Five Minutes With Snakehips

Header image by Justin Yee.

UK duo Snakehips have just wrapped up an Australian tour playing some huge shows following the massive success of latest single All My Friends feat. Tinashe & Chance The Rapper, and they jumped on the phone with me just before they jumped on the plane to come down under to talk about samples, Australia (naturally) and genre pigeonholing.

How’s things for you guys, where are you now? It’s been a pretty big year hey, with the success of All My Friends and All Right?

Just in London for Christmas, just chilling and about to head out to Australia on the weekend! It’s been a big year. It’s been cool. We’ve been touring so much it’s been good to get some music out. It has been since January since we put out some original stuff, been amazing to get the new single out.

How was working with Chance and Tinashe?

It was wicked man, we are such big fans of them in the first place. We made the tune and we had an idea of getting them on it. We didn’t think they’d do it, but they were both really keen, we are still sort of surprised by it.

Do those two know each other well?

I think chance has remixed a Tinashe track before, but it was cool to get them together.

Did you guys get together in the studio?

We wrote the beat and hook in London and sent it back and forth via email so yeah, those guys were really busy at the time so we couldn’t sit on any studio stuff.

And without saying too much what’s coming soon?

I can’t say too much but yeah there is loads of collaborations with shit loads of new music.

Is there a full-length in the works?

Eventually an album, but at the moment we are writing lots in the studio, hoping to get a lot of new material out there.

How do you describe your sound?

I don’t know, I think it’s just kind of like soul, there are so many different tempos, and styles of beats. Some stuff is disco, some is 140 hip hop then some is 90bpm hip hop. Everyone sees it differently. I think we just say soul, hip hop/R&B inspired stuff.

That’s a good way to put it. What’s your favourite type of production? Sampling?

I do a lot of sampling, I love digging through old jazz and soul music and finding loops and things, that's probably my favourite thing to do - finding stuff and flipping into new things. I love remixing too; taking other people’s songs and putting synths under them.

You looking forward to returning to Aus? Do you have a favourite city?

Yeah we did Listen Out and that was great, and were there the year before too. I can’t remember what we did in Australia, we love it, we always have a lot of fun, we love Melbourne.

And who are you guys vibing at the moment?

There is a loads of cool people in England - Mura Masa is killing it and Oshi, so many sick people. I always save things in my Soundcloud page because I can never remember people.

Follow Snakehips: FACEBOOK / TWITTER