We interview EDM duo Krewella on their nostalgic collaborative track ‘Rewind’ with Yellow Claw, their thoughts on live streaming, favorite moments while on tour, and tips for aspiring female producers.
Krewella and Yellow Claw, two of EDM’s most prominent duos, have teamed up for collaborative single ‘Rewind’. Released last month in July, the song is a bittersweet anthem to the quick passage of time and the nostalgic feeling of looking back to the memories created and being happy with becoming the person you are today.
The song features Krewella’s emotive vocals with a groovy, dubstep-influenced drop that perfectly showcases the styles of both groups.
Krewella has this to say of the song:
“We wrote ‘Rewind’ about the bittersweet feeling of losing yourself in memories. How moments and emotions seem to vanish at the blink of an eye, and suddenly it’s a month, a year, sometimes a decade later, and you feel like everything you’ve experienced is a fictional story. The “you” from the past is a familiar stranger. You’re sad that it’s all gone, but happy that it led you to where you are right now. They say nostalgia is like a drug, likely because it’s so easy to get stuck in the past, but this song is about letting yourself slip into it knowingly and enjoy it with reckless abandon.”
‘Rewind’ follows ‘Goddess’, Krewella’s collab track with NERVO, and their zer0 LP as well as Yellow Claw’s Never Dies album. It is also the second release by both groups together, as they have previously worked together in 2017 on the track ‘New World’.
AsiaLive365 recently asked Krewella on their thoughts on the track, and what they’ve been up to during COVID lockdown including their thoughts on livestreaming, representation in the electronic music industry, their favorite moments on tour, and tips for aspiring female producers.
AL365: Hey, thanks for taking time to chat with us. How have you been doing during quarantine? What have you been doing with all the extra time at home?
Krewella: At the moment, I feel blessed to say I am doing well. I think a big part of that overall feeling of wellness has actually been this “extra time” at home. As someone who has put self-work (such as taking time for stillness and emotional reflection) on the backburner, and prioritized productivity and saying “yes” to everything (often from a scarcity mindset), the space away from distraction has been really clarifying & healing for me. Especially coming from someone who has egoic tendencies and subtly toxic mindsets and behaviors. I say that fully owning the fact that the inner work isn’t done, it’s never done, it just gets more exciting to pursue when you realize the path of self-development will allow every other projects, relationships, business ventures, negotiations, collaborations, etc, to flow, as you bring the best version of yourself to each scenario. And lately I’m thinking about how to be in integrity with those values and ideals I just mentioned. Still working on that part!!! W.I.P for eternity.
AL365: You have a new track in the works with Yellow Claw called ‘Rewind’. What can you tell us about this new collaborative track?
Krewella: We are suckers for nostalgia and reminiscing on magical moments in history that seem like dreams, sometimes that is the medicine to indulge in for the present moment. When writing the song, we were teleporting ourselves to fragmented memories and whatever we were impassioned with way back when, whether that be the novelty of new love or the breeze from the window in the passenger seat. We’ve actually had some really simple, good times during quarantine. I know 10 years from now we’re going to be like “hey remember that time during Covid, we did a mini-road trip up the coast of California at 11PM and slept in the car till sunrise?”
It felt so natural to not only create for the both of us and our collaborator Cody Tarpley, but it felt natural to create with the Yellow Claw guys, despite them being thousands of miles away, in their respective countries. Seeing the positive reaction and the feelings it gives fans shows that when vibes are good in the studio, that energy manifests into the piece of art/product, and therefore is received authentically.
AL365: Also you pushed the release of ‘Rewind’ so that you can focus on supporting BLM movement, do you think black artists are discriminated against by race in the electronic music industry as the fact that techno and EDM have become dominated by white artists.
Krewella: The electronic community as a whole has absolutely been diluted from the source; as many know this means Black + queer. There is minimal (at best) representation of Black or in general BIPOC artists, and there’s a direct reflection in the fanbase and audiences across the globe. For further reading on the subject, DJ Sliink was just featured in June in an incredible Billboard article entitled “How Can We Be Legends If They Don’t Give Us A Chance?”. Listening to the Black voices in the community on this subject is one of the most important gateways to changing the way our scene looks and diversifying in every aspect from management teams to touring crews to music creation.
AL365: Despite various live events getting cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many artists and festivals have taken to live streaming sets. What do you think of live streaming?
Krewella: It’s been so enjoyable to connect with fans from around the world, some who we’ve never met or have never seen us live, and give them experiences through this very unstable feeling time. As much as there are (usually) wifi or tech difficulties, it’s these moments of connection during quarantine that have continued our deep bond with our international krew.
AL365: Being an artist with such a long trajectory, if you had to pick your three most memorable on tour moments, what would they be?
Krewella: First moments that come to mind: Playing a sunrise set in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. The epic feasts and diehard fans in India. The kid crowd surfing in a shopping cart the first time we played in Prague.
AL365: What advice do you have for aspiring female-producers?
Krewella: Okay keep in mind this is “advice to self” as well: First take care of yourself. That looks different for everyone. Only you know what you need to be emotionally centered, creatively open, and clear about your intentions, preferences, decisions, and actions. Take the time to meditate on your vision, your calling, your sound, your passion. It’s best to do this work now, than act or commit to a path from a place of desperation, confusion, lack of clarity, and impatience. But also remember it’s never too late to change and reinvent. Letting your sound & style reflect the flow of your personal evolution is thrilling and allows for openness and flexibility.
Take the time to nurture relationships with fellow allies who will enrich your life by giving you honest feedback, motivate you, and creatively inspire you. Having that support system in the industry is essential and I can’t tell you vital it is to lean on others for advice, perspective, or simply an ear. I am saying all of this because while we are in an era where instant gratification influences our decisions, and content is king, we need to be extra diligent about being mindful. In the long run, I believe that this will lead to a more fulfilling career.
AL365: What’s the craziest thing you put on your rider that they’ve fulfilled for you?
Krewella: Tampons. I call it crazy because seeing tampons on a rider is a rare sight. And that in itself says a lot about the lineup.
AL365: What excites you about the future of electronic music around the world?
Krewella: Integration of diverse cultural representation and opportunity for marginalized voices to be heard, respected, and appreciated. The exposing of toxic systems, and long awaited ACTION upen all these redundant conversations about gender equality in electronic music. I’m also relieved to see a growing appreciation for practicing mindfulness and settling into a healthy lifestyle.
AL365: Name your top three favorite Netflix series? We all need some recommendations as well.
Krewella: Currently watching Ramy. On Hulu though.
– Pose
– Avatar the Last Airbender
– Dear White People (the show, not the movie, is on Netflix)
