“Romeo” seems to be the only word that rhymes with Chromeo. And for good reason. This two-piece R&B-electro outfit, consisting of P Thugg and Dave 1, drums up songs that make you want to dance, and cuddle too. Click on to read about their favorite breakfast cereals and celebrity crushes, and afterwards, watch them jam out with Daryl Hall from legendary Hall and Oates.
From partytunez like “Needy Girl” and “Tenderoni”, to the newly released synth-heavy slow jammer, “Night by Night”, these Canadian-born crooners are suave ladies men disguised as music nerds. But that’s not all–Dave 1 also nerds out at Columbia University wrapping up his French Lit dissertation, and P Thugg is all over the band’s accounting. They drop serious knowledge on fashion and whole grain cereal and we didn’t even have to pay tuition.
What is the story behind the name Chromeo?
P Thugg - Dave came up with it. (Dave nods in agreement) One morning. Stroke of genius. He called me. He said, “What do you think of Chromeo?” I said this is a great name. We had been toying around with another one before.
Dave 1 – We were like it was weird that no one thought of that name, because it’s sort of obvious in a weird way. You think about it and all the really good band names are names that you can’t believe no one had thought about it. Or that or there’s something really clever about the name, like, I can understand why no one thought about Daft Punk, but then it just rolls off and you’re just like, but then there was never band called Justice? Never a band called Kiss? Kiss had to have come in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s even, and all around the world nobody ever thought, Kiss? So I feel like Chromeo… Well we’re not quite Kiss yet, but I felt like how come no one thought about it. And we googled it. We were going to be called “Highjack” but then 9-11 happened.
P Thugg – There was this one guy that thought of the name Chromeo on a message board about cars. A Car Dude. That was his name.
Oh, like chrome wheels?
Dave 1 – And actually, I think now there’s a graffiti artist called Chromeo
Alright, you gotta copyright that name, you know? Which bands in particular are you really into right now?
Dave 1 – KISS (P & Dave chuckle). I like Holy Ghost. We like Phoenix. Rap-wise I think Raekown’s new album is really good. Actually, you know, I really like Drake. I think Drake is the best thing that has happened since…
P Thugg – Since Lil Wayne.
Dave 1 – Yeah, I feel like Drake has the potential to really shut everything down, all genres. Like… My mom likes him. (P laughs) The appeal is really broad. I think the best album of the year is Drake’s “Mixtape”. I think what made it the best was that it was free. It was very progressive. It’s funny because we were hip hop producers before, my brother A-Trak (Kanye West’s dj) and I know everybody that does rap music in Canada, but Drake is 22, so we never knew him. This guy comes out of the woodworks, and it was so strange.
And [Drake] was on a children’s television show?
Dave 1 – Not a children’s television show, but more of an after school deal…
P Thugg - Yeah. It’s sort of crazy.
Dave 1 - I saw The Degrassi on the plane on Jet Blue the other day. It’s crazy! [Drake] cries, and goes out with a goth.
You and P met as schoolmates. How did you guys get into producing music?
Dave 1 – Well we had a funk band in high school together and got into hip hop after that, with my brother being part of the fold as well. Then grew out of the band stuff and then we started producing hip hop. I met Tiga, and he put me onto electronic music. I didn’t even know what it was, I wasn’t interested, I thought it was stupid. Then I thought, wow this is really good stuff, it made me think of 80’s stuff. This was right when Discovery by Daft Punk came out. For instance, I didn’t like the first Daft Punk record. I liked “Around the World” but I didn’t get any of the other stuff. Then Discovery came out and we were like, “Oh, it’s like funk music, really”. So that kind of got us into all the electronic stuff and got us into wanting to do something that wasn’t hip hop… and we’ve been doing that ever since. We found a way of combining P’s love for analogs synths, and sort of that retro technology.
P Thugg – Yeah, so we found a way to combine all these things, like the 80’s, and me growing up liking Huey Lewis as a kid and stuff like that, and sort of just all of that combined and creating our own sound.
We’ve been noticing your fashion styles and they’re very distinct. How do you describe your fashion style?
P Thugg – I’m… Just hip hop.
Dave 1 - I like suits and stuff. I wear some of that. The way that we dress in pictures and on stage is pretty much how we dress everyday. We don’t wear anything different. I wear suits to school sometimes, I really like the fact that it’s sort of getting back to really broad shoulder, double breasted stuff. I’m tall so I really like you know sort of more M.C. Hammer-ish pants, but a nice designer version. I mean, I like tight pants too, but the Jerk kids kind of killed that. I mean, it’s gotten really teenageri-sh. So, if you want to get your grown and sexy on a little bit. I mean it’s tough to wear design-y stuff that’s a little baggier without looking like you work in finance.
What do you guys usually have for breakfast?
P Thugg - Formula 50 Vitamin water and a banana muffin.
Dave 1 – Ew.
And you? (points at Dave)
Dave 1 – Well, breakfast is a new thing for me cuz I used to sleep in but now I totally switched my schedule and I get up at 8…
P Thugg - …and he has a steak.
Dave 1 - No, no. My new favorite cereal brand is “Kashi”. It’s hipster too, sort of. It feels like. I live in Williamsburg and they sell it everywhere. So it’s sort of like the Meyer’s cleaning products.
What are some snacky things that you eat that are bad for you, but that you love?
P Thugg – You name it man! Macaroni and Cheese, Oreos, Nutella, like whatever man. Everything really junky except Kentucky Fried Chicken. I’m so not into that. What’s better than 3 in the morning, a simple cheeseburger, from McDonalds.
Dave 1 – I love buffalo wings. With bleu cheese. And celery. And carrots that I never eat.
You guys can make people dance with your music. Do you enjoy dancing?
P Thugg – Yea yea, a lot. I’ll dance to anything. Death metal (Dave concurs, “Death Metal”)
So if there was a dance to your music, what would it be?
P Thugg – I’d do the oak tree. (Dances, wiggles arms like branches)
Dave 1 – (claps) That’s great!
Kanye pre-VMAs or post-VMAs
Dave 1 – Kanye post VMAs. I ride with him. I don’t think it was that big of a deal. I was more offended by his outfit at the VMAs….
What rhymes with Chromeo, excluding Romeo? Anything?
P Thugg – Borneo.
That might be the only thing.
P Thugg – No, there’s more.
Dave 1 – Sloppy Joe?
Lauryn Hill or Britney [Spears]. Who’s more likely to come back?
P Thugg – Lauryn Hill.
Dave 1 - But Britney’s already back. She’s been touring and doing all kinds of things, no?
Well. She’s been wearing those cut-off shorts and walking around barefoot again.
Dave 1 - Oh. See … I’m not that…
P Thugg – I’m not that TMZ.
Dave 1 - I’m from the land of vegetarian cereal.
Any celebrity crushes?
P Thugg – A lot…many. Lisa Bonet. Her daughter [Zoe Kravitz].
Dave 1 – Hold on. Zoe Kravitz is Lisa Bonet’s daughter?
She’s Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz’ daughter.
P Thugg – There’s this comedian named Anjelah Johnson. She’s cute.
How would you like to close this interview? Any last words of wisdom?
Dave 1 – I feel like I’ve dropped so much knowledge…I’m done. Stick a fork in me!
Skip to 2:25 to watch Chromeo and Daryl Hall jam Tenderoni.
Interview: Diane Chang
Photography: Chris Dea
Tags: Chromeo, Dave 1, Electro, Interview, Music, P Thugg, Tenderoni
