Isaac Dunbar Takes Our Pop Quiz
office gave Isaac an impromptu pop quiz where there are no wrong answers... except, of course, the wrong ones.
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office gave Isaac an impromptu pop quiz where there are no wrong answers... except, of course, the wrong ones.
Lucky for us, office magazine was able to catch up with SG Lewis at Coach's Fall 2022 show for an exclusive interview. Check out the conversation below.
Seeing how you’ve grown and developed as an artist, what advice would you give to yourself when you were just starting out?
Trust your gut over everything. Don’t be afraid to let it guide you blindly, as no one else will have a better instinct for your art than you.
As we've slowly been coming out of pandemic mode, what has been a highlight of this last year for you?
The return of shows - not just playing them, but attending them too. It’s crazy to think how long we went without them. That feeling of shared euphoria in a crowd is my favorite thing in the world.
Can you paint the sonic landscape of what this album sounds like visually? If you were to create a world and this album was a visual, in a sense, how would you paint it?
There’s definitely a sonic arc to the album that shifts from start to finish. It follows the trajectory of a night out, and how the energy changes from sundown to sunrise. So it’s starts with a golden hour sun set, peaks with the red lights of a dark club, and closes with a soft sunrise. With the visuals and artwork of the album, the aim was to capture what it would look like if you could visualize euphoria.
Where did your love of Disco come from?
My family wasn’t musical growing up, so I really got introduced to disco music when I started raving in Liverpool, through DJ’s like Honey Dijon and Motor City Drum Ensemble. I saw the latter play at The Kazimier in Liverpool, and the love I felt in that room had such a massive effect on me. Disco music is so celebratory and inclusive, and that became something I wanted to convey in my own music.
How do you source your music inspiration? Is it Vinyl shopping, Reddit, talking to other musicians, etc?
I’m lucky to have a group of friends who are massive music geeks. We share music with each other on a WhatsApp group every day, and have nights in London where we stay in spinning records we’ve bought. It makes it so much more fun to have people to share those rare finds with.
You’ve collaborated with N.E.R.D, one of my favorites. Did you get an iconic Pharrell speech during the making of the song?
It was actually just Chad Hugo that i worked with, who is truly one of my musical heroes. Watching chords and melody flow out if him is something of a religious experience. He’s on a higher wavelength than the rest of us musically! However I did meet Pharrell a few years back, and he shared some incredible kind words. His presence is so calming.
In an industry that can really pick people apart for every little thing in their lives, what do you do to stay grounded and true to yourself?
My friends are the first people to check me - they affectionately nicknamed me 'DJ Dickhead' just to keep my ego in check haha. Whilst I’m lucky to get to experience so much through my work, nothing beats sitting in a pub for 10 hours with my mates on a Saturday back home.
How are you cultivating a safe space via sound and your music?
Inclusivity and safety of expression are at the very core of disco fundamentally, and it’s so important to me that I continue to help create safe spaces for people to express themselves, and to remind people of where disco came from. The artwork and album sleeve for ‘times’ was shot in a “party” we created in Phonox in London, where we brought together people of all different genders, sexualities and races to celebrate their varying identities. My good friend Tiara Skye, a trans woman I met on the shoot, has hosted some shows we’ve played in the UK. She’s an incredible host, and her energy sets a tone of inclusivity from the moment the show starts.
When you’re working on new music, what is something that you like to keep in mind, whether it's a certain sound or energy or even just a vibe?
It’s always about a pursuit of euphoria in one way or another. That feeling of overflowing emotion is something I chase constantly, and it’s always in the back of my head.
Who would you have partied with in the 70s, if there was one icon you chose?
I would have killed to party at The Loft or Studio 54 in the 70’s, and from the stories Nile Rodgers told me about him and Bowie, I think it would have to be with both of them!
Your album is named, 'times.' Is there anything you can tell us about the theory you have on time or memories?
Its title is about the present moment, and the finite opportunities we have to celebrate it. Sometimes it’s hard to realize in the moment that you’re living the best times of your life, so it’s a reminder to myself to cherish those moments.
After the exhilarating show, office stepped backstage to speak to lead singer Addie about the group’s journey and their headline tour thus far. Continue reading for the full interview.
How was tonight’s show for you guys?
Tonight was amazing. It was our biggest headline show outside of our hometown. So a very monumental night for us. There were a lot of really good hometown friends here so it's like a big, fun reunion. In our green room right now, it's just everybody catching up from our hometown.
What is your favorite song to perform, the song that's the most fun for you guys?
I'm really surprised by the reaction that 'Can I leave Me Too' gets, like the sort of dance energy that comes out of it is fun to see. So we shifted into using that as our opening song. That bassline is so recognizable to our fans, so I really love that. I'm starting to get a lot more comfortable with playing 'Float Away' live and how to use that to interact with the crowd. So that one's creeping up to the top as well.
And I know this is a big moment for you guys too because the past couple years, you couldn't tour and you weren't doing live performances. So what's the thing you missed most about doing this?
Probably just being able to connect with people. I think it's really hard to be an artist right now because at least for me, so much of my validation comes from the crowd. And I try to manage that in a healthy way, but it's hard. I felt like I was kind of releasing music and shouting into the void. So to have shows again feels like, 'Oh my God, duh, this is why I do what I do.' So that I can connect with people because that's always been my goal. That reaction helps me to understand what makes an impact, and that matters to more than just me and my bandmates.
You guys have been together as a band for a long time, right?
Since we were 15 and 16. Which is crazy. Now we're 23 and 24.
I read that you guys started off doing open mic nights and small things like that. In what ways since then have you grown, personally, but then also musically?
I think we have a really unique situation because of the fact that our growth and our progress in our music has been documented since the beginning of us being a band. Our first EP 'It's Not All That Bad’ was released in 2015. And then to have a body of work be released now, it can be kind of embarrassing. I mean that isn't the right word because I'm proud of us and I like revisiting old music, but it was such a different time. Our most popular song, 'Hands Down,' sometimes plays when I'm out in public and people will ask, 'How do you feel about that?' And it's like — that girl's 15. I don't even recognize that voice as much. And I don't think my voice has changed a ton, but I'm 23 now. So eight years of a difference. Then as far as personally, it's hard to grow up as teenagers together and then into young adults. I mean, it's like a marriage. We go to band therapy to try to work through stuff and to try to just be the best we can be to one another. And I think that that just speaks volumes to the effort we're willing to put into one another.
But that real relationship, it shows on stage — that closeness you guys have and how much time you have spent together. It's a good thing for the crowd to see too because we can feel it.
It's a weird chemistry that we have because we weren't friends before the band. Really? How did you guys get together? It's just funny because in interviews people will ask, 'What's it like to tour with your best friends?' And back when we were 16, I was like, 'Those are not my best friends.' But now we're obviously very close. We got together because our guitar player, Brandon, his mom and my stepmom were like, 'You guys should date each other!' And we did talk for a month and then I figured out, 'Oh, I like girls.' And Brandon is not a girl. But from there we did find that we really enjoy playing music with one another and enjoy the friendship that we have. So it turned out better than a relationship for sure. Something more special.
I know, like we talked about, obviously this answer has probably changed with time — but what inspires your music?
I think overall relationships are the most common theme, whether that's a romantic relationship or friendship or my parents. I just love love and hate and grief and every emotion that there is. I think the human experience, in general, gives so much to write about.
Can you tell me a little bit about the new single “Sort of Stranger” coming out at midnight? The theme seems to be something pretty relatable for a lot of people — where did the lyrics and concept stem from?
So 'Sort of Stranger' was supposed to come out on the Dandelion record, and then we decided last-second to cut it, to make the record feel more cohesive. And my argument with that was 'Okay, but it has to come out for a deluxe then or something.' Because I really love this song. And I'm really glad we waited on it because waiting on it allowed us to have Briston Maroney be a part of it. He's a good friend and I knew that his voice would be perfect for it and that his lyrics would be perfect for it. So I cut out a verse to make room for him and I just adore what he did and how much soul his voice has, and how willing he is to connect. Even if it was over FaceTime and text message, he did what he could to make it happen. He's the absolute sweetest guy in the world. But the original idea for it, I was listening to Phoebe Bridgers on my way to our bass player's house to write. And the chorus line popped in my head — 'If you're gone, who gets the toothbrush ready?' Because when my girlfriend and I broke up, which is the biggest inspiration for the Dandelion record, we had this annoying couple thing of she would get my toothbrush ready in the morning before she went to work. It was just this little symbol of an 'I love you.' So when we parted and got back together, that was just something that kept recurring. I couldn't get over the fact that when she was gone, my toothbrush wasn't ready. So from there Pierce really took action with me and we wrote that together.
You guys are starting off the year with your headline tour, which is amazing and such a big way to kick it off. What are some other goals that you guys have or what do you hope is to come from the rest of this year?
There is definitely a remix of a Dandelion song coming in the future and then possibly a fan-favorite cover that we want to do. That should be really fun. And then I honestly hope to do even more collaborations. The Briston collab was our first one. I think I was really against them as a teenager — I don't know whether it was my ego or just trying to pave my own way. But now, I think I'm so lucky to be friends with so many talented people and so to get to work with them would be really fun. And then hopefully, another co-headline tour in the fall with friends of ours would be really fun. I think broadening our horizons as much as possible would be really great. Just being more open.
In between the money stacks and mobsters, Minaj sports a “Bussin” necklace towards the end of the video – hinting at the new song that would follow. With promises of more upcoming work, all we can do now is look out for any other Easter eggs alluding to the artist’s much-anticipated future releases.
Both songs are available to stream now. Check out the video for “Do We Have a Problem” below.