Lisa Loeb is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who was the first unsigned artist to have a number one platinum-selling single, her hit “Stay (I missed you),” without a recording contract.
HOT CHIP INTERVIEW
September 17, 2019 3:52 PM
Slightly campy and undeniably dance-y, London’s Hot Chip has ushered in the nu-80’s dance music revival for more than a decade; Now, with their sixth full-length, In Our Heads, the ever-transforming quintet tops off their cocktail of achingly personal synth symphonies. We spoke with Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard at the head of their international tour about the inspirations for their electro orchestrations.
Hot Chip is both an outlet for songwriting and an exploration in music technology and sound manipulation. When you’re creating new material, what’s the interaction between composition and synthesis?
Joe: When we’re writing music, ideas come from the technology that we’re using to write. New synthesizers or drum machines present you with ideas and inspire you, they give you a burst of energy or excitement that leads to songwriting.
Alexis: Maybe something that we don’t think of as modern technology as well, like different bits of ethnic percussion instruments or sounds that feel exciting to you. By the same token, by working together you come into the middle of someone else’s idea and you can engage with it. It’s about different things fitting together or finding things that don’t fit together and putting them together anyway.
What are some non-musical inspirations of yours?
J: Family. In a very obvious way, there are things very directly related to my family, children and wife on the last two or three records. Actually, on the first album, there’s a track that’s dedicated to my wife who was then my girlfriend.
A: I’m inspired by people and being alive in the world, not just other records. We’re not restricted to just listening to music. Having said that, music is the main thing that we spend our time thinking about and obsessing over. Some- times it’s hard to even step outside of that world.
By now, you’ve played several major festivals and large venues. Is touring your music an entirely different experience than recording it?
J: We treat them in quite different ways. In writing our music, Alexis and I get together or we develop ideas individually and send them to each other. When it comes to playing those tracks live, we don’t try to imitate the record, we allow the songs to be played differently, by different people using different instruments. You do have moments where you’re playing on stage and the joy and excitement of playing together gives you ideas for recording.
It seems transformation plays a central role for the group: Alexis has a solo album, film scores, and a side project, About Group. Al Doyle was in LCD Soundsystem and New Build, and Joe Goddard plays with The 2 Bears. You’ve also hosted a slew of guest members, and jumped labels.
What keeps Hot Chip together through the changes?
A: The core of the group is a love of making music together. It’s been going on for years and years. It doesn’t feel threatened by the fact that you’re doing other things. It’s something we’ve invested a lot of time and energy in, making it as good as it could possibly be. We’re committed to it.
J: Before all these changes, the band’s existed for a few years back at school. There’s always been a flux. For the last ten years, there’ve been five people involved that we feel very attached to. That was the nice thing about making this last record, everyone made time for it and came back together to do it, and it was a joyful thing. It’s very healthy for people to do other stuff aside from that.
The name “Hot Chip” (meaning, literally, hot French fries) originated as a knee-jerk response to someone asking what you call yourselves. The name has stuck; do you think it’s gained any sort of significance?
A: I think it’s just a stupid phrase and we’ve got away with having it for years and years. People have to print it and write it on walls now. It doesn’t have any greater meaning now and it didn’t have any then.
J: It’s evidence of the silliness of Hot Chip.∞
Written by AARON LINDENBERG
Photography DAWIDH ORLANDO
Production, casting MARBLES & MARBLES: CHIKA FISSEL.
Sunglasses JEREMY SCOTT by LINDA FARROW PROJECTS.
Edited by NANAMI INABA
related posts
SAINT LAURENT MUSIC PROJECT
For decades music and fashion has been closely intertwined.
TATI ANA X NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB AT BROOKLYN BOWL
TATI ANA and NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB performed last week at the BROOKLYN BOWL. The crowd was everything you would expect from the cool electric bands.
Get the Royal Treatment with Lorde at Coachella for Charity
TWELV readers and Lorde lovers listen up, here’s a chance to snag VIP passes for you and a friend.
Holding onto a Little Daylight
Little Daylight is Brooklyn’s newest synth-pop project, bound for glory.
The Ludicrous Impossibility of Writing a Think-Piece on a Kanye West Performance.
[My editors told me I could “go crazy on this one”, they're going to regret that.]
Ariana and The Rose
There was a time when the word 'pop' was deemed a dirty word in the music industry.
SLEEPY KITTY
TWELV got the chance to chat with Paige Brubeck and Evan Sult of the band "Sleepy Kitty" to discuss muses, life in their favorite cities, Robert Rauschenberg, and welding.
The Chainsmokers
NYC-based DJs Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall from "The Chainsmokers" recently let TWELV dress them up and pick apart their brains.
Ivy Levan: Queen of Swamp-Hop
TWELV recently had the opportunity to chat with up-and-coming singer/songwriter Ivy Levan, who just released her debut EP, “Introducing the Dame,” on Cherry Tree/Interscope records.
Kopecky Family Band
Interview with Gabe Simon
Musical roots hold a bond thicker than blood for this "family."
Daphne Guinness: Fatal Flaw
Fashion icon, Daphne Guinness, has released her first music video, “Fatal Flaw.” The heiress croons on about love while flashes of color dance in and out of focus in a melodic trance.
Exclusive: Neon Trees
TWELV Magazine is pleased to unveil this exclusive track from Neon Trees upcoming Lessons in Love (all day, all night) Remixes with this track by Michel Heyaca.
#STOPANDDANCE: Motive's Latest EP
If we may be so bold as to introduce Motive’s new EP, It’s Illicit.
Crowd Control: The Vaccines at Terminal 5
In no-nonsense rock 'n' roll style The Vaccines ascended the Terminal 5 stage at 10 pm Thursday storming straight into 'No Hope'.
Kitsune x Twelv Present WE ♥ NEW YORK
Join Kitsune Friday night to honor stars of the NYC downtown music scene at Le Bain, The Standard Hotel's penthouse discotheque.
Charlene Kaye: Animal Love
Charlene Kaye is not your typical singer songwriter. Her hit song “Animal Love” crosses more genres than a Girl Talk album.
Twelv Presents: Motive, Computer Magic and Starlight Girls at Webster Hall
Twelv considered hundreds of bands before deciding which to include in issue 2. As a New York based magazine, Twelv is always on the hunt for emerging music talent in the New York area.
CHELSEA WOLFE
The young California native, who currently calls Los Angeles home, said she knew she wanted to be a musician all her life and begun self-teaching at the age of nine.
TWELV Night - Paloma Faith's British Invasion
Her name means nothing to most Americans, but Paloma Faith has the spirit of fame.
TWELV Night – Lemonade, Chairlift, and Washed Out at House of Vans
Five hundred anxious New Yorkers stretched down blocks of Franklin Street last night – and not just for the complimentary booze.
![Washed Out - A Dedication [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](https://twelvny.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/media-youtube/noS61QN9nag.jpg?itok=BVWEKVVW)
TWELVIDEOS of August - a playlist
Is it really August already? Well we here at TWELV know how fast time flies when you’re having fun. Or when you’re vibing on the coolest new music videos.
Fiona Apple's Deep, Dark Woods
Fiona Apple has been known as many things during her decade-spanning career: Jazzy. Sensual. Sociopathic.
Dirty Projectors trade knots for new on latest LP
It's strange to see the word "accessible" appear again and again in interviews with the notoriously abstract Dirty Projectors.
Midsummer's Daydream: A Video Playlist
Not sure what your summer should look like? Well neither are we, but we've assembled five new music videos filled to the brim with sunny, stylish escapades.
UK’S CRYSTAL FIGHTERS BRING ETHNO-TRANCE CARAVAN TO NORTH AMERICA
The txalaparta, an ancient Basque instrument, is traditionally played through the use of partnership.
Small Black wade in the Hip-Hop water on new Moon Killer mixtape
What if you took your favorite rap beat into the sauna with a bottle of red wine?
DIIV IN
Brooklyn-based band DIIV, brainchild of Beach Fossils guitarist Zachary Cole Smith, was only formed about a year ago and played their first show late July of last year.
Tu Fawning's "Monumental" New Release
“Tu Fawning return this May with their sophomore release, A Monument.
Mystery Jets' New Album is the Culmination of their "Main Street Exile"
1. You guys are playing at Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn on 6/11 and at Beacon Theatre in NYC on 6/15. What do you like the most about performing in New York?
Folk Music for a New Generation: Canyon's Fresh Take on a Classic Genre
Hailing from Westport, Connecticut; Canyon Sharits is a self-proclaimed "Song Peddler and Storyteller" who takes a confessional approach to all of her melodically distinctive Indie/Fo
“So Good You Need To Be In My Collection”: Wildstreet Gives Rock & Roll a New Name
“Armed with big choruses, blazing guitar solos, and powerful melodies, WILDSTREET is a sex-fueled rock n roll explosion beckoning the glory days of 80s arena rock.
Blonde Redhead Invades Brooklyn
Blonde Redhead is an American alternative rock band composed of Japanese vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kazu Makino and Milanese twin brothers Simone and Amadeo Pace, who play drums and vocals/lead...