[TSS Artist Spotlight] Hook N Sling

Saturday nights in Los Angeles are seldom spent at home. So when I heard Hook N Sling was headlining for Arcade Saturdays at Create, I made sure that I was going to be in attendance. Now, this wasn’t my first time at Create, but this was probably one of the first times I had seen the lines jam packed. From the looks on the outside, I was beginning to think that everyone had the aim to spend Saturday night inside with some Hook N Sling. Hailing from Australia, now an LA resident, Hook N Sling has created some of the electronic scene’s most prized and loved tunes. If you’re not sure think back to Goodwill x Hook N Sling’s indie electro tune “Take You Higher” or the addictive collab with Nervo “Reason,” or even the hypnotizing “Magnet.” Most recently he dropped his “Tokyo By Night,” off Axtone records with another huge release, “Momentum” out today via Doorn Records. So who is Hook N Sling and why are we so addicted to him? Well, prepare to appease your appetite and meet the talented and charming, Hook N Sling.

J: I read in a previous interview that Create was one of your favorite venues. How does it feel to be playing here tonight?

HNS: I’m a bit anxious right now, but then I normally settle and get more comfortable once I get out there and see that everything looks good and all my friends are here. I’m not really that nervous. It’s good to catch up with everyone before I actually go out and play.

J: Is there anything you are most excited to play tonight?

HNS: Yeah, I’ve got my new record with Sultan & Ned Shepard which I’m playing tonight for one of the first times. They are actually coming down; so they are going to jump up on stage and we are going to play it together. I’m also going to be playing my new record “Momentum” which is out on Monday. Those two I am really excited about.

J: Where do your producing roots come from?

HNS: I started producing because the records I was DJing. I would play them and be like, “I really want to do an edit of this or change that,” so it kind of came from a place where I wanted to just do records for my sets that I couldn’t buy or get a hold of. I started editting and cutting stuff together. Next thing I knew I was writing music.

J: Was there a specific moment that solidified that you wanted to do this as a career?

HNS: Not really. I always loved it, but I never thought I’d be able to get away with it as a job full time.

J: What are some of your musical influences?

HNS: I taught myself guitar when I was living back in Australia. It actually started with my dad. My dad had a lot of old music lying around and he had a guitar in the house. He had a lot of old Cat Stevens and old 70’s music. I used to pick up sheet music and teach myself all these chords. I grew up with a lot of music in the house.

J: Where does the name Hook N Sling come from?

HNS: It’s the name of an old funk and block party kind of tune. I used to sample the beat from that song “Hook N Sling.” I used that sample to make my edits and remixes. Then when I put out my first little EP,(which no one has ever heard because it’s really shit) I decided to call myself that.

J: How do you think your sound has changed since say your Calvin Harris “Not Alone” remix to now?

HNS: I still love writing melodies like the Calvin Harris remix. I wrote a new melody fo that song. I still remember doing that actually. I still think I always go for the same things-like I always want to write something that is going to work in a club and musically is interesting. How it has changed? Well, that’s a hard question. I’m not really consciously changing my style of music. I get influenced by lots of different things like what I hear on the radio or records I buy- all kinds of things. It’s really changed because of outside influences.

J: Back in 2012 you moved from Australia to LA. Is it important to you to keep in touch with the music scene over there?

HNS: Yeah, absolutley. I’m always checking in on what my friends are up to. I’m always on Facebook. I follow my DJ friends back in Australia still. Last time I toured there was back in April this year.I’m still going back there;I’m always back there. I love Australia. My family is there,so I always keep really good contact with everyone.

J: So “Momentum” is coming out Monday via Doorn Records. Can you walk us through the creative process from how it went from being an idea to a finished track?

HNS: It was a strange process. I started off with the breakdown in “Momentum” with a melody and chords I wrote about a year ago and then I wrote the beats and the drop in the last six months. I always do this. I always piece together new records and old records and they work together really well. I matched them together and that was it- that was how the record was born.

Hook N Sling- Momentum | Purchase |

J: Last, but not least if you could translate your life into bpms what would it be and why?

HNS: It wouldn’t be like 130 becuase I’m a pretty laid back guy. I’d say 126 even though most my records are 128. 126 to me is like a good energetic pace, but with a laid back vibe. Australians are pretty laid back people. That’s a pretty hard question, but that’s the first thing that came to mind.

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