Your careers appear to have the natural trajectory that a number of artists try for. You had an enormous viral hit, and I’m fascinated to listen to the way you reckoned with that: Did it change your strategy? Or was it too overwhelming, and also you simply let issues occur as they occurred?
Clair Clair: On one hand, we all the time knew our songs would go viral on TikTok. It was one thing we have been virtually ready for as a result of so a lot of them are cute, bubbly beats with humorous lyrics. They make sense for the TikTok method. When it occurred, I used to be like, “Okay, when’s my favourite TikToker gonna use it?” Then they’d, and I’d be like, “Oh my God, yay!,” after which I’d transfer on. It’s a tough factor to essentially really feel, nevertheless it modified our enterprise strategy to the undertaking. We’ve needed to take extra conferences with individuals as a result of there are extra eyes on us and labels wanting to speak to us. It made us extra protecting of and severe concerning the undertaking, if something.
Coco: It additionally modified individuals’s notion of us. TikTok made us get taken extra critically. However on the similar time, it’s a field. We don’t wanna be in that field; it’s very limiting. We’re songwriters first, and comedians second — simply kidding — however we’re greater than that, and I feel this album hopefully will assist individuals see that.
Are you able to broaden on that? In what methods is being labeled a TikTok artist limiting?
Clair Clair: It’s virtually like a brand new music scene, nevertheless it’s not an actual scene as a result of it’s on-line, and it’s pumped by firms and labels. It’s laborious to belief somebody who’s solely huge on TikTok since you don’t understand how huge they are surely. Can they promote out exhibits? In conferences, individuals will probably be like, “You guys promote out all of your exhibits and you’re huge on TikTok. How are you doing that?” It modifications how individuals heat as much as you. It’s like, “Oh he’s from the Atlanta entice scene,” or “Oh, they’re from the Portland DIY scene” — “Oh, these are TikTok ladies.”
Quite a lot of your lyrics give attention to haters. Have confronted backlash as feminine rappers who prefer to have enjoyable once they make music?
Coco: We went by means of the ringer once we first began. One time, we bought requested to do an interview for Artistic Loafing, and so they stated it was simply gonna be a pair pages within the journal, however they determined to place us on the duvet. They informed us that they bought very indignant emails from guys and bands, like, “Why do these ladies deserve that? Blah, blah, blah.” On reflection, I can’t imagine they have been dropping their marbles over that,” nevertheless it’s a testomony to how every thing has occurred for us. We’re like, “Okay, we’ll do that, this sounds cool,” after which issues get extra severe. I feel that upsets individuals as a result of it’s easy, and there’s individuals who work so laborious to see accomplishments like that. I assume we’re simply fortunate, [and] that rubs individuals the unsuitable means.
Clair Clair: We’ve [played shows where] we’ve got so many extra streams than different band on the invoice, and so they’re like, “No, Coco & Clair play first.” They’ve a notion of us. I’m like, “Okay, however we technically, when you have a look at the numbers…” To not go there, however we’ve got to talk up for ourselves. We shouldn’t be opening for an empty room. It’s awkward to speak about with out sounding stuffed with your self. We’ve talked a lot about what we will do to make individuals take us critically. We’re not simply TikTok ladies; we performed with Playboi Carti; we’ve been doing this.”
The phrase “easy” is vital. Lots of people confuse effortlessness for not giving a fuck or being dismissive of artistry or musicianship, nevertheless it’s not that: It’s charisma, it’s chemistry.
Coco: Individuals have totally different concepts of what an actual musician is. They are saying, “Beyonce doesn’t write any of her songs; she’s not an actual artist,” however there’s far more to artistry than that. Not that we expect we’re Beyonce, nevertheless it’s the identical factor. There are individuals who spend a lot time studying their craft, enjoying devices.I don’t know easy methods to play a single instrument, and I’m certain that pisses individuals off.
Clair Clair: It’s a disgrace that a lot of the trade continues to be obsessive about the guitar and the total band. It’s such an enormous a part of the historical past of music, it may be laborious for individuals to catch as much as the occasions, like, “Okay, it’s simply two ladies and a microphone, and that’s wonderful. They wrote all of the songs; they selected these beats.” We type ourselves. The entire artistic is us. We simply bought a severe supervisor earlier this 12 months. Up till then, we have been hustling all by ourselves.
