Here we have HUMANS, a duo from Canada playing North Coast Music Festival. I was able to sit down with the guys and get into their heads a little, here is what I found out!
When did you guys meet?
Peter: We met 7 years ago. When we first met we talked a lot about music and guys singing falsetto, like MGMT. Then we came up with the idea that we should jam sometime soon, 5-6 months later we jammed, then we wrote the first HUMANS song.
Where was this?
P: Vancouver, we met at an art show.
Robbie: Just before the art show, I actually just came back from bumming around in Asia for 8 months. I visited Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos. In Thailand, I was staying on this one island and I woke up to puke and garbage in the ocean from all the tourists partying the night before. Bangkok is nearby and if you want to visit the Philippines then you have to go through Bangkok, and man what a place that is… I recommend that you go.
*As the interview was taking place, we got interrupted by fence hoppers trying to sneak into the festival*
MOVING ON, Biggest influences music wise?
P: It’s always changing. I really enjoy Chet Faker and Akouo right now. It’s everywhere really; every month I try listening to new stuff.
R: I’ve started DJ’ing a lot more so I’m really intrigued by house music, very mellow while still keeping the dance floor moving.
Plans for the rest of the year?
P: Currently recording an EP, hopefully it’ll be out by early 2016.
R: For the rest of 2015, we will be in Mexico City, San Diego, a couple more cities. It’s nice visiting all these spots on the weekend to get away from our jobs. I do marketing for a builder, a real estate developer, in Vancouver.
P: I create TV shows for kids, I actually just sold a movie script for a live action movie. I really hope it makes it big.
Any future collaborations?
R: Not any on the horizon, we’re open to them though, I’m trying to work with Nicki Minaj but I don’t think it’s going to happen ( :/ )
I saw that Smalltown DJS remixed one of your tracks, how does stuff like that come about?
R: They’re actually our friends, a lot of the people who remix our tracks are our personal friends of ours.
P: Actually, I think we might do a song with Smalltown DJS now that I think about it. We got a beat sent to us from them and when we aren’t so busy with everything then we want to get to it.
Dream festival/venue/event?
P: Something in Europe probably, like Glastonbury.
R: I really want to play at the Panorama Bar in Berlin.
Since you guys mainly perform live sets, what are the pros and cons of that?
P: Since everything is so electronic, if something were to go wrong, we don’t know why it is doing that. Opposed to in a band, you can just be like “Hey, pick it up and fix it” to your drummer, you know? Sometimes you’ll hit a great show one night, then the night after, you’re troubleshooting for 15 minutes on stage. Luckily, most people don’t notice.
R: Unless they look at our confused faces…
General opinions and thoughts on Chicago?
P: I love Chicago, first time here was 15 years ago. We played a show here at the Empty Bottle 2-3 years ago. All your buildings are so huge, the architecture is so distinct. I was stoked when I found out that “The Dark Knight” was filmed in spots here.
A huge thanks to HUMANS for sitting down and talking with me at NCMF. Cannot wait to see what 2016 has in store for you guys!