Now You Know: The Hellp

Amidst a busy night full of DJ’s, Rappers, and Pop Stars, Activaire sat down with The Hellp to talk about touring, fandom, and abstract inspirations.

It’s Friday, deep into the hours of the night at one of London’s most visited venues, COLOUR FACTORY. With my camera dangling off my neck and a yellow media pass wrapped around my wrist, I walk into the tightly packed green room and sit down to talk with THE HELLP before their DJ set. Noah Dillon and Chandler Ransom Lucy are the American duo headlining MAXXING: London’s top Electro-Grime-Pop-Indie Sleaze night. Tonight is The Hellp’s official afterparty, marking the end of their European tour dates before they return Stateside.

The Hellp are labeled as the pioneers of the Indie Sleaze Revival. Their blend of Electroclash with Modern Pop and, at times, Country aesthetics mixed with their rockstar image, perpetuated by skinny jeans, shaggy haircuts, and leather jackets, lends itself to an era (or perhaps, several at once) that most of Gen-Z has never experienced, yet adores. They have become a cult of personality for young people with a desire for music pushing boundaries. As more and more people become curious about what the next generation of Pop and Rockstars will sound like, The Hellp will always answer.

Eero: So, you guys have just finished what’s probably your biggest tour yet, no?

Chandler: Yeah.

Noah: Pretty much.

E: How are you guys feeling about that? Are there any key takeaways that you would take from this going forward? Because you guys are playing New York next week as well. Is there anything you guys would take away from that?

C: I just think we’re just doing a job. We’ve been getting better, and I think night two of London was probably like the ultimate display of our current iteration of the live show, so yeah, [we’re] stoked about it, and stoked to roll into New York and just crush it again like always.

N: It’s like sports, you know. Obviously, you just keep playing and playing and performing and performing, and then suddenly you’re doing it at a much higher level than you thought you could be or would be, and that’s kind of what it is. It hasn’t really hit us, but it seems like we’re on a good little roll, and it’s a summation of years of working… and yeah, so it’s been positive. It’s been good.

E: That show on Wednesday was great.

N: Was that the last show? Yeah, it was a pretty good one, yeah.

E: Fashion is a really big part of your image. Do you feel like the fans in particular take notes from you guys and your fashion, and is there any way you kind of feel inspired by your fans and their fashion sense?

N: They definitely take cues from us, and it’s endearing, and it’s cool to see. I’m not a liar, so I can’t lie. I don’t really take fashion inspiration from our fans. But I don’t really take fashion inspiration from anybody these days. We dress how we dress. When we were younger, we’d be like, “Oh, look at that crazy outfit!”or look at this, look at that. But it doesn’t really happen anymore. So we don’t really take inspiration from anybody. We are who we are at this point.

C: I wouldn’t call it inspiration, but there’s definitely times when I’ve met homies outside of shows and just kind of been like, you look pretty cool. Like, you look better than us.

N: The thing is, they all look cooler than us. So I’m like, well, whatever. Whatever it is you see in us, you’re doing it better.

C: Yeah, sometimes you’ll see a really handsome young boy, and you’re just like, damn, that jacket looks way better on you than it would on us. But for the most part, there’s no inspiration for us anymore. It’s just, we are who we are now.

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E: In terms of non-musical influences, you guys have listed things like Airbnb advertisements, skateboarding, and Halo as influences. Is there anything right now that has influenced you that’s not necessarily music? Noah, I know you just did the Rosalía album cover [Lux] and a music video for her. Are there visual or non-musical elements that you guys are really inspired by right now?

N: I mean, there are always things that are interesting. There’s a lot of old art videos I’ve been into that are just on YouTube, but that’s kind of like the typical run-of-the-mill esoteric things that one can cite. But, I mean, every day there’s something new. Two days ago, I went to the Gagosian exhibit of the [Richard] Avedon stuff, and I saw the Nan Goldin [exhibit], and you look at that, and you’re like, oh, very interesting. You can interpolate it one way or the other.

But, today I asked Chandler about it because our old roommate and really brilliant author Curtis Eggleston, we all lived together, and Chandler and him would put on this comedian, Mitch Hedberg- and I hate comedians. I think… I could go into it, I don’t like them. I don’t like comedy, I think it’s stupid, and maybe I’m an idiot for thinking that, but I do like Louis CK, and I like this Mitch Hedberg guy; he’s agenius.Look it up on YouTube, whatever, but the way that the poignancy and how he delivers his jokes and the bit, they’re so simple, but they’re very profound. They’re aphorisms; he’s an aphorist, and you could watch it with a straight face, or you could watch it with the intention of laughing, and so that was very inspiring just today alone.

N: And the Uber Boats on the Thames! I love the Uber Boats- so sick– I really want to go on an Uber Boat very soon, but I’m too dizzy- Those things are kind of daunting. Those are turgid waters out there. Very turgid waters. I don’t think I can handle it. I’m working up to it. You’ll see me on the Uber boat one day with a martini in hand.

E: I went on one not that long ago. They’re a lot of fun.

N: Really? See, that’s what I’m saying.

C: It’s funny when you say that about comedians, because you’re one of the funniest dudes I know. But I would say, [and] I sound like a broken record at this point, but I’ve been very inspired by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland doing 28 Years Later, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

I think The Bone Temple was one of the best movies of the last decade, and there’s no reason that movie should have worked, and it just knocked it out of the park. But it’s not necessarily the movie or the visual language, just what it represents, and that you can communicate something like that. [It’s] in my opinion, high concept. It’s been inspiring to me lately.

N: An additional answer I have. Though it may be arrogant, though it may be short-sighted, though it may be… not well thought out, it’s inspiring to see what Timmy T is doing, Timmy Chalamet is doing. The comments he’s making, the trajectory of his career, it’s very cool to see what he’s doing. I love that people hate him. I love that he’s still doing his thing. Very cool to see. The Dune 3 trailer, very cool. That’s also sick. It’s going to be amazing.

E: Thank you so much for your time.

N: Thanks, man.

C: Thanks, brother.

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As the venue begins to fill with a giddy sense of anticipation, it becomes clear how massive of a movement The Hellp have started. This is Maxxing’s biggest event to date too, having already hosted major internet names like 2hollis and the Frost Children in venues across London.

After this, The Hellp are heading back stateside to New York to begin a new a string of shows that could be as impressive as their Webster Hall headliner, an impressive sold out show which they called: “Their Confetti Moment,” closing the show with actual raining confetti on the crowd. You can get tickets for The Hellp’s American tour dates here.

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