“Pop and dance are merging… and we want to be on the forefront of making great songs,” a short quote from Nick, that speaks volumes. Robert Gainley and Nick Shanholtz, a now LA-based duo who make up Lost Kings, are one of the fastest growing American dance acts of 2015.
It’s been more than a joy to watch Lost Kings steadily climb the ranks over the last year and a half. They built a quick career off of HypeM topping powerful progressive house remixes, stellar branding, and delivering shows that left people buzzing. A group that can hold their own for the long-term, via creativity and unique talent, can keep pursuing this cycle of remixing, booking, and branding in a formulaic way from here, and will eventually reach the mainstages within a few short years. Given this model, their career path is now a slam dunk, right? Many would think so.
But actually, it’s not. 2015 has showcased hordes of artists and managers too often banking on repeating the steps of their successors (or what they see others doing) as a business model, the overuse of a few online tools paired with too many similar sounding tracks within genres and sub-genres has had an impact on both where fans consume music and what type of music is being consumed.
Where music is being consumed: HypeM numbers down, credible SoundCloud channels, Spotify, Deezer, and other streaming services are way up. People are skipping blogs to find new music and instead are going straight to the sources, but still depend on blogs for other content such as newsworthy stories, music-supportive content, ect.
What type of music is being consumed: Artist and labels are at the center of music consumption, but 2015 has showcased a wider spectrum of music releases. Armada is doing tropical house, Skrillex is producing most of Bieber’s album – and Spinnin’ Records is embracing experimental dance/pop EPs from young up-and-comers like Lost Kings.
This trend of artist and labels showcasing more experimentalism and versatility in their releases is something that, from my prospective, Lost Kings not only saw coming (and has also helped influence), but had always planned to incorporate into their music. A short time ago, Rob and Nick were focusing on heavy house music, now their unique strategy is well-adjusted to their environment, framed dynamically, and landed them high achievement quickly; which has now ignited a second wave of virality that has yet to end.
“[Dance] is such a big umbrella, and I think people kind of forgot that and are starting to come back around on what dance music really is.”
Broadly, Rob brings up a strong point. These new genres that labels and artist have been adopting have always been there, and have always been similar, relevant, and important. Lost Kings picked up on this early and, combined with their talent and production skill, are now our reaping the benefits via their latest music and video releases on Spinnin’ Records.
The Bad EP – which has been paired with a sensual, sun-kissed music video for the single”Bad”- blends the best of pop, dance, and melodic house with heart-melting vocals and moment-making atmospheric effects. The three tracks “Bad,” “Loveless,” & “You” have accumulated over 9 million plays across streaming channels in only a couple months, which truly says something about the power of being in-tune with the needs of fans and changes in industry.
Artist must stay vigilant, open-minded, and aware if they are to survive and thrive in 2016. Lost Kings have delivered an EP that represents why this is now fundamental.
Rob and Nick talk more about their musical philosophy, views on the state of dance culture, and more in our exclusive interview with them in NYC above.
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