Stoop Kids’ sound is an eclectic mix of soul, hip-hop, surf, jazz, and rock with a psychedelic aftertaste. This, combined with their high-energy, theatrical, performances, makes Stoop Kids unique and unpredictable. While based in New Orleans, the band has toured extensively throughout the eastern United States over the past two years and plan to expand upon that. Their sophomore album, Already Out of Time, was described as “a genre-bending masterpiece” and “an essential album of 2015”.
The group is fronted by Griffin Dean singing, rapping, dancing, playing guitar, and writing the majority of the music. He is backed by Thomas Eisenhood (Baritone Saxophone, Harmonies), Sam Fruend (Bass, Harmonies), David Paternostro (Keys, Guitar), and Joe Tontillo (Drums). The five-piece band has independently released two albums and self-booked over 200 shows over the three years since their inception.
In this interview spotlight, we have a virtual pow wow with members of Stoop Kids to discuss the new project, motivations, and more.
Full Q&A, links and streams available below, including their new single Curious Man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIKe2aEnCp4
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Well the band really started out as an effort to combine low-fi hip hop and old doo wop because we had an interest in doing something that, as far as we knew, had not been done. However, Griffin wanted to build a band to perform his music in a live setting and well-studied musicians who had an affinity for pop songwriting and high-energy performances. This resulted in a diverse mix of genres.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
As far as our start, each one of us has had a different journey into music. We were all raised with different genres and bands that inspired us to make music our life force. This band, more than anything, has driven us to keep loving music because performing is the only thing any of us ever want to do.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
We often wear our influences on our sleeve, intentionally or unintentionally, so what music we’re currently listening to plays a big part in what we make. Our tastes have definitely changed over time, individually and as a group. For example, our really old stuff definitely reflects the 90s hip hop we were on at the time. The newer material reflects (at times) more of the contemporary hip hop stuff that we’ve all kind of been on.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
With these new singles, our goal was to create a batch of songs that all, while being very different from one another, still retained a certain level of cohesion and pop appeal.
What was the last song you listened to?
Dave- White Wedding, Billy Idol
Sam- Shake Your Hips, Rolling Stones
Tom- Nightmares, Clipse
Joe- Gravity, Freakwater
Griffin- Pedestrian at Best, Courtney Barnett
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Mp3 is the everyday medium for sure. Crazy convenient, always in your pocket, you know. But we all have a special place in our hearts for vinyl. We all collect and just dig the ritualistic aspect of putting on an album instead of just skipping through and playing the hits.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
As listeners, we’ve got to go with Spotify. It’s just too convenient and the library covers pretty much anything you’d want to hear. Since the addition of the Beatles catalog, it’s pretty much perfect. They still need to add Prince back on though. And Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey.”
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
Even though we seem to appeal to a good amount of people, we have always had a problem finding our “scene.” This is because we don’t really have a name for our kind of music besides “American” or “Jukebox.”
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
Our Facebook definitely keeps you up to date with our releases and tour schedule. Our Instagram (@stoopkidsmusic) and our Snapchat are our personal social media outlets where we get a little less formal.
