Exclusive Interview: Get Funky with Cherub at Imagine Festival 2019
KADE: First, I want to thank you for taking a moment to chat with Concert Hopper after touring non-stop for the Free Form tour over the last year - that has to be tiring! My name is Kade and I am a correspondent for ConcertHopper.com. I just want to get to know you guys a little bit and find out what you have instore for all your fans at Imagine Festival 2019.
JORDAN: Thanks Kade! We have all the things in store for our fans and friends at Imagine!
KADE: Like I said, you guys have been touring non-stop for the Free Form Tour with Maddy O’Neal and Mosie which was an amazing tour! I caught the show in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the Signal and it was an energetic dance party from start to finish. What is your pre-show ritual that gets you all hyped up to bring that over-the-top energy to the stage and jam out with everyone?
Jason Huber of Cherub crowd surfing during a performance - Photo courtesy of Cherub’s Facebook page.
JORDAN: Glad you enjoyed the show. I drink 1 gallon of water an hour before the show which allows me ample time to mark every corner of the backstage green rooms before we go on. This is my pre-show ritual every show.
JASON: I like to listen to Umphrey’s McGee and jam the flip out (typically their record Mantis) while I change into my stage attire… fresh socks are key!
KADE: After seeing Maddy O’Neal open for you guys, I noticed a very similar funk, indie vibe coming off her as well - would there be any possible collaborations with Maddy O’Neal in the works? Or maybe plans for the future?
JORDAN: Maddy is awesome! Super talented and also such an awesome person to party with on tour! No plans set up currently, but hopefully soon.
JASON: We had a collaboration come out last fall in the form of a short video published to @JerryOfTheDay… be on the lookout for a winter-sport-safety-tutorial next season! In all seriousness, Maddy is a badass and we’d love to work with her again in the future.
KADE: Let’s take it all the way back to the beginning for a second - What inspired you guys to start Cherub? You have such a unique electro-indie meets retro dance music vibe,can you tell us a little bit about where you draw inspirations from?
JASON: Music festivals patronized and performed at from 2006-present, the 2010 blog-house scene and a party called Y2K, Subway, a Nissan Xterra, my dad likes ‘Hold Me,’ we both like snacks and traveling, we both like seeing people happy.
JORDAN: I started on the first album Man Of The Hour when I was just messing around with sounds on my music software. I worked on polishing it off with our friend Nick Curtis, and then I sent the music over to Jason and the rest is history.
KADE: Since your single “Doses & Mimosas” spread like wildfire overnight in 2014, your popularity soared and you’ve made your way around the nation to some of the most iconic music venues. What is the most memorable venue you have played at? And do you have a crazy story that makes it the most memorable venue?
JASON: Red Rocks is hands down one of the most magical venues to perform in… I once heard it called the ‘Mermaid Cave.’ I really like First Avenue in Minneapolis as well… I’m a big Prince fan.
JORDAN: Red Rocks for me too, probably. It’s such an epic view and sound.
“Something For You” by Cherub is available NOW on Spotify.
KADE: After your 2017 ‘Your Girlfriend Already Bought Tickets Tour’ with the Floozies, you guys took an almost two year hiatus (hopefully to rest) - but then you came back and released four singles back-to-back, then immediately jumped on the Free Form Tour. Are we getting tastes of a follow up album to ‘Bleed Gold, Piss Excellence’? When will the masses be graced by another Cherub creation?
JORDAN: We definitely have a lot of new music coming, so keep an ear out for that.
KADE: Your latest single ‘Thru It All’ has a much more mellow-vibe than most of your singles - such as “XoXo’ & “Doses and Mimosas’ - but still stay true to your funky, electro-indie vibe. Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind this new single?
JORDAN: We never have wanted to pigeon-hole our sound, so we’ve always been trying new soundscapes and tempos since the beginning of Cherub. I think the songs we are most well-known for have a similar up tempo vibe, but we are never scared to try things a bit more melancholy.
KADE: As we are building up to your performance at Imagine Music & Arts Festival in Atlanta, Georgia - Do you guys have any tricks up your sleeve or surprises in store for your funky fans? Any hot new music you’re thinking about debuting at the festival by chance?
JORDAN: Definitely some new music! I will be bringing my heavy festy vibes like always as well.
JASON: We’re just stoked to get out and play in the sun (hopefully we get a nice warm afternoon sunset) and get some fresh air, before we start our upcoming fall tour… love touring, but the venue-to-venue life doesn’t lend to much vitamin D intake. As far as tricks… we try to leave things unscripted, because we like surprises too!
KADE: We all know you guys are the champions of pop-up sets at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival - Can we expect a surprise set at Imagine Festival?
JORDAN: Jason is the champion of that. He loves doing random DJ sets at festivals. Anywhere, actually.
JASON: I love performing the pop-up sets at festivals… I’ve personally never been to Imagine Festival before, so I have no idea what to expect. What can I expect at Imagine Festival is the real question!
KADE: Thank you again for taking the time to chat with us, Jordan & Jason! We are looking forward to catching your set at Imagine Music & Arts Festival 2019 and getting down with you at the Amazonia Stage!
Imagine Music & Arts Festival Official Line Up Poster