It’s not on a map. You can’t book an Airbnb there. But, if you climb to the steepest hill in your hometown and look out towards the sun, with the right kind of eyes – and with Loud Luxury’s new EP playing on your headphones – you might just be able to see the fabled Holiday Hills. The new project from the Canadian DJ duo arrives today (Aug. 13), six tracks capturing the vibe of the titular imaginary neighborhood, a borough where “we all grew up in and dreamed of breaking the rules,” Andrew Fedyk tells HollywoodLife.
The EP’s six songs – from the title track boasting about never seeing the sun (“[It’s] what..we do best as DJs: stay up all night and never see the sun”) to “Mistakes,” the Brazilian-inspire collab with Cat Dealers, to the closer, “Red Handed” featuring Thutmose, the EP is a burst of vibrant energy, one that will entice listeners to get out their seats and move. The project, released through Armada Music, has been designed for motion, sweat, and smiles. “If a song didn’t feel like it was full of energy and color,” says Joe De Pace, the other half of Loud Luxury, “it wasn’t going to make the cut.”
In honor of the EP’s release, the duo tells HollywoodLife some details behind Holiday Hills, including why “Lemons” feels like a loving tribute to 90s Eurodance, how they managed their many collabs on the EP, and how this might not be the only music they put out in 2021.
HollywoodLife: The Holiday Hills EP kicks off with the energetic title track. Can you explain how the line “I might never see the sun / because I’m living in the Holiday Hills” came about?
Andrew Fedyk: Holiday Hills is an imaginary neighborhood for us that we all grew up in and dreamed of breaking the rules. Never seeing the sun really spoke to what it seems we do best as DJs – stay up all night and never see the sun.
“Lemons” seems to have a bit of a throwback vibe to it, almost Eurodance in its many sounds and layers.
Joe De Pace: This track definitely has a 90s vibe to it – we wanted something chanty with a bit of an R&B flair. We grew up listening to Eurodance and have always wanted to find a way to incorporate it into our music that feels tasteful so hoping we nailed it here.
You wrote that “Mistakes” is your attempt to channel Brazil’s energy of dance music. What did you do with the track to specifically do it – did you focus on a certain BPM, or a greater role of the vocals on the track?
Andrew: We have seen a trend where a lot of Brazilian DJs have been sampling or writing very bluesy music – a bit sexier and soulful than most electronic music and that was the energy we were trying to tap into when writing Mistakes. It’s more of a mood than a certain BPM or sound design.
What sets Brazil apart from the rest of the world in regard to its love of dance music?
Joe: Probably the passion and energy. Dance music is a global sound but in Brazil, you really feel they know the words to all of your music, which we felt when touring there in 2019.
“Safe With Me” sees you team with Drew Love – and you work with many different artists on this EP. Does each collaboration provide its own interesting challenge – like, did you have to do things differently with Drew Love than you did with Cat Dealers or Thutmose? Or, do all the pieces tend to fall in place the same way?
Andrew: The beauty and excitement of songwriting is every single song comes together in a different way. It’s not necessarily a challenge but just a new way of working.
Joe: With Drew Love, we already had the song written and then he cut his own version of it. With Red Handed, Thutmose sent us his original idea at a slower tempo and we produced around it. With Cat Dealers, we had made a full demo and they took it and switched it up to add their own flavor. That’s what really gives each song their own identity.
Was there an overall vibe you were going for on Holiday Hills? Did you make any songs that didn’t really fit in with the project (and that we may hear before 2021 is over?)
Joe: Absolutely. If a song didn’t feel like it was full of energy and color, it wasn’t going to make the cut.
Andrew: We also wanted to keep the songs somewhat in a consistent sound so anything that felt like an entirely new project, we are saving for what’s next… Maybe you’ll hear it before 2021 is over.
What are the plans for the last few months of the year?
Andrew: With the world reopening, it’s really important for us to get out there and make up for lost time. The EP is definitely going to be special when we play it out live.
Holiday Hills is out now.