Go behind-the-scenes with HOLYCHILD and discover how they made The Shape Of Brat Pop To Come

Could you please introduce yourselves?

Louie: Liz and I met four years ago at college in DC and began writing songs almost immediately. We're based out of LA now, but will be on the road for the next couple of years supporting our debut album, The Shape Of Brat Pop To Come which dropped on Monday!

What is 'brat pop' and why do you make it?

Liz: Brat pop is absurdist pop music that deals with our culture's obsession with fame, beauty, youth, money, and defining ourselves. We make it because it's the only way we know how to deal with the world.

Who's your favourite brat, and who's your favourite pop star? Why?

Liz: My favorite brat is Louie, he always inspires me and makes me a better person. My favorite pop star is Joan Didion because she is forever a badass and her writing is perfect.

What music has influenced you?

Louie: Right now we're listening to the Bird and the Bee and are really into their lyrics, production and writing. Otherwise Battles, Buke and Gase, St Vincent, OutKast, Thelonious Monk, TV on the Radio and many others have influenced us over the years.

Did you have posters of musicians on your walls growing up?

Liz: Yes! Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Spice Girls, Destiny's Child... a few years ago I was living in a basement in Brooklyn and my entire room was covered in magazine clippings of all my faves. It was my wall
of art deities.

What non-music things have influenced you?

Liz: I love literature and fashion and photography and people. I have been very influenced by Bukowski, F Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Joan Didion, Sylvia Plath, Basquiat, Terry Richardson, Juergen Teller, this
time some girls called me fat last year in London, that time my dad fled the country to Saudi Arabia, and porn.

If you could rewrite the soundtrack for any classic film, what would it be and what would it sound like?

Louie: Ah this is such a hard question! All of my favorite films I feel like have irreplaceable scores or soundtracks! The only thing I could think of is maybe doing some out there James Blake inspired score for The Bicycle Thief. That could be interesting.

How has life been since the Apple advert? That seems to have got a few balls rolling!

Louie: Yeah, the Apple Watch ad provided a really nice kick of momentum into our album release. It was a dream to have something like that increase our platform just before our debut record comes out.

What's "Running Behind" about? How did you write/record it?

Liz: "Running Behind" is a stream-of-conscious attempt to understand if a relationship is honest or not: "we'll grow apart, baby let's blame the planets." It alludes to this idea that change is the only constant and we'll just all rationalize whatever we want anyway. We wrote part of it while we were sound checking in Colorado Springs, then we finished it in London on a rainy day after we were upset with each other and questioning whether or not we could continue with HOLYCHILD together.

How about The Shape Of Brat Pop To Come - how was the album formed?

Louie: The album was the culmination of two things: first, all of my and Liz's shared life experiences. Second, the past four years of our blood, sweat and tears. 30-something odd songs later, I feel like we knew we had the right 12 to put our best foot forward and say exactly what we want to say right now.

What's your favourite moment on the LP?

Liz: I'm currently really into the song "Regret You". I like the second verse because it's creepy and domineering but still soft, and that's how I feel about love.

You seem to have a very cohesive aesthetic and aim with your music - as evidenced by the "Money All Around" video - can you explain in your
words what your goals are?

Liz: Wow thanks! We want all our visuals and sounds to reflect the messages of Brat Pop which questions societal expectations imposed by mass media and advertisements. I directed "Money All Around" and the goal was to spell it out for people. I love subtlety but this time I didn't want it to go over anyone's head. I'm very inspired by the idea of getting dressed in a skimpy outfit, renting a limo, spending all my money, listening to loud dance music, and spilling champagne all over myself while I act like I'm famous when actually I don't have any money. That's what this is all about: the facade of fame and why that's appealing.

At the end it says you couldn't then afford to eat at that restaurant. Do you even want to?

Liz: Sometimes I want to, sometimes I'm grossed out by it.

Is your image as important as the sound? What do your visuals add to your music?

Louie: I think it all goes hand in hand. The sound informs the visuals, the visuals inform the sound. Brat Pop is more than just music. It's this little world we've created that seems familiar, fun and bouncy on the outside, but on the inside is genuinely trying to tear down all barriers that limit human equality.

If you had the power to change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?

Liz: I would make the world a place of free love, where everyone is equal and competition and jealousy didn't exist. I'm cynical though, so I don't necessarily believe we'll achieve that at this time.

What's a HOLYCHILD show like? Why should people go see you?

Louie: Our show is like everything else. High energy dance party/rock show on one hand, and on the other, we have two fabulous male background singers dancing like go-go girls at times, creepy weird '70s porn being projected as we walk on stage, and a moment or two of legitimate chaos. All again to just invite people in with familiar themes, rhythms, hooks etc... then mess with their heads some once they're getting down! All to inspire change for more equality in our society! We feel this all isn't mutually exclusive!

What are you working on next?

Liz: The album just came out this week so the current goal is to spread the word of Brat Pop. We're working on making people uncomfortable while they're floating in cotton candy clouds.

Do you have any big summer plans?

Liz: We're touring! We hope we can meet you, we love The Line Of Best Fit! Thanks for talking to us, thanks for spreading the word about the album. We're so honored.

The Shape Of Brat Pop To Come is out now on Glassnote. Watch a behind-the-scenes clip from Keaton Manning about the making of the album below.