Kicks N Licks, known to be the duo that knows no boundaries when it comes to production. Coming from a bass-heavy background, they’ve managed to successfully pull off numerous remixes ranging from progressive house, chill trap, future, future bass, drum and bass, and even glitch hop.
We had the pleasure to chat with the members of Kicks N Licks, Andy and Jerrod, to talk about their latest release with Buygore and their thoughts on what it takes for a rising artist to succeed in this cut-throat industry.
How did “Lock” end up on Buygore? How did the relationship begin and develop?
Around a year ago we finished up “Lost & Found” and we were sending it around, it was a bit different then what we have been releasing at the time and wasn’t sure if we were going to even put it out, but we got a really positive response from the Buygore team and they were down to put it out. Fast forward to finishing up LOCK with Malcolm we felt like after finishing the track Buygore would be the perfect fit and once we sent it they were feeling it and the rest is history.
What do you think is the most important factor, besides music, for a rising artist to gain traction and growth?
Jerrod: Its tough to say, in a perfect world it would be amazing if music was the only factor that mattered, but unfortunately in today scene there are so many elements for an artist to get their music heard. But I would say interacting and appreciating the people listening and supporting your music is the best thing! We always take the time to hang out and talk with fans at shows and we always have a great time talking music and hanging out with everybody.
Andy: I agree that in a perfect world an artist could just write great music and that would be enough. However today is much different. I think consistency is very key in keeping people interested these days, whether its music mixes, social media, or other content. I think it’s crucial to always have content to share with fans. Another thing that has helped us is simply networking and surrounding yourself with others that have the same passion and dream as you. Finally and most important is putting in the time and knowing that great things don’t happen overnight!
How can you see your musical direction shifting as winter approaches and the new year starts?
Jerrod: Our musical direction is definitely shifting into the new year, we are finishing up a lot of records w/ vocalists from all over the map, and genre-wise and really shifting gears from writing club tracks to full song writing, but we are still keeping everything very melodic and bass driven. We are really excited with how these new tracks are coming together and can’t wait to share them with everyone
Andy: I think melody will always be a part of our sound. As Jerrod mentioned we are trying to take a step towards doing more song writing. This being said we still plan on making tracks for the clubs and live shows but want our audience and fans to be open to us releasing all types of music.
Who were your biggest influences in 2015? Where do you see popular dance music trends heading in 2016?
Jerrod: Some of our biggest inspirations in 2015 have been Lido, Flume, Sam Gallaitry, Mr. Carmack, Odesza, RL Grime and the list goes on pretty much anyone pushing boundaries and creating their own path have been a huge inspiration but for where I see dance music headed in 2016 is I think its greatly going to shift to people appreciating full song writing and artist experimenting and taking risk rather then just club bangers.
Make sure to check out Kicks N Lick’s upcoming tour near you!
Connect with Kicks N Licks:
https://www.facebook.com/KnLDub/
https://twitter.com/KnLOfficial
https://instagram.com/kicksnlicks/
https://soundcloud.com/KicksNLicks
http://knldub.com/