Q&A : Sofi Tukker

26 April
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US duo Sofi Tukker dropped their debut long player ‘Tree House’ earlier this month and, along with it, their fresh new single ‘Baby I’m A Queen’.
You might remember Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern from their breakout single ‘Drinkee’, the Portuguese-language single that became an unexpected hit here in Australia, achieving a gold sales certification in the process.
But there have been so many more strings to their pop bow, including a collaboration with Melbourne’s own NERVO.
So let’s delve a little deeper into the Sofi Tukker story with our latest Q&A!
Q. How and when did ‘Sophie’ first meet ‘Tucker’?
A. At an art gallery at Brown University! Tucker was DJing and Sophie was playing an acoustic bossa nova set. Tuck came early, saw Sophie play and from that day on we have worked together every day!
Q. Was it an instant connection in terms of wishing to make beautiful music together?
A. It actually was an instant connection! Tucker started remixing one of Soph’s songs on the spot!
Q. What are each others’ best qualities, both personally and professionally?
A. We are both really excitable, really passionate, really hard working, and really in love with life and with connecting with people!
Q. What was the first song you wrote together?
A. Drinkee.
Q. In what ways has the band evolved from its humble beginnings?
A. We have gotten to know each other better and gotten to know ourselves better! We are getting smarter about how to work, how to create and express ourselves in every way, and how to stay healthy and connected throughout the process.
Q. How had being involved in the music scene in New York in particular helped shape your sound?
A. We aren’t actually in New York much anymore but one of the things about New York is there are influences from everywhere within New York. Our music is all over the place in terms of genre and geography!
Q. Who are some other acts that inspire you creatively these days?
A. Die Antwoord, Stromae, LP Giobbi.
Q. Tell us about the first time you heard one of your songs on the radio.
A. We were so shocked and surprised and excited. Every time we hear our songs on the radio, we feel that way!
Q. There’s a track called ‘Benadryl’ on your debut album… Any word on a collaboration with a certain antihistamine company? (You know Benadryl is a cough medicine in Australia?)
A. Yep it’s a cough medicine here too!
Q. It seems we really liked your breakout single ‘Drinkee’ here in Australia. What do you think it might have been that connected with audiences here?
A. We love that it connected there! It’s so cool that a song sung entirely in Portuguese connects with people who don’t speak the language.
Q. How did your collaboration ‘Best Friend’ with our Melbourne girls NERVO come about?
A. We became friends with them about a year ago through a friend and instantly hit it off! They are such happy, excitable people who inspire us all the time with how much they love what they do!
Q. What was the inspiration behind your latest single ‘Baby I’m A Queen’?
A. It’s a pretty personal song, about Sophie standing up for herself and against the nickname “baby” — which feels generic and belittling.
Q. Would we be correct in saying that you had perhaps a little too much fun creating its music video?
A. The MOST fun!
Q. So tell us a little bit about your debut album and the process of creating that.
A. We created it over the course of about two years while we were on the road. We were constantly creating, in cities all over the world, in green rooms and hotel rooms and buses and airports and on our off days.
Q. What’s the most exciting thing about unleashing your album upon the world?
A. We love getting to share more of ourselves, to paint an even more comprehensive picture of who we are, what we stand for, and what’s been inspiring us for the past couple of years.
Q. How did you come up with the name ‘Treehouse’?
A. It’s a metaphor for that spirit of childhood play that happens in a Treehouse. Where there are no rules, you can create things freely, surrounded by nature and friends and your imagination. Everyone’s invited and everything is allowed in the Treehouse!
Q. How did Australian audiences treat you on your first visit to our shores early last year?
A. We LOVED our visit to Australia. We REALLY want to come back.
Q. You’ve got plenty of live dates locked in throughout the rest of the year. But are there any plans to bring this current tour of yours down under?
A. Yes! Stay tuned :)
Q. So what’s next on the radar for you two? Another single release in a couple of months, presumably?
A. Yes! We have so many music videos and more songs and more things to announce soon!
Sofi Tukker’s debut album ‘Treehouse’ is available at all good music retailers and DSPs.

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