Having formed in 2011, Danish/Norwegian duo Pegboard Nerds have established themselves as one of the finest duos in the dance music scene today, with collaborations with the likes of Jauz, Krewella, Excision, and more, as well as having remixed artists such as Skrillex, Mat Zo, Nicky Romero, Adventure Club and others.
As the duo make their way down to India for Sunburn Festival for their debut show, we spoke to them discussing their expectations from from India, their affiliation with Monstercat, and much more.
Read on.
TBB: Hi Alex and Michael. How’s it been going for you two lately?
Pegboard Nerds: Great thanks, we’ve been on a 2 month bus tour with Seven Lions, Unlike Pluto and Grum, so we’ve gotten a lot of new friends, and had a lot of fun crossing the U.S. playing all these shows! Now we’re back in the studio focusing on new music.
TBB: Your “Nerds By Nature” EP is set to arrive on Monstercat next month. While we’ve already had a taste of “BAMF”, “Blackout” and “Melodymania”, can you talk to us a bit about the EP?
Pegboard Nerds: EP, Album and then EP.. It went through a lot of phases and changes! Some tracks didn’t make it onto this EP and some people have been worried about that. We’re hoping to release those songs at a later date though! That being said, we’re very proud and excited about this EP. The remaining songs, “Go Berzerk” with our good friends Quiet Disorder, Talk About It with the talented Desirée Dawson on vocals. “Speed Of Light” also featuring Desirée came together during the past year through physical studio sessions and online sessions. “Go Berzerk” is meant to be a fun, hard hitting party track and it’s been going down really well on the shows this past tour. We just went into the studio and had fun with it, most of that track was written in one night. On the last tour we’ve usually ended our set with “Speed Of Light”, a stark contrast to our high energy set, but we feel it’s a nice contrast and it really brings out the emotions in people. It’s been beautiful seeing everybody’s reactions to these songs and we can’t wait for it to come out!
TBB: You guys have already teamed with the likes of Snails, JAUZ, NGHTMRE and more for some powerful collaborations in the past. Are there any collaborations you currently have on your wish-list?
Pegboard Nerds: Collaborations can be really fun when you vibe with the people you work with! The outcome can become more than the sum of its parts, which is the best. There are definitely more fun collabs upcoming, as well as our own originals.
TBB: Your association with Monstercat has been nothing short of phenomenal. Can you talk to us a bit about your relationship with the label?
Pegboard Nerds: We didn’t even know Monstercat existed back in 2012 but we took a chance, seized the opportunity and released our first Pegboard Nerds track with them. 4 years and countless experiences later, it’s been an amazing journey growing and evolving together!
The team behind Monstercat and their powerful community makes it such a great thing to be a part of.
TBB: What has been the most memorable moment in your career so far?
Pegboard Nerds: That’s a very tough question right there! It’s not so much of a moment, but the process of deciding that these rough sketches on our hard drives back in 2012 should be turned into songs that got released and that leading to us supporting the likes of Knife Party and going on our own tours has just proven that dreams do come true and you should pursue yours with perseverance.
TBB: You guys are true visionaries when it comes to playing around with genres. How do you guys go about crafting such diverse productions in the studio?
Pegboard Nerds: Thank you! It probably just stems from us being around for a while and knowing and listening to a lot of different genres.. So naturally we’ll draw inspiration from a wide palette of sounds and genres. We always try to think what it takes to ‘harness’ the sound and feel of a certain genre, and pursue that. Sometimes we hit, sometimes we miss, but it’s usually always a fun process in the end!
TBB: This is going to be your debut performance in India. Can the audience at Sunburn Festival expect anything special from you two?
Pegboard Nerds: We’re very excited to be in India at Sunburn Festival on their 10th year celebration! It will definitely be a high energy set, with new music from us and other people we know! Maybe we’ll create something special for this event 🙂
TBB: With your new EP already due in January 2017, what can we expect from Pegboard Nerds in the upcoming months?
Pegboard Nerds: A lot more music, we’re already planning the follow-up EP and beyond; We’re always creating new music you know! Also we have a new U.S. tour planned, starting end of March, and more shows as the year progresses.
TBB: Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to the most from your brief stay in India?
Pegboard Nerds:
-The culture; wildly different from ours.
-The food
-And last but not least, playing there and seeing the people’s reaction!
TBB: Top 3 Bangin’ Tracks at the moment?
Pegboard Nerds:
- Dion Timmer – Panic
- Kayzo – Stranger Things Remix
- MOTi & Maurice West – Disco Weapon
Catch Pegboard Nerds live in action on Day 4 at Sunburn Hills, Pune. Grab your tickets here.
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