm trying to ready to be as playful as possible. And as not serious. I want to seen not as a big deal at all. So, that's why I'm trying. My space is that this is nothing. This is just getting music to the people and there's nothing to be scared about. Nothing to be scared about what people will think or people will judge. And if I'm happy, a lot of people are gonna feel it. If I'm doing a very perfect set, but I'm very serious and I'm very concentrated, but maybe not going translate as much as if I'm just being playful. 

One of your really big songs recently was "Tadow" featuring Masego. How did that collaboration come about?

Masego was opening for me in Denver. It was back in 2016. On my way to Denver, I checked his stuff out on the plane. I had no idea who he was. I loved it. 

I arrived to the venue and tell him like, "Man, literally just checked your stuff and it's great." And so he told me, "I literally just checked your stuff too, and I love it too." And boom, that's the beginning of the story. And then I saw him perform and I was like, "F**k, this guy is like a real performer." He just smashed it. And then I told him, "I got a session booked in Paris." It was December 2016. [I said,] "Come by." And he was down, so he just came back, just for one day, he just flew from L.A. Landed in Paris, we did the session, and he flew back straight away the morning after.

We recorded 12 tracks. The first part of the day, we didn't really know each other. So, it was more like, "What are we doing?" We were just trying to make songs and figure out ideas. 

The second half of the day, was just like, "Okay, we're stopping doing this. If we want to finish it, we'll finish it, but now let's just have fun." We had a camera guy with us. We just did "one takes" every time. We didn't know what we were doing, we just like, "Okay, "one take boom." I would start with the piano, and then we loop things. We knew how to loop everything, so it was easy to build something on the spot.

So it was you guys flowing off of each other.

Yeah. ["Tadow"] was really truly just an improvised song. It was probably the eight luckiest minutes of our lives so far, you know? 'Cause it really changed everything for us. 

Is that the same approach when you're working alone as well?

[Yeah], no thought process. Just playing and recording everything, of course. And then I will listen back to it, and like okay, this part of this playfulness is gonna become a song. But the song is almost already there, it's just like or it's just coming to me. Not when I'm in the studio, it can come just for example; I'm hanging out here and there's a melody coming to my head and that's gonna become the song. 

I like conceptual songs where there's no hooks and stuff like this. But what makes a song successful is because there is a catchy part of it.

That's cool. Do you have any other collaborations coming up, or people you'd like to work with in the future?

I mean, there's a lot of people. I have a lot of idols. A lot of artists I really love. But for me there's no need for collaborating. I enjoy their music, I love what they do, and that's it, you know? And if we become friends and if there's a connection between us, maybe then we can collaborate. But it's always weird to me to have a pre-made collaboration. Like, my team is going to tell me, "Oh, do you like that artist, we going to put you together a see." That's for me weird.

I never do pre-made collaboration, even if I really love the music. I want it to be a relation between the artists firsts. So, if they tell me, "Oh, Daniel Caesar wants to collaborate with me," well, then I want to talk to Daniel. Because I love Daniel Caesar's music, I'm a fan. But, I don't want it to be a pre-made thing. I want us to meet and then if we get on well together, musically and mentally, then we make it happen. But, usually my idols, I just let them be. And I just listen to their stuff over and over. And that's it, you know?

What's some of the music that you're really enjoying right now?

The album I listen to most this week was Angel's Pulse by Blood Orange. [Before], I was listening to Four Tet [and] The Lion King soundtrack. I loved it. [I've also been listening to] the latest Solange album. I love it so much. [Also], the latest Steve Lacy album, the latest Ari Lennox album...The latest Duckwrth album...

What music did you grow up listening to?

My first interaction to music was my parents' libraries. My mom is French, my dad is [from] New Zealand. So their music library was a lot of English rock, like Queen, Pink Floyd, The Police... Then there was a lot of 70's rock, Led Zepplin. And then some jazz or so like Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and then a little bit of French music, but not too much. Like Serge Gainsbourg.

Then, it was my friends' music, which changed over the years because you have different group of friends, so. The group of friends I had when I was 10, we were, they were all into rock. So, I got interested to rock because your environments change. It was a lot of rap and hip-hop when I was 10, 11. That's when I got in to Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Pharrell... Then when I was 12, 13, it'd be a lot of rock—Radiohead, what else? 

What about electronic music?

That [came] later. That's why my music is kind of a blend, a weird blend, of all this together. You can't really put one thing on it. It's a bit of blues, a bit of jazz, a bit of electronic, a bit of hip-hop from when I was 10. I have a big big Jamaican musical influence when I was 15. So you can hear Dancehall in my music, which is weird. It's like a fusion.

Many people just have their own culture, and they stay in their environment. But I don't really have my own culture. I just move everywhere. I don't even live in France anymore. I change cities all the time. I have many groups of friends. They wouldn't get on together. But I love them. I'm just melting pot.

Meet King Princess, The New Queen Of Your Heart & Master Of Vibey, Emotive Pop Music