Get to Know: Sofi Tukker
This week's featured artist is an up and coming dance-pop duo from New York.
Sophie-Hawley Weld and Tucker Halpern first met while studying at Brown University. They then joined forces as Sofi Tukker and released their first single 'Drinkee', which has been streamed 40 million times andnominated for a Grammy Award.
They have since gone on to release singles and their own EP: 'Soft Animals'.
'We were lucky enough to catch up with the talented pair.
Check it out below...
1. For those who don’t know about you and your music, tell us a little bit about who you are and where you’re from…
We are Sophie and Tucker. We are pretty much total opposites but we have become best friends. Tucker is a college basketball player turned music guy (after getting sick -- he's all good now) and Sophie is a yogi who was studying conflict resolution before Tuck convinced her to move to New York to form the band! Tuck is from Boston and Soph has moved around the world to different international schools her whole life but feels like she has a Brazilian soul.
2. Describe your sound in three words…
FUN. WEIRD. DANCE.
3. Who inspired you to start a career in music?
We have very different inspirations musically, but one person, in particular, gave us the confidence and opportunity to make it happen: Ben (B Roc) Ruttner from The Knocks. He believed in us and invited us to work out of his studio in Chinatown, NYC right when we graduated from Brown.
4. Who are your biggest musical influences?
We have such different musical backgrounds and tastes. For Tuck it’s lots of house music, Pet Shop Boys, Stromae, Die Antwoord, and so many others during different phases of my life.. For Soph: Feist, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Céu, Amadou & Miriam, and Tucker - he is probably my biggest musical influence now!
5. Tell us about the writing and recording process for your new music…
We wrote the new songs over the past year whilst out on tour. Whenever we have free days, we find a studio in the city we are in or we just write in a hotel room sometimes. We have been especially inspired by the connections we have made with audiences around the world. We love feeling a sense of community and sharing good vibes. That's been a huge motivation for the songs we have been writing recently!
6. What can we expect from your live shows?
A lot of energy. A lot of sweat. A lot of colours. We make electronic music and there are only two of us, so sometimes we act out the music rather than try to play all the parts all the time. Soph plays guitar and sings, Tuck plays bass and sings a bit, and we have a homemade instrument called the "Book Tree" that he plays. It is an 8-foot tall tree-like structure with books around the top. Each book has a contact microphone inside of it and we use this as a sampler drum pad to play different samples in different songs by hitting the books with drum sticks. It is a fun way to be physical and run around on stage rather than just stand over a controller. We were both athletes our whole lives; we love running around and using our physicality on stage.
7. What has been your biggest career highlight so far?
When our parents stopped worrying that we would be able to pursue music as a career!
8. Have you met anyone and been totally starstruck?
Seeing pregnant Beyoncé at the Grammy's was pretty cool (but we didn't meet her, hah).
9. What’s on your iPod/Playlists that people wouldn’t expect?
Tucker - Lots of Vengaboys.
Sophie - The new SZA album.
10. When can we see you live?
We’re playing on 1st October at Oslo in London, although it's already sold out. We love the UK though and will be back there again very soon!
Check out Sofi Tukker's new single 'Best Friend' below.
