NYC electro/indie pop duo Lick Twist know a thing or two about chemistry and teamwork. Jed Klebanow and Daniel Oron have been creating music together since they were 10 years old. Now both 21, the two have made their passion a full time gig and are ending 2016 on a strong note with the release of two new songs and plenty more to come. “Let Me Down” and “Love Better” both explore Lick Twist’s musical prowess while giving listeners a taste of whats to come, and with plans to release more new music in the near future, they’ll have plenty to look forward to from Lick Twist.
Interview by Dom Vigil
Can you tell us a little bit about Lick Twist for any readers who may not be familiar?
Lick Twist is an authentic, homegrown brand, which we have been developing for over a year now. As musicians, and producers, we have been working for many years, but it has finally come together as Lick Twist. Lick Twist is what we live, breathe, and work for each and every day. Our goal is to make soul filled music that crosses the boundaries of a single genre.
You two have been creating music together for over a decade – what first drew you to music and made you want to write together?
We grew up playing instruments, Jed on piano and Daniel on guitar. We always had a love for music. We’ve been close friends for as long as we can remember, and were hopeful that one day our individual love for music would be able to come together to form something stronger, something more meaningful, which is now Lick Twist.
What have been some of the best things or most important lessons you’ve learned from one another in the years you’ve been creating music together?
I (Jed), have learned, and continue to learn daily, an incredible work ethic from Daniel. This guy stays in the studio all day every day, for nothing but the love of music. When we worked out of Quad Studios in NYC, he used to sleep in the studios for days on end just to be able to wake up in the vibe.
I (Daniel), have learned from Jed to not get stuck on perfection. We always used to get caught up on one sound, one snare, one eq, but at some point it’s time to let it go.
Recently, you released your new single, “Let Me Down.” What does this song mean to you?
This was a record we wrote with one of our closest friends, and colleagues, Larry Edoff many years ago. This was one of the first songs we wrote the lyrics to, so for that alone it is extremely meaningful. Together the three of us sat and explored unique emotions, all of which came to be “Let Me Down”. So many things in life will let you down, but what’s important is how you overcome the circumstances to better yourself. The song is ultimately telling a story of a relationship which is one sided and after being let down the second verse is a about overcoming the desire to be with that person and finally moving forward.
What goals did you have in mind when working on the track?
We wanted to produce something with both acoustic and electronic elements, but that maintained commercial appeal and experimented with raw emotions. It was also important to design a record that fit Larry’s voice well. We also had to ensure the music and vocals follow the same “story line.”
You also just released another new song, “Love Better” – what can you tell us about this track?
We are really happy with this record as it has a backbone of mostly acoustic elements while an atmosphere of an electronic piece. There is a great mix of genres in the record; having a futuristic indie pop based sound with some progressive, tropical, and melodic trap elements as the record develops. This is one we are really proud of. We are also really excited to feature Michele who is a good friend of ours, who for a while we have been looking to work with and this track came together very organically.
Do you have any plans to release any more new music in the coming months? Maybe an EP soon?
At the moment we’re solely planning singles – 1 a month. We have had enough music for an EP for a while, but want to continue to build the brand before we drop a compilation of music. Also, we are learning each and every day what kind of music we want to produce. We don’t want to jump into a project before being confident that it will reflect our brand moving forward.
What has been the highlight of your year so far?
With each track we grow significantly and it’s been really special to watch the exponential progression of production and writing since we released our first song a year ago. We are really excited to keep going on this journey.
Do you have any big plans for 2017 yet?
Although we can’t tell you exactly what it is, we just got our first official label offer. You’ll know soon!
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Keep your eyes out for us! Lots of new music on the way. So much love to you guys for taking the time to chat. Appreciate you!
Thanks for having us 🙂
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1 Comment
Love the music & the vibes I get when listening to all they have produced. Great team. Great music!!