ECLECTIC DUOS SOFI TUKKER AND BOII PAUSE ON TOUR TO INTERVIEW EACH OTHER: EXCLUSIVE

December 18, 2019

12:45 pm

Adventurous, transcendental, and unpredictable, music is the one force that has the power to connect a sea of living beings using vibrations and words. Those who harness influence to bring individuals to a higher place are so often seen as magicians, not just musicians.

This fall, transatlantic duo BOII found themselves on tour with one of electronic music’s favorite groups, Sofi Tukker. They played from London to Brussels, bridging worlds with sound and selling out massive venues. The bands have many things in common, to be sure, but the standout link? Their explosive, upbeat anthems.

Sofi Tukker placed the party that is their concerts into their new music video for ‘Purple Hat,’ memorializing the flood of excitement that occurs when people let down their guard and dance together. ‘Purple Hat’ is more than a new single: it’s a chant.

“It’s always so special playing back in New York, where everything started for us and we thought it would be the perfect show to film the video at.” Tukker explains that instead of scripting the energy, they simply captured their sold out NYC homecoming show at Avant Gardner on film. “Really happy to relive that night over and over again.”

Alt-pop group BOII’s debut single ‘Footwork’ released December 3rd as a teaser off of their promising spring EP, landing on multiple Spotify user playlists. It’s a classic, brilliant melody over emotive heartbeats about embracing the risk in life and making a challenging move toward freedom. Sure, that may be easier said than done, but this riff is so smooth and feel-good, it makes room for anyone who’s willing to try.

photo by Alex Hutchinson

We invited the crew to ask each other questions on tour about life and their careers, which are one in the same at this point. Dive deep with BOII and Sofi Tukker:

SOFI TUKKER Questions for BOII

SOFI TUKKER: How is it not living in the same place?

BOII: It can be challenging but we just have to get creative, which is no bad thing. We’ve written songs on FaceTime and in different time zones. The hardest part is catching that wave of inspiration at the same time, as you would in a studio. It can make the song writing process slower, and it can mean the songs are often glued together from fragments over time. But, this also plays to our advantage, as we come from different creative backgrounds and live in different creative cultures.

SOFI TUKKER: What motivates you the most?

BOII: Our families…and the music itself.

SOFI TUKKER: What are you most scared of?

Adam of BOII: I live in fear of death, and yet I behave like we’ll all live forever, it’s a strange paradox. I’m probably in denial because I’m afraid. I think this makes its way into our music. The Sad Banger is all about celebrating transience.

Josh of BOII:My own shortcomings…in music and in life. When we start a song, it’s really a journey into ourselves, and that can uncover a lot. For me, it’s about embracing what I’m good at while taking as many risks as I can, and learning along the way. I still have a long ways to go…

SOFI TUKKER: If BOII could create their own festival, who would the 4 headliners be?

BOII: 1. Daft Punk 2. Avicii (x) 3. Amy Winehouse (x) 4. Frank Ocean (5. *Early* Kanye?)

SOFI TUKKER: How have your other careers or projects informed and shaped what you’re doing now?

Adam: Coming from a theatre background, I tend to think in terms of narrative, emotion and atmosphere. My theatre work has always been very personal, and it’s the same when we make music. Also, I live for the audience and I love connecting with them–so this definitely applies now!

Josh: I’ve been fortunate to have worked with talented artists from varying genres of music, from soul to R&B, rock to hip hop, dance, etc. It’s all had an influence. Also a stint in the music business working with inspiring acts like YOU SOFI TUKKER helped shape who we are as a band, and who I am as a person.

SOFI TUKKER: Love you guys, can’t wait to hang out!

BOII: SAME!!

BOII Questions for SOFI TUKKER

BOII: How do you define your sense of home, given that you spend so much time traveling?

Sophie of SOFI TUKKER: I’ve always had a weird relationship with the word “home” because I’ve never really had a physical place that remains the same. The cheesy saying is totally right: home is where the heart is. Seeing our families and close friends always feels like home. And we are getting better at creating new homes for ourselves all over. There are now probably about a dozen places around the world that we have homes in, that we continue to go back to and feel familiarity with, and have close people around.

BOII: Do you have any advice for eliminating shame? (Asking for a friend…)

SOFI TUKKER: Lol. Shame can’t survive in the light. When we own and share things we have once felt ashamed of, we tend to make the shame disappear just by speaking it or bringing it into existence. Some other antidotes to shame include: vulnerability, friendship, community, dance, outrageousness, and color.

BOII: How do you maintain such an excellent working and personal relationship with each other?

SOFI TUKKER: We communicate about everything all the time. Even when there’s a small disagreement or small concern, we make sure to talk about it before it can turn into anything bigger. We are super honest with each other and we hold each other to really high standards of positivity, kindness, creativity and productivity. And we trust the other person’s feedback.

BOII: Just what is it about the jungle?

SOFI TUKKER: The lush green. The warmth. The bright colors. The birds of paradise. The fruits. The sounds of the birds. The animals.

BOII: What is your proudest moment?

SOFI TUKKER: Right now is a pretty proud moment, as we are reflecting on the whole year of touring that just finished. It’s not about one show or one night so much as realizing that, show after show, there is a common vibe around the world at our shows. We are so proud of the spirit that people show up to our shows with, as though they know in advance that it’s going to be a joyous and free-spirited night. We genuinely think that the people who come to our shows are such cool and amazing and open people and we are so proud that we managed to be a part of bringing those communities together all around the world.

BOII: We are SO STOKED to see you guys 🙂

SOFI TUKKER: It was honestly a highlight of our career to watch you guys perform live for the first time. We are genuinely huge fans of your music, not just of you as people. Love you guys.