MUSIC INTERVIEW: THE STEPKIDS
Speed Date: Talking Influences, Jazz, Pride & the Best Place to Get Donuts
In a world that seems to spin faster by the day, where social networking allows us to make friends with one another at the click of the mouse, we may be able to see what people have tagged or who they’ve ‘poked,’ but it can sometimes be difficult to really get to know someone and what they’re about. Feeling friendly, cutting to the chase, and learning something about current musical artists who represent the best of what they do, Buzzine has set a table and would like to introduce you to your Speed Date:
What is your name and where are you from?
Daniel Edinberg, from Fairfield, Connecticut.
Where are you right now?
At a coffeehouse in Brooklyn, New York.
Can we have a pic to see what you’re up to?.jpg)
Sure.
If our moms were setting us up on a blind date, what 3 things would your mom tell my mom about you?
I'm picky about what music I listen to.
I'm picky about what I eat. No non-grass-fed beef. Mainly vegetarian if I'm eating out.
I'm also taken....
So basically you shouldn't get set up with me.
Why are you answering these questions (what are you promoting)?
I'm in a band called The Stepkids.
What 3 words best describe your musical style?
Soul. Soul. Soul.
What sentence best sums up your latest album?
Easily the greatest musical achievement I've ever made in my entire life; my bandmates and I think we managed to fuse our jazz influences with pop, classic soul, and R+B to create a new sound.
What are you most proud of in your professional life?
See above. Making the first Stepkids record entirely on our own -- we wrote, performed, produced, engineered, and mixed it all.
What other music (apart from your own) are you listening to right now?
Odd Future. Tune-Yards. Jonti. Flying Lotus. Dam-Funk. J Rocc. Oneohtrix Point Never. Duke Ellington. Charles Mingus. Hermeto Pascoal. Miles Davis. Paul Bley. Wayne Shorter. Art Blakey. Scientist. Kraftwerk. Prince. Portishead.
Who is your musical hero?.jpg)
Hermeto Pascoal. He may be the greatest musician the world has ever seen. He plays almost every instrument known to man with complete expertise, yet it's never too 'showy.' He always imparts a style all his own to every composition he writes and every time he performs.
When are you the happiest: recording in the studio or playing live on stage?
Recording in the studio.
Why?
Don't get me wrong -- I love playing shows and always will. But the studio is where the serious magic happens, and you get to keep that for the rest of your life with a recording. When my bandmates -- Jeff, Tim and I -- hit on a melody, lyric, sound, or harmony that we love, there is no better feeling because we are creating something completely new.
What has been your greatest ‘rock star’ moment so far?
Going to Japan with The Stepkids in November.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Making tracks in a backyard cabin recording studio in an Italian villa, squeezing fresh lemons from my own tree into a glass of acua frizzante.
What is your motto?
The question is the answer.
Anything more to add?
The Stepkids love donuts. But only freshly baked donuts. More than one hour out of the oven is severely less than ideal. Preferably these donuts should be from Mrs. Johnson's bakery in Austin, Texas.
Where online can fans find out more about you?
The Stepkids are on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or you can go to www.thestepkids.com. We were blown away that that domain name was available.
The Stepkids' self-titled album is a groovy mix of influences that lays beat-ridden traps, melodic twists, and hooky tones at every turn; out now on Stones Throw Records.
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