*AUTHOR'S NOTE*: This article was originally posted in March through my personal blog, Tunes4Loons. A couple statements in the introduction and some questions have been edited in order to bring this article up-to-date with recent events.
Starting this interview off by throwing out an overwhelming "THANK YOU" to The Chainsmokers. They just came off an epic VMAs performance and are about to embark on yet another international tour, and yet they pulled themselves away long enough to answer a couple questions from me, the Bernadette Peters* of the indie music blogosphere. Whereas I can't even pull myself away from binge-watching Damages long enough to text my mom back (sorry Mom, I am alive, but Glenn Close is the only post-menopausal leading lady I can have in my life at the moment.) We caught up with Alex and Drew about their EP, "Bouquet," how they handle being on the road, and the dedication of their fans, which sounds like it could be giving "Locks of Love" a serious run for their money:
*my (unfortunately) spot-on celebrity doppelgänger
Tell me about "Bouquet." How long was a period it written over? What is your favorite track off of it and, in addition, what is your favorite track to play live?
The Chainsmokers: Well "Bouquet" as an EP wasn’t really conceived until about 5 weeks before it came out. We just felt like it would be a cool idea to bundle our 5 releases together with our final release of 2015, "New York City." It might bring more attention back to our other tracks and help "Roses." That EP, though, was conceived between January of 2015 until about September of 2015, and, c'mon, our favorite is a no-brainer: "Roses!"
Can you write/create music on the road or is it too demanding?
The Chainsmokers: We are lucky in the fact we can do that and it doesn’t bother us. We can conceive ideas and really close out tracks for the most part, before needing to get in a studio and work on the mix. It allows us to keep our busy touring schedule, but, we also think we pull a lot of our inspiration from the road.
How is creating a remix different from writing an original song? What is your creative process like in general?
The Chainsmokers: Well a remix isn’t always an original idea, we are building on a song that already has some feeling. It's also not ours, so while we certainly work super hard on them, we don’t hold onto them too tightly. And that’s also what makes them so fun to do. Our original songs, especially now, are written, produced, and in some cases, even sung [by us]. Creativity for us, though, is fleeting. It comes and goes, and you never know when. We have learned you cannot force it, so we have just tried to figure out ways to capitalize on it when it does come.
What has been your favorite collaboration so far? And what is your dream collaboration?
The Chainsmokers: They have all been great. "Roses" was probably the most exciting looking back on it just because of how we all came up with the track and how natural it was. But she is amazing, and honestly so are Waterbed, Tritonal, Tiesto, and Great Good Fine Ok!
What were you listening to when you recorded Bouquet? And what are you listening to right now?
The Chainsmokers: Haha, sh*t, we have no idea, our musical tastes change every 2 weeks. If we had to guess probably Grouplove, Taylor Swift just had dropped, and maybe some Drake. At the moment we are on a major Bon Iver kick!
Musical influences and inspirations?
The Chainsmokers: Well we sorta touched on it above but our tastes change quite frequently! Growing up at different points we passionately went through all the genres from metal to rap and we feel like we have a very eclectic taste as a result, which has benefitted us a lot, we think, in our productions. That said, some of our biggest influences are Daft Punk, Dave Matthews Band, Death Cab for Cutie, Cut Copy, David Guetta, and so on.
Weirdest fan/show experience?
The Chainsmokers: A fan once shaved her head in the front row and then threw her hair at us.
(sidenote: That is f**king EPIC. Homegirl who did this, you are batsh*t, ergo, you are kinda my idol. Insert infinite praise-hand and girl-getting-her-hair-cut emojis here.)
If you were trapped on a desert island with another musical artist, who would it be?
The Chainsmokers: Dave Matthews or Rachel Platten.
How much do you value social media as an artist? Do you like how big of a role it now plays in the industry or do you find it more of a hindrance to deal with?
The Chainsmokers: To each their own. There are definitely times when we feel burnt out on social media or frustrated by it, but at the end of the day, it's our choice to use it a little or a lot. There are many successful artists who barely use it and then there are those who use it as a huge tool. Most importantly we feel like it's great because it allows our fans to really get to know us, and develop a more real and intimate relationship. That’s why we enjoy it and while we are still getting better, we think it has benefitted us greatly!
If you live a Patrick-Star-lifestyle (aka you've been living under a rock for the past couple years), check out "Bouquet" here. AND, if you haven't already, buy a ticket to The Chainsmokers' latest international tour! Speaking from personal experience, their show is definitely worth your attendance!
