Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: We are from Edmonton, Canada. We (my twin brother Noah and I) started making music when we were around 10 years old, but only started seriously considering pursuing a music career when we were in high school. Listening to and creating music really started to become our primary creative and emotional outlet around that time and I think we realised then that a music career was the ultimate goal.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: Lately, Ghost (Impera), The Killers (Hot Fuss), Talking Heads (Remain in Light) and Alvvays (Blue Rev).
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Retrofile’?
A: The first band that Noah and I really listened to often was Queen. Our parents had their greatest hits on CD and we would jam out to them in the car. ELO and Alphaville were on all the time growing up as well. I’m not sure that we sound like ELO, Alphaville or Queen … but I’m sure they’ve inspired us musically in subtle ways. The name Retrofile comes from a song we had called “Retrophile” from the first band we were in. The song didn’t stick, but the name always had a ring to it.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘In Stereo’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Unfortunately .. it was a bit of a pain to put together. Prior to “In Stereo” we always joked that no track could be as difficult to produce as “Heard It All Before”. We were wrong. The process of getting “In Stereo” to feel tight and groovy but also open and anthemic proved to be very challenging. The mix phase seemed to last a month on this track. In the end we felt it was worth all the hair pulling.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Yes you can! “In Stereo” was actually the lead single from an EP we will be releasing in the fall. Honestly, I’m not even sure that we have announced the EP yet. I guess this is an exclusive announcement. EXCLUSIVE. We have an EP coming out in the fall.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: Fun. Noah and I talk about this all the time. We aren’t afraid to go places creatively that may seem a bit over the top if it means delivering an enjoyable listening experience. We aren’t fans of self serious songwriters in the pop world. There is certainly a time and place for self reflection in music, but we feel it should never be at the expense of melody. If the song feels like it should go big…go big.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: The process of creation definitely gives us all the fulfillment we could hope for. When we complete a song and it sounds the way we intended it to sound, we are thrilled. The process of getting a song to that point can be a bit frustrating at times, but the finished track usually more than makes up for the hard work!
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: Usually I’ll record very rough sounding demo tracks and present them to Noah. Very rudimentary drum machine, scratch vocals, guitar and bass. If he likes what he hears we will expand on the track together. Romanticism and Bad Dreams actually started as demo tracks that Noah created though, so you never know with us. We really don’t have any tried and true processes.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Well in terms of music career, probably just continuing to fight for it.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: The last few years have been amazing. We’ve been very fortunate so it’s tough to pick. I’d say in general I’m most proud when I read messages from individuals that listen to us and have been affected by the music in a positive way.
