Fans of hip hop, electronic duo Hermitude have been patiently pining for new material and finally, the wait is over.
The innovative, instrumental-music kings have confirmed their new studio album, 'Dark Night Sweet Light', the follow up to 2012’s 'HyperParadise', will be released on 15 May. Multi-instrumentalists Luke Dubs and El Gusto, aka Hermitude, will then head off on national tour in June.
Artistic visionaries, Hermitude have been making music for a decade-plus now. Childhood friends who grew up together in the Blue Mountains, Luke and El Gusto have collaborated in bands since 1994, when they were aged 16 and 11, respectively. It was 'HyperParadise' that hit the bullseye, pinning them on the musical map and rocketing their career skyward.
With more than 300,000 steams on Soundcloud in just six days, 'HyperParadise' went on to score the AIR Award for Best Electronic Album, and bagged them the Australian Music Prize. The first single off LP, 'Through The Roof', is a catchy mix of electro, funk and hip hop. If that doesn’t pull you in, the introduction of the percussion horn may just get you even if you try to fight it.
Right now, they’re busy wooing and winning fans as they tour Stateside… El Gusto picks up the story.
When you were last on tour in the US you did 15 shows and said you were “hungover and driving like eight hours a day, every day”. How does this one compare?
Well, this tour is our own headline tour and it's awesome. We've had some great shows and and hit some really dope spots (New Orleans anyone?). We've been partying here and there (SXSW is crazy fun!) but we've also kept our cool 'cause we know we've got a lot of miles to cover.
You’ve written your new album while touring, which is really different to being locked away in a studio like you were with 'HyperParadise'. Does it make it easier writing on the move?
We wrote the basic ideas for songs on the road and then took them into the studio and tweaked and finished them. There were a bunch that we wrote just in the studio. It was definitely a different vibe from when we wrote 'HyperParadise', but it's great. I enjoyed the different cities and places we went and the influence they had on our writing.
You usually write five days a week in the studio. Now, you’re touring while producing. How do you stay inspired?
We've always found touring to be quite inspiring. You get to hear lots of new music, meet cool people and experience different cultures. I guess you just have to balance out the partying and stay on point, so you're not to tired on the road.
Do you find any time to sleep while on tour?
It's hard. We had a 1:30am club show in NYC and had a lobby call for the airport that same morning at 5:45am. No sleep. You just have to find the time, on the plane, in the tour van, a couple hours here and there. There's usually a couple of days in the middle were you can catch up a bit.
Would you write and produce another album this way or are you craving uninterrupted studio time?
I'll just say that every album is a different process and we embrace that. If we really need a good chunk of time in the studio we just have to be prepared and block that time out. But it's cool being on the move; keeps you up to date on what's poppin'.
Most artists say it’s daunting releasing a new album after a hugely successful one. Has that pressure got to you?
Sure, there's pressure, but it's something you just have to acknowledge and move on. Don't get too bogged down thinking about it. We're lucky to be were we are, we worked hard, but I mean, we're lucky that we've got fresh water and food to eat where we live, you know what I'm saying? It's a tough world out there and the fact that we can make music and share it with everyone and be able to survive off that... that inspires us to keep writing and not worry about following things up.
You’re known for bucking trends and being inventive with your music. Tell us what kind of journey we can expect from the new studio album?
I feel like this record is more stripped back than a lot of music we've made before. It's not like James Blake minimal but it's definitely more simplified. The title is 'Dark Night Sweet Light'. It's a night record, city lights, up moments but some melancholy drifts throughout. Yeah... you'll just have to check it out!
Do you each have a stand-out track?
Well mine would have to be 'The Buzz'. I just love the raw energy and the sparse verses.
Is there one track that was a real struggle to get to a place where you were entirely happy with it?
Yep. It's called 'Searchlight'. It went through so many different guises. We had an experience with a top liner that we worked with for some vocal elements and that went sour. We hadn't had that experience before and it was weird but you just have to move on and get the song to its happy place. And that's what we did!
'Through The Roof' features New Zealander Young Tapz who you found online. As that was such a positive experience and successful collaboration, is finding online talent something you’d look at again?
Yeah definitely. It's amazing and sometimes overwhelming the amount of new and talented artists that are popping up every day. But everyone is so connected now; it's great to be able to hit people up out of the blue and collaborate. We actually got Young Tapz to come out to Sydney and record with us 'cause we like to be in the room together.
'Speak Of The Devil' from 'HyperParadise' won the J Award for Music Video Of The Year. The video for 'Through The Roof' is a stunning production. Is it important you be known for being meticulous at everything you produce?
Thanks! We just don't want anything out there that we don't feel, you know. It's gotta be great or it doesn't leave the studio. I look to people like Portishead for inspiration with their work ethic and discography. It's beautiful.
You showcased at SXSW at Austin Convention Centre last month. What kind of reaction did you receive?
It was amazing. It was the first time we've been and we had killer shows! I mean you're up against some seriously big names there and we had banging crowds, so we're stoked. It's such an amazing vibe there. It's like a small festival that grew and grew and they just didn't put a cap on it. There's venues everywhere. Bands playing all day and all night.
It must be interesting to see what other artists are up to in the US. Did any artists stick in your head?
There's a lot of great music happening. There was a guy in Boston, Lightfoot, who's making really nice stuff. We also played a show with Sweater Beats. The whole LA beats scene is kicking. There's just so much going on!
Where in the world do you think really interesting things are happening on the hip hop scene; what’s sparking your inspiration?
Kendrick Lamar. His new record. Wow. Incredible.
Life on the road comes with its own pressures and stresses; have you had any meltdown moments, even fleeting?
We've been touring together for a long time. We're like brothers, but sometimes you just need a bit of your own space. So if we get a chance we'll do our own thing for a day here and there. But yeah, we're all in it together so it's mostly great.
When you’re feeling the strain, does it help that you’ve been friends since you were kids?
Indeed. It's family you know. Blood is thicker than water.
Success aside, you’re boys from the bush and keep yourselves grounded in that. You performed for the Bush Fire Benefit in 2013, and your first album, 'Alley To Valleys', referred to moving between Sydney and being hermits, recording in Gusto's father’s recording studio in the Blue Mountains. Is it sometimes hard being in the spotlight, and is there somewhere back home you’d love to do a gig?
Yeah, it was great to go home and do that Bush Fire Benefit. The Mountains are where we came up and they have our back and we've got theres. We're hoping to get up there soon after we drop the new album.
Your live shows always draw huge praise. How much do you react to the audience during the show and adapt as the tour goes on?
We always try and keep the live show fresh. The show generally changes slightly as the tour goes on. We kind of find the perfect sequence by a few shows in, or if the show has a different vibe we'll just move songs around on the spot. It's actually a fun challenge having to adapt to a new crowd.
Will there be some surprise remixes for the tour?
There's a bunch of remixes coming out for 'Through The Roof', and once the new single is out there'll be some for that. But we like to tweak songs for the live set, so you'll get some exclusive stuff regardless :)
And finally, what are the chances of you doing a regional tour of smaller venues off the beaten track later in the year?
We're doing GTM (Groovin The Moo) in April and we love that festival. It's so great getting out to those places and people that don't always get the regular touring acts. They're a big part of Australia.
'Dark Night Sweet Light' will be released 15 May.
Hermitude Tour Dates
Fri 12 Jun - Metropolis (Fremantle)Thu 18 Jun - HQ (Adelaide)
Fri 19 Jun - 170 Russell (Melbourne)
Fri 26 Jun - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 27 Jun - The Met (Brisbane)
