The Interview - 06 - Those Usual Suspects

Those Usual Suspects are one of my favorite groups as of right now. They are known for their collaboration with Dirty South and their hit single Walking Alone. I remember going to numerous festival last year and hearing Walking Alone or Arty's remix being played. Everyone enjoyed song because its very uplifting and the vocals are powerful.

The trio started producing together 7 years. They met in high school and they shared the same passion for music. There first success in the music industry was when Bob Sinclar signed their first single Dakka. Soon after, House legend Louie Vega remixed their track. After Dakka's success they produced another anthem called Shadows which gain support from Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, and Swedish House Mafia.

There is a lot of hype in the trio as they are becoming more and more popular. In there recent work they remixed Topher Jones' Hello and that remix will be out on Ultra Records. They also have released tracks on Ministry of Sound and Onelove Recordings. There are a trio to look out for. Since Swedish House Mafia is breaking up, I could imagine Those Usual Suspect replacing that trio, they are just that good. With that being said, here is our interview with them. Enjoy!


10 Marshmallows

Marshmallow Gun: How did you guys meet and get the name Those Usual Suspects?

Those Usual Suspects: Maarcos and I have known each other from High School and we decided to team up around 7-8 years ago to produce for fun. Atridge, our third member, was introduced to us from a friend and we just clicked. It started off as three mates having fun in the studio, and it’s still that but we’ve managed to have some success along the way. The name came about from racking our heads for ideas and simply choosing one out of a hat. And I’m pretty sure Those Usual Suspects was one of my suggestions!

MG: What inspired you to make music?

TUS: We first started producing organically as an extension on our DJing. It was for fun and how Maarcos and I used to spend our time when we caught up. Being a bunch of music and tech nerds, our idea of a chilling out was listening to new tunes while sitting in front of a computer/keyboard and bouncing ideas off each other. I don’t think things have changed (apart from the addition of Atridge)! While we’ve worked our asses off, we certainly never ever expected to get to where we are today.

Making, playing and listening to music has always been an outlet from the daily grind – whether it is from school, university or day work. We all still have day jobs which keeps us grounded.

MG: Describe the music you guys make?

TUS: We all started from a house music background but our tastes have evolved and we’ve embraced a bigger and chunkier sound. You’ll probably pick up on this if you follow our productions since day one. I would broadly describe our current sound as emotive “big room” electronic dance music with plenty of (hands in the air) “moments”. We set no real boundaries but simply aim to make music which we are passionate about.

MG: Tell me about a life changing experience during your music career.

TUS: It would have to be our collaboration with Dirty South on “Walking Alone”. We were stoked to work with someone who we respected so highly and an opportunity like this doesn’t present itself every day. He was the consummate professional. We’ve learnt a lot from him, and have since become close friends. It certainly opened up a lot of doors and gave us plenty of exposure internationally. It was a pleasant wake up call for us to lift our game to and take our music to the next level.

MG: What is your favorite festival you have attended and why?

TUS: Tomorrowland. The setup is out of this world. The atmosphere is frenetic, the line-up is second to none and the crowds are certainly armed to party. We’d love to be on the line up next year!

MG: Who would you like to collaborate with and why?

TUS: A collaboration with Axwell would be magnificent. I think Maarcos would literally lose his sh*t!! We have a lot of respect for him and his production works, and we’d be able to learn a lot from him from a session in the studio together. He has that rare musical midas touch!!

MG: Favorite song at the moment?

TUS: It would still have to be Dirty South & Alesso “City Of Dreams”. That track is driving, emotive, has a great hook and just hits all the right notes.

MG: What are your thoughts about Swedish House Mafia's last tour?

TUS: I couldn’t imagine a better send off for the boys before they focus on their own projects as it’s great what they have collectively done for EDM. And it seems the world agrees as all their last tour shows have been sold out within hours.

MG: Is there an upcoming artist we should know about?

TUS: It would be our good friend Nordean. Perhaps we’re biased but the guy is a top notch Australian production machine and DJ.

MG: What you guys have in store for the rest of 2012?

TUS: We have a short US tour in mid-December (we’ll release dates shortly) as well as a number of shows in Asia and back home in Australia. Aside from that, we’ll be in the studio working on new material for 2013.

5 Mini-Marshmallows

MG: If you could visit one state in the US, what state would it be?

TUS: Definitely New York. It’s vibrant, inspiring, and buzzing with energy and life.

MG: Where is your favorite place to eat?

TUS: There is a joint called Trippy Taco near my place in Melbourne. I’m not vegetarian, and it’s not everybody’s thing, but they do a wicked Tofu Burrito and Sangria.

MG: What is your favorite sport?

TUS: It’s definitely golf for me and Atridge. We’re self-confessed addicts. For Maarcos it would have to be soccer.

MG: Apple or Microsoft?

TUS: Atridge and Maarcos have been long time Apple fanatics while I’m embarking on a slow transition. Damn peer group pressure!!

MG: Do you like Marshmallows? Why or why not?

TUS: Love marshmallows when roasted over a campfire - charred on the outside while sweet and gooey on the inside. Awesome!!


Here is a mix that Those Usual Suspects provided us! Thank you guys for the mix and the interview!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thoseusualsuspects
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/thoseusualsuspects