How did you guys start making music together?
Zach: "We were all friends in Boston, all making electronic music, bouncing songs off of each other. We played shows [together], and we had this night in Cambridge that was really cool. Ultimately, we just started writing tracks together. The first track we wrote was 'Older Together.' It seemed to have a certain something special about it, and we wanted to keep going on with that vibe."
We went on your website earlier today and got like 20,000 points on your video game, which is really cool by the way. How'd the idea for that come about?
Jack: "We actually bought a little analog synthesizer in Berlin, and kind of as a joke, we made eight-bit versions of 'Older Together' and a couple other songs. And the video was just starting to get into production, and once we saw that, we thought that was the coolest thing thing we could possibly do. I guess it just grew out organically from that little German synthesizer box we had."
Can you tell me about your current single, "We Are Golden"?
Zach:" Yeah, very simply, the song is about the things you do for someone you love. That's where it came from."
The video is pretty mind-blowing, too — who came up with the concept?
Jack: "We actually knew the guy who did the video –– he lived in New York. He heard the song and was actually working at Cartoon Network at the time or something. He liked the song a lot, and we sent him notes or ideas we had. He was like, 'Yeah…that's great, but I want to do something with pirates on Tetris pieces and floating polar bears.' And it was so weird, we were just like, okay, do whatever you want." [Laughs]
Zach: "I think it was 'pirates and floating narwhals,' and we were like, yes, absolutely go for it!"
You guys just got back from tour; was there anything particularly crazy that happened while you guys were on the road?
Jack: "Yes, yes, there was. What was his name?"
Zach: "Oh, man, what was his name?"
Jack: "Well, we were in Cincinnati, and there was this man outside of the venue…"
Zach: "He had this incredible Midwestern accent and was talking about synchronicity and his experience with a blue-eyed wolf creature and how it changed his life. But that doesn't nearly do it justice. But this guy was a character."
Were there any substances involved when he met this creature?
Zach: "There didn't seem to be. It seemed pretty genuine."
Jack: "Yeah, he definitely wasn't on drugs."
What's one thing you guys each remember to bring when you leave for a tour?
Jack: "For me. its Tums and green tea. Tums and green tea are of great necessity."
Zach: "Yeah, Jack brings tea with him everywhere. For me it's healthy food. That's important otherwise you get rundown really quickly. I think one thing that would be good to bring in the future is a backup kick pedal, because at one of the most recent shows, my kick pedal fell apart and there were springs flying everywhere. Luckily, I was able to borrow one, but that was a catastrophe averted."
So, what's next for you guys?
Jack: "We just finished up our album. It's called Sons and Lovers, and we booked a bunch of shows in New York in April. We're doing a residency, which I believe will be every Wednesday of April. And, then in May, were going to go off to the West Coast or possibly England."
Zach: "Yeah, the album is finished. We just finished two weeks ago. We're really excited about it."
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