Through the years, we’ve had the ultimate pleasure of developing relationships with some of the best and brightest people in music. From PR firms sending us emerging new talent, to working with managers to highlight artists through our Residency program, amazing music and opportunities come through our virtual door through our fellow music nerds in the industry. And, Danger Village is definitely one of our all-time favorite team of music nerds.
To celebrate their awesomeness, both in musical tastes and in logo selection, we worked with them to curate the next iteration of their No Guest List Required Mixtape. In addition to that, we also fired off a few choice questions to the always impressive HOLYCHILD, which you can find just below the mixtape.
Below you’ll find a few of Danger Village’s artists that we’ve covered before, as well as a few others that they hand-selected as their favorites in the game. We’re pretty sure you’ll find a few new favorites in here, so scroll down and hit play already!
1. HOLYCHILD – “Happy With Me”
Laced with an exuberant instrumental, infectious hooks and sharp lyrics,”Happy With Me” vaulted HOLYCHILD to the forefront of the indie pop world and solidified their signature brat pop sound.
2. Bloodboy – “Human Female”
With Justin L. Raisen (Charli XCX, Sky Ferreira) behind the boards, Lexi Papillion aka Bloodboy shines in the anthemic electro pop affair “Human Female,” reflecting on her personal growth and grappling with womanhood.
3. Bedbugs – “Like The Earth”
Fuzzy vocals, a hooky chorus and bright guitar chords come together harmoniously in “Like The Earth,” encapsulating the sunny vibes of Bedbugs’ hometown of Los Angeles.
4. BETS – “Don’t Give A F#Ck”
Ominous yet alluring, BETS plays the role of femme fatale on a bed of glitchy production, proudly proclaiming, “I don’t fall in love.”
5. Hoodlem – “Kintsugi”
Twisting and crunching forward using a deconstructed deep house backbeat and a sweeping bass line to form a seductive groove, “Kintsugi” reflects on repairing a broken relationship.
6. ELVETT – “Everybody Say…”
A soulful piece of indie pop, “Everybody Say…” is driven by Lyn’s rapid fire vocals and a hazy soundscape comprised of flanger-tinged guitars, dissonant piano notes and looping Wurlitzer riffs.
7. ALICE MK – “Greed”
With menacing synths, thunderous drums, a blistering guitar solo and ALICE MK’s vocals commanding the charge, “Greed” tackles the downward spiral associated with the insatiable desire for more.
8. WILD – “Vagabond”
Strapped with humanizing, heart-on-sleeve candor, “Vagabond” is a stirring anthem that poignantly captures the uneasiness associated with self-acceptance.
9. F a l i n e – “Valet”
Vulnerable and charming, “Valet” invites us into F a l i n e’s psyche, examining the fallibility and fickleness of human emotions through vivid stream of consciousness storytelling.
10. Black Honey – “All My Pride”
Blending 90s alt grit, 60s pop sensibility and an explosive chorus, “All My Pride” is an exhilarating thrill ride that perfectly captures the band’s indomitable spirit.
As we mentioned before, this feature not only brings you a tasty selection of tunes, but you’ll also get an inside look at one of Danger Village’s legacy acts. We first covered HOLYCHILD back in 2013 with their absolute smash hit single, “Happy With Me.” Since then, this charming duo has put out a number of solid tunes, including a top-notch EP last summer. Now that they’re in the middle of recording some new material, we figured it was the perfect time to reach out and learn more.
Looking back on the past 2.5 years since you released Happy With Me, how have things turned out differently (for better or worse) than what you expected at that time?
Liz: The past few years have been a whirlwind. I don’t like to have expectations for anything, so I don’t think I had an image in mind of how I wanted things to roll out. I did know a few things. I wanted to be making art with social commentary and I wanted to be able to do it full time; no more waitressing or teaching dance or working at whatever shop. I definitely feel really grateful to be in Mexico right now and writing our second album because it feels like part of that dream is being manifested and that feels really amazing.
What have you learned about being a recording and touring musician in the past three years?
Louie: I feel like I have learned a lot! The most important thing I’ve learned is to just to try to keep my head low at all times, my eyes on the prize and take the good with the bad. The highs are so high and the lows are so low in this industry. At one moment, everybody loves you and the next they’ve moved onto something else. I’ve learned to take it all one step at a time and to never take myself too seriously. I want to be true to myself and everybody around me, enjoying the ride as much as possible not letting any of it get to my head.
We know that you’re living in Mexico City right now, recording more music. Can you tell us – what is the shape of HOLYCHILD to come?
Liz: Honestly, I have no idea what the future holds. The material we’re working on right now is definitely my favorite music we’ve ever written. It’s honest and genuine. Sometimes when it’s playing, I can’t stay in the same room because it’s so personal. At the same time, I’m inspired by that vulnerability. We’re trying not to overthink anything and just letting everything fall into its place. I’m happy that we have the time and space for that right now. I’m currently inspired by my ancestors, unrequited love, Frida Kahlo and also the unpretentiousness here. We’ll see where it all ends up.
