Hermitude Interview 2015

Hermitude are huge – and rightly so. The electronic duo make tunes with heavy beats and a vibrating bass that can make any room bounce off the ground. Their latest album, ‘Dark Night Sweet Light’, is proof that these guys are far from slowing down, and with their return to playing gigs on Australian soil this November, we thought it about time that we caught up with them.
Hi guys, how are you?
Very well!
Where in the world are you right now?
We’re back home in Sydney, tucked away once again in our studio working on new music.
So summer’s finally on its way; somewhere so iconic for sun and warmth, how do you like to spend your summer in Oz?
We’re both from the Blue Mountains and it’s beautiful up there that time of year so we sometimes go up with a bit of a crew and find a waterhole to swim at. Also partial to a wee dip at Gordons Bay from time to time.
Do you have a favourite bar or club in Sydney that you can recommend to visitors?
The Cricketers Arms in Surry Hills is one of our favourite haunts. Great people, good food and music, and of course beer.
You’ll be playing your biggest gigs to date in Sydney and Melbourne this November; what can ticket-holders expect of the shows? Will you be playing material from ‘Dark Night Sweet Light’?
Absolutely! We’ll of course be playing the big tunes, but we also wanna delve into some of the lesser known track of the album and give them so limelight. And we love revisiting ‘Hyperparadise’ and some of our early work too. Expect a lot of bodies in a frenzy of inhibition-less dancing and gyrating.
How could someone in the crowd get your attention?
Waving around a homemade tune rag will definitely catch our eye.
What are some of the most memorable gigs you’ve played so far?
We played Lollapalooza this year in Chicago which was a mind-blowing experience. So many people! Our hometown show at the Enmore Theatre was a special one too. We really felt the love in the room.
From ‘The Buzz’ to ‘Midnight Terrain’, the new album’s got some huge tracks on it. For someone new to the Hermitude sound, how would you describe it?
We coin it several different ways: Jazz Rave, Demented R&B… [laughs] But on a more serious note, it’s Live Electronic Dance Music with a backbone in Hip Hop.

You’ve worked with some really cool artists including Mataya, Young Tapz and Chuck Inglish; what do you look for in collaborators?
We look for what we think are unique qualities. Whether that be in the sound of their voice, or in their lyrical content…something that sets them apart from everyone else. We were really happy with all the collaborations on the record! Some of the names you might not recognise but they each brought something really special to the tracks they were on.
If you could work with any other vocalist or musician, whom would you pick?
So many! Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, FKA Twigs, Syd from The Internet just to name a few.
If you have a disagreement, how is it settled?
We’ve been doing this for a minute now so we’re pretty much like brothers. Every creative decision that we make together is as open and ego-free as possible. We both share the common goal of wanting to put out dope music so we try not to let anything stand in the way of that.
Before your home gigs, you’re returning to the States on tour; what would you like to get up to besides the shows?
We’ll be hitting a few NBA games this time while we over there. We usually hit up In and out Burger while we in LA too.
How do you entertain yourselves on long drives or flights?
We try and stay productive, so we have our laptops out and we just write as much as possible. There was, however, one tour we did in the US with Rufus and the van had an XBOX and DVD player so that pretty much killed all the creativity.
What do you miss about home when you’re away?
Our partners, home cooked food and our own beds.

Hermitude Australia November Tour Dates

Friday 27th November – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Saturday 28th November – Festival Hall, Melbourne