Interview: Matt & Kim, A Musical Duo

When Smashbox Studios gave me the opportunity to interview Matt and Kim, I found myself feeling…stoked! The duo is known for creating a great time on stage and being fun-loving twenty somethings off. Meeting them in their L.A. hotel room to hang was exciting — Matt seemed like the boy at a party you’d talk to about music alone in a corner, while Kim reminded me of my girlfriends back in New York, the kind who dance to the beat of their own drums (In Kim’s case, she literally does!). It was refreshing to meet this recently successful band and learn that they have so much gratitude and respect for where they’re at and where they’re headed — right now, it’s touring with Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance, collaborating with Soulja Boy and Andrew W.K. for Converse, and celebrating their latest album, ‘Sidewalks‘ with a fresh new remix. Wanna get up-beat?

SMASHBOX STUDIOS: What is your artistic process?

KIM: How we do it kind of matches our personality. I’ll write pages and pages of lines that don’t really go together and hand them off to Matt.

MATT: Let’s not reveal too much about how it works. Kim does things very quickly and I tend to do things slowly. Kim wants to get things done and I want to just pick over it for basically forever. I think when we work together, we can actually finish things and get them enough thought that they deserve.

KIM: Definitely. Sometimes you need someone to slow you down and sometimes you need to someone to speed you up.

SB: How did the Converse collaboration with Soulja Boy and Andrew WK happen?

M: It was through Converse. We got contacted about possibly doing it. All these names went around. We had heard the nature of the project. That you’d get to work with two other artists whose worlds might not usually collide otherwise. We thought about the other artists for a while and then Soulja Boy signed on. We wanted to do a party song; We play music to have fun to. Soulja Boy plays music I want to have fun to. Then we couldn’t think of a third collaborator and all of these names were getting thrown around, and I was writing names down and it went “Matt and Kim, Soulja Boy…. Andrew W.K.”. I couldn’t even say it out loud to Kim. I just told her “look at this”.  And of course she was so down. As three artists whose music might sound a bit different, I think partying is at the core of our music.

SB: You both are opening up for Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance on their Honda Civic Tour coming up. Blink 182 has been around for a while. Does it feel like a “full circle moment”?

M: I got into music in my sort of middle school years I guess, initially via Nirvana and stuff like that genre of music. Then I got into skateboarding and the pop punk bands that I would see in Skateboard Magazines – one being Blink 182. I remember seeing them Warped Tour ’96 in North Hampton, Massachusetts. They opened. That was the first time I had ever seen or heard them.

K: They put on a fun show. We went to watch the New York show that they did at Jones Beach. I just got so excited. For us it’s going to be awkward because we’re opening.

M: First of three. People are finding their seats, getting popcorn…

K: So we realize but it doesn’t matter. We get to watch Blink 182 every night. It’s going to be great.

SB: It’s like you guys are starting the party!

K: It’s going to be… interesting.

M: When we went to that show, they played “Damn it” last. And right before it Tom shouted it out to us. “This one goes out to Matt and Kim! We’re so excited they’re going to be opening up for us!”

SB: So we heard about Matt’s musical influences. What are some more of yours, Kim?

K: Well throughout high school I was a raver. I used to sneak out to raves with my brother a lot. Let me also preface that I was a straight-edge raver: I was there for the music. Then I got into pop punk and that’s when I went to Penn State for a year. Then I started listening to hip-hop, which is sort of where I’m at now. I listen to Top 40 hip-hop and pop punk. There’s sort of nothing in between.

SB: You two met at Pratt University in New York. What were you studying?

K: I went for Illustration and Matt went for film.

SB: How was it getting naked in Times Square for your “Lessons Learned” music video? That’s a dream realized!

K: No it’s not!!! It’s like a nightmare!

M: Kim didn’t do it. It took a lot to convince her.

K: New York in the winter is fucking cold!

M: We shot it in February. I was like “Kim, this is the perfect idea for this video!”— At first when I had the idea, I thought we would do the video on like a back street in Bushwick or something. Then I thought, “That’s not freedom! Freedom is doing this in Times Square!”

SB: What’s your most favorite gig that you’ve played so far?

M: That’s really tough. I’ve thought about that question before and we do so many super rad shows. It’s kind of like if you had the best year of your life and had to pick your favorite day.

K: There are things that stand out. Like when you realize change is happening. Which is nice because you always want change in any direction. Lollapalooza was one of those shows that were like “Where did all these people come from? And they’re singing along! Is this all really happening?”.  Those are certainly memorable moments.

M: There’s a short video online from Rolling Stone Magazine that was some onstage footage looking out at the audience during our Lollapalooza set. It was like 40,000 people singing and dancing along. I just remember being in my high school bands and thinking “If just one person I didn’t know knew the words to a song I had written, that would blow my mind”. I never take any of that stuff for granted.

SB: Do either of you have a favorite song?

K: T.I.’s Bring Em Out.

M: I have a song that I sometimes call my favorite song. It’s not really fluid because I don’t want to hear it every day but ‘Oooh Child’ by The Five Fair Steps is one of the best written songs.

SB: Are you listening to anything right now that you love?

K: Beyonce. Her song ’Cut Down’ is awesome.

M: ‘Otis’ by Kanye West and Jay Z. That Spike Jonze video for the song is so fun. We’re big believers in putting fun back in music. We’re all for tortured artists but it doesn’t have to be what it’s all about.

SB: You two donated proceeds from a web video a few months back to a Homeless Teen Organization. Tell us about that.

K: During the Virgin Free Fest in Baltimore we shot a video. They had the camera following us around all day. They posted the video online and anytime someone watched it

M: It was a specific cause that we can believe in because we’ve all done stupid shit when we’re young. Luckily we had whatever support system to pull us out of that. So I think the idea of youth homelessness, people don’t think about it.

SB: Finish the sentences: Always… & Never…

M: Ummm…

K: Always fast but never slow.

SB: You were quick with that one!

M: I like that one! Sold!

Luckily, Kim had some time to chat with me one and one. I was eager to hear about what influences her stylistically and how she looks so good yet so laid back on and off stage.

SB: Do you have a favorite article of clothing that you wear a lot on tour?

K: I will say that this (a black and white striped) Express tank top is always on. Also, I have an odd shape where I have a tiny waist but a big bottom so the Levi’s Bold Curve have been the only pants that I can fit in and not have that extra space on my waist. I think I have like 9 pairs of black Levi’s Bold Curve.

SB: How would you describe your style?

K: That’s tough. I kind of lean to basic black, white, and grey colors. I play drums every night, which means I can’t get too crazy. I did play once in a skirt. You have to be careful what you wear. You have to be able to get dirty in it. So I guess that’s my style — I like to get dirty.

SB: Favorite designer?

K: Erin Fetherston right now. I wore one of her dresses to the Woodie’s … She has that girly attitude with some fifties style put into it.

SB: How has the success of the band influenced your wardrobe?

K: It’s been nice. When you’re younger and struggling with money you see things and go “Yeah I would wear that but it costs too much money”. I just spent a stupid amount of money on a pair of Burberry shoes. But even like two years ago that would’ve been stupid. I’m also ridiculously obsessed with www.gilt.com

SB: Do you have any beauty related secrets?

K: Let me tell you, as you get older you start doing more and more because you need to! My favorite thing is the Clarasonic brush. When I’m done playing, I’m drenched in sweat and makeup.  So that really helps.

SB: Best look on the opposite sex?

K: High watered pants on guys are fucking hot.

*We’ll be on the look out, Kim!*