Meet the Danceable Duo, SOFI TUKKER

by Natasha Wolff | August 8, 2017 4:47 pm

The New York-based duo SOFI TUKKER[1] is being celebrated across the festival circuit and beyond with their eclectic sound and distinct musical style. From Panorama Festival to Lollapalooza, SOFI TUKKER has proved they don’t plan to stop for anything–that is except for a quick trip to the hospital before arriving at Panorama Festival on Randall’s Island.

“Ignore me. I’m rubbing off the stickies from my IV,” Sophie Hawley-Weld says after she catches me staring at her doing just that. It turns out, Hawley-Weld, one-half of SOFI TUKKER[2], suffered from a severe migraine and was forced to spend the night in the hospital two days prior.

“We were supposed to play a show but had to cancel it. We’ve never cancelled a show before,” Tucker Halpern, other half of the duo, says of the reason behind their decision to cancel. After all, the pair’s musical style is one that wouldn’t bode well for any sort of migraine.

With beats that you feel in your soul and stage décor that will literally transport you to some sort of dance jungle, a SOFI TUKKER performance[3] is nothing short of exhilarating. “I want [our fans] to feel that they can be themselves in the most ridiculous way possible,” Hawley-Weld says of the duo’s performances. “I want them to feel tired and exhausted but in a good way. Like, they just did some awesome cardio,” Tucker adds.

The two take a moment to think of their most memorable fan interaction and it turns out, it wasn’t with just one, but with 10,000 of their fans. In 2016, the pair performed at one of Mexico City’s premiere festivals, Corona Capital, and it was one of their first times playing an audience that size. “It was right after Trump was elected President and we had this moment where I said to the entire audience, ‘Just so you know, we love you. We do not want a wall.’ It was the first time I felt like we connected with our fans on such a special level,” Tucker explains. “We realized we could do more than make people dance and have fun; we could actually make an impact,” he adds.

Although their song “F— They[4]” might not divulge much political pertinence on the surface, the duo truly does respect and encourage inclusivity in a way that is becoming more and more common for artists to vocalize. “It’s scary because sometimes artists preach and it can make you cringe,” Tucker says. “We don’t want to sound like that. In that particular moment [in Mexico City] it felt right and the vibe felt so good between the crowd and us. They were so receptive.” 

Since 2014, the two have been making danceable tracks for their listeners. From being featured in EA Sport’s Fifa 17 to earning a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording for their track “Drinkee[5],” the pair has been climbing the ranks since their inception. “We have new music coming out. We’re putting songs out, videos out and vibes out,” Sophie says with a smile.

As far as what constitutes a SOFI TUKKER song, the two aren’t totally sure. “We both come from really different places but when we both love something, that’s what SOFI TUKKER is,” Sophie explains. “We have to absolutely love it. If both of us don’t love something, we scrap it. It has to be exactly both of us,” Tucker adds.

SOFI TUKKER is slated to support Odesza[6] on tour this fall and after that fans can expect songs, videos and vibes.

Main image credit: Shervin Lainez

Source URL: https://dujour.com/culture/sofi-tukker-musical-duo-interview-panorama-festival/