After spending the last few years delivering a wealth of immersive offerings, San Francisco-based electronic duo Host Bodies are now back for 2023 to deliver their euphoric new single 'Hourglass'.
Teaming up with the wondrous vocals of Alexa Jesse for the release, 'Hourglass' makes for a beautifully rich and alluring listen throughout. With its warm and embracing textures, soaring atmosphere, and mesmerising hooks layered throughout, they are returning for the new year with one of their most compelling cuts to date here.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most lately.
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What was the first instrument each of you fell in love with?
Alexa Jesse: Flute actually. I played flute for three years in middle school as well as piano and really enjoyed it, eventually I had to choose between sports and music/dance and chose the athletic route. I came from a family of sports fans, my dad was my coach and no one else in my family played music. I tore my ACL my sophomore year of high school and I really wish I never quit music. I didn’t pick it up again til after college. With all that said, my voice is definitely my favorite instrument and has always been.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
James from Host Bodies: MTV was my gateway into music at that coming-of-age period when you start finding your own musical tastes. I always gravitated towards weird new sounds. I remember the first time I heard glitchy, overdriven drums from The Prodigy and Autechre. I would play drums in my garage to a CD of Daft Punk's "Around the World." The synth melody for Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams'' always inspired me to want to play electronic music. Early Radiohead also expanded the playing field of my imagination. Now, it's clear that music which blends live instruments and electronic elements continues to be the frontier of creativity for our production.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Nick from Host Bodies: If I'm being perfectly honest, the first CD I owned was Chumbawamba (laughs). But another early one was Blur, because of the hit grunge rock track called "Song 2". Supposedly the band made that song as a joke, so it was a gateway for me to experience British pop and more emotional music. It's ironic because Damon Albarn went on to create Gorillaz, which is still one of my favorite artists.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Alexa Jesse: Ooo I love “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” by Phantogram. The mood changes and lines “Walk with me to the end, stare with me into the abyss, do you feel like letting go? I wonder how far down it is” -- just so good!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
James from Host Bodies: As a producer, the laptop is essentially my main instrument but I also play drums, piano, charango, pan drum, synth, and autoharp. Writing new music usually begins far from the computer with my hands on a real instrument. This could be around a campfire or at a public piano in a hotel lobby. For Hourglass, the song really began with the textural drone sound at the beginning. Something about a tonal drone rich in frequency really opens up a door for ideas. Then the arpeggiated ngoni riff came from a session of tutorial experimentation. Whenever I set my intention to learn something new about Ableton Live, I end up with an interesting new element.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Nick from Host Bodies: George Fitzgerald, Weval, Polo & Pan, L'Imperatrice, Fred again, FKJ.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Alexa Jesse: I would love to open for Lana Del Rey or Stevie Nicks! They are both authentically themselves and don’t care what other people think. Their super calm energy, incredible songwriting, and soulful voices resonate with my style.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being musicians?
James from Host Bodies: When we play live, there is often a person who happens to come to our show by chance and ends up being so impressed they stay and talk with us after the show. That always feels rewarding, to meet a new friend and fan. Overall, playing live is when all the hard work pays off and reactions from the crowd—whoops, dancing, cheers, smiles—make it all worthwhile for me.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Nick from Host Bodies: Plugging everything in.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as musicians?
Alexa Jesse: Music/singing doesn’t come from our heads/minds, it’s a full body creation and experience. It’s easy to try to “think” about what we want to create, but feeling into it and connecting to our own frequency is the way to tap into our muse and flow state.
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Host Bodies' new single 'Hourglass' ft. Alexa Jesse is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.