2…. Things we like about each other
Jillian: One thing is that Lucas lets me be as crazy as I want to be, which is definitely very important in a collaborative project. Two, he’s kind of obsessive and I think that can be crazy for some people, but I totally get it. He just wants to know anything about whatever he’s doing.
Lucas: With Jillian, I really appreciate her creativity and artistry and her absolute clarity about what she wants to say. Also her drive, there’s no slacking on anything.
4… things about the world that currently bother Lion Babe…
1. Jillian: In the US we’re going through some issues with racism right now, but there also appears to be such a separateness evolving. Now more than ever, there needs to be more unified enthusiasm for each other.
2. Lucas: There’s a lot of negativity going on in music; sometimes song content kinda lets me down. Then you have people on the Internet, where everyone voices whatever they’re thinking, hiding behind their computer saying things that they wouldn’t say in real life. There’s definitely some need for more positive messages.
3. Jillian: There’s so much negativity all over the world; people fighting and killing each other. Fear, in general, is overpowering the world right now more than love, so I think it needs a reversal.
4. Lucas: Sometimes people get scared to take a chance, but taking a chance is exciting and usually that’s when the coolest stuff comes out. History has proven that many times over.
6… albums that have influenced the Lion Babe aesthetic
1. The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Both our parents played it to us when we were young. It was all about that record when we met; it was so experimental.
2. A Tribe Called Quest: People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm. When it came out was a very new thing especially for Hip Hop. It was this brand sound that merged elements of jazz and funk and rap and delivered a message also.
3. Sly & Family Stone: There’s a Riot Goin’ On. Sonically, vibe wise and aesthetically, there a lot of elements on this record that we try to pull into our music. The way it’s a little grimy and dirty sounding but there’s just so much energy and emotion and soul in all of those songs. It’s just next level.
4. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation Of… That was the first CD I bought myself, and I remember listening to it every day when I got home from school. The album is amazing, from start to finish. It had a really big impact on me, in terms of hearing someone from my generation, a female voice, who was really honest and inspiring. And also, her voice is just ridiculous.
5. Jimi Hendrix, Axis: Bold As Love. I’ve been listening to that since I was a kid. When I first got into music, I was playing guitar. With both of our dad’s, this record was Music 101; if you’re going to get into music this is the first thing you’ve got to know. As you get older, you hear so many more elements in this album as your ear develops. That record changed the standard of music and continues to challenge us as artists to aim for those levels.
6. Jay Dilla: Donuts. We always listen to this record because there’s so much emotion. With Donuts, you want to listen to the entire thing, the whole journey. That’s definitely something that we’re aiming for when we’re create music; to just people to another world for that time they’re listening.
8 things you need to know about Lion Babe…
1. They met at a party in a “smelly dorm room” where Lucas was “showing off some beats I’d made.” At the time, Jillian was a professional dancer and Lucas was producing under the name of Astro Raw. They met up a couple of days later and immediately began recording.
2. Despite working together since 2012 and having released the odd track, it’s only now that Lion Babe are ready to release their debut EP. “A lot of it was written around the time of Treat Me Like Fireand so they all have a similar vibe. Jump Hi is definitely the conduit into the album, which we’ll release next,. A lot of the EP still has that bedroom vibe, the sound of us figuring things out in a more lo-fi vibe. With the album, we’ve grown as writers and collaborators; we know more about writing a song in general.
3. Childish Gambino features on their most recent single, Jump Hi; the comedian and rapper heard them play at SXSW and fell right in love. “He emailed us one day and was like ‘Hey I would love you guys to open for me at my show,'” says Lucas. They made friends and then one day he “dropped round the studio, heard Jump Hi and said ‘Man that’s great’.”
4. Their next single is produced by Pharrell. Sure. NBD. “That was our second ever writing session so it was in the deep end,” grins Lucas. “We grow up on N.E.R.D and Neptune’s, so that’s already set the bar for us. We also worked with Mark Ronson; it’s awesome when you meet these people who have influenced you since a kid and not only do you get to work together, they’re great people too.”
5. Talking of Pharrell, he not only made music with them, he also bestowed upon them some Williams wisdom. “He was on some mentor, teacher level, and we just listened,” says Jillian. “He talked to us about approaching music but also asked us what we wanted from this, from music. I think that applies to anything in life; when you figure that out what you want and know your goals then it’s easier to figure out a plan and do what you need to do to get there.”
6. Self pronounced “die-hard animal lover” Jillian was very nearly not a singer. “I thought I was going to be a marine biologist as a child. I went on a safari as a teen and it changed my life. It felt so peaceful being in the middle of Africa, just inspired by the animals.” Though she went on to become a dancer, her career trajectory – and hairstyle – was altered again four years ago. “I went back, to South Africa, on safari and I saw this lion. We just had a thing,” she laughs. “I just looked at it, it looked at me. It was very weird, it was just one of those connection things and then I couldn’t really shake it. The next thing I know, my hair’s all crazy.”
7. Both Lucas and Jillian’s parents work in the creative industry. Lucas’s parents are both in fashion while Jillian’s dad started out doing PR for Motown and then Muhammad Ali and Richard Pryor. “He was the one that really showed me music but also let me see the business side of the industry. His advice has been invaluable for both of us.”
8. Jillian doesn’t have any tattoos but she does have a dog called Dewey. Lucas doesn’t have a dog, but when he was 11, he had a red Mohawk. “I was into the Misfits and The Ramones; a twelve year-old kid from New York with a guitar.”
Lion Babe’s EP is out today, stream it here.
Credits
Text Hattie Collins
Photography Mitchell McLennan