TWO FRIENDS ON THEIR EPIC MUSICAL ODYSSEY: FROM HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCERS TO CHART-TOPPING DJS

BY IRVIN RIVERA

Two Friends, the prolific DJ and producer duo (Eli Sones, Matt Halper), opened up about their remarkable journey in a recent interview, transitioning from high school bedroom producers to chart-topping sensations. Their musical evolution has been significant, moving from a rigid adherence to genre conventions to a more experimental and diverse approach. They reminisced about pivotal moments in their journey, such as their first radio appearance, ticketed shows, and the dream of performing at Coachella. Their name, "Two Friends," reflects not just their creative partnership but also their enduring friendship, which has provided unwavering support and a shared sense of enjoyment throughout their decade-long musical adventure.

Notably, their viral remixes of tracks like "Mr. Brightside" and "I Miss You" have captured massive popularity due to their unique and fresh take on beloved songs. Their "Big Bootie Land" festival, born during the pandemic, has become a fan favorite, combining live music experiences with unique attractions. The duo's "Big Bootie Mix" series has also become a staple, resulting from their experimentation with vocals and instrumentals across various genres and decades. The Planet Two Friends Tour marked a significant chapter in their careers, with memorable performances at iconic venues like Red Rocks. As headliners at Coachella, they've come full circle, achieving their dream and leaving an indelible mark on the festival stage. Their story exemplifies the power of friendship, creative synergy, and a relentless pursuit of musical excellence.

FASHION STYLING: ANDREW PHILIP NGUYEN, JULIET VO GROOMING: GENEVIEVE GARNER, DIGITAL TECH: PHIL LIMPRASERTWONG, STYLING ASSISTANT: JESSE ZAPATERO, PRODUCER: LOUISE BARRETTO
Matt & Eli: Jumpsuit: OAK AND ACORN, Shoes: DR. MARTENS, Rings: RAT BETTY

From high school bedroom producers to chart-topping DJs, your journey has been remarkable. Can you reflect on how your music has evolved over the years, and what milestones have been most significant?

I think it took us a few years to step out of the boxes that we initially placed ourselves in. When we first started producing dance music in the early 2010s, we felt like we needed to stay consistent and stick to a certain tempo, a certain structure, and certain sounds. Eventually we started finding ways to still sound “consistent” but also be able to experiment and be diverse— our rule now is basically if something sounds good, keep going, and don’t worry about what box it’s going to fit in. We’ve always emphasized that this journey is going to be a series of baby steps and little victories. After a couple years go by, you look back and realize you’ve made some big strides, which is always super cool and rewarding. So in the moment, it’s sometimes hard to know you’re crossing a milestone. But looking back, I’d say some big ones have been: getting onto radio for the first time, playing our first ticketed shows, playing our dream festival at Coachella, collaborating with writers and vocalists who we’ve looked up to, and building a great team around us.

The name "Two Friends" reflects your lifelong bond as both collaborators and best friends. How has this friendship influenced your creative partnership and the music you produce?

I think it’s given us a lot of respect for people that do it all alone… cuz even with two people, it’s not easy. But we get the benefit of always having someone to collaborate with, to bounce ideas off, to play devil’s advocate against, and most of all, just having a friend to enjoy the ride with. At this point we’ve been best friends for more than half our lives, and music partners for over a decade… so a lot of things are second nature. We know each other’s strengths, we know our weaknesses, and we know what makes sense to do together versus alone.

Eli: Sweater: MARISSA WILSON NEW YORK, Pants: RAILS, Bracelet: BRILLIANT EARTH, Ring: RAT BETTY, Shoes: UGG. Matt: Sweater: MARISSA WILSON NEW YORK, Pants: RAILS, Shoes: DR. MARTENS, Bracelet: LOUPN, Ring: RAT BETTY

Your viral remixes of tracks like "Mr. Brightside" and "I Miss You" gained massive popularity. Could you tell us how you approach remixing songs and adding your unique touch to them?

Different remixes have happened many different ways, but the main things they need to have in common are: we have to really enjoy the original song, and we have to think that we can put an interesting, fresh twist on it. We try to mix it up in terms of the type of songs we remix— definitely a few throwback ones, some pop ones, some dancier ones, but hopefully they all feel tied together by a certain Two Friends touch.

What inspired "Big Bootie Land," a festival experience for fans, and what can fans expect when attending Big Bootie Land?

During the pandemic, we obviously weren’t touring and doing shows, so we wanted to think of fun things that we could still do for our fans. One idea was premiering new Big Bootie Mixes by renting out empty warehouses and live-streaming concert versions of the mixes, so that people could watch and listen from home. It was a big success, and when the pandemic was over and we could get back on the road, we knew we wanted to keep building on this. That led to the creation of our Big Bootie Land festival, which is not only where we premiere each new Big Bootie Mix, but it also brings the entire “Big Bootie Universe” to life, with mascots, activations, attractions, and so much more.

Your "Big Bootie Mix" series has become a staple in your musical output. How do you choose the tracks for these mixes, and what's the creative process behind them?

Any time we hear a song we like, whether it’s on the radio, or a friend recommends it, or someone on Twitter reminds us about an old throwback... we immediately write it down and add to the library of songs to play with. We try to span as many different genres and decades as possible and give ourselves more than enough material to work with. Then it’s a lot of trial and error— basically experimenting with different vocals on top of different instrumentals and seeing what sounds catchy and unique.

The Planet Two Friends Tour took you to some of the biggest venues of your career. Can you share some memorable moments from the tour and how it felt to perform at iconic locations like Red Rocks?

It really was a dream come true— there were so many bucket list venues on that tour. It pretty much kicked off at Coachella, a festival we’ve gone to double-digit times growing up in LA. And then places like Red Rocks, Forest Hills Stadium in New York, Northerly Island in Chicago (where we had the second-ever Big Bootie Land festival)… It was humbling and motivating and most of all, so fun.

Matt & Eli: Jumpsuit: OAK AND ACORN, Shoes: DR. MARTENS, Rings: RAT BETTY

Your collaboration "If Only I" with Bebe Rexha and Loud Luxury had its first performance at Coachella. Can you share the excitement and challenges of debuting a track at such a renowned festival?

I’d say the biggest challenge is that no one is going to know the words obviously, but you try your best to still make it memorable and engaging. Having Bebe Rexha there with us to sing it live was awesome, and bringing her out as a special guest was definitely a highlight of the set. I’d say of any new song we’ve ever debuted at a show, that was easily the one that got the most people asking us when it was coming, and it was cool to see crowds singing the words more and more at our shows before the song was even out.

How does it feel to have come full circle and perform at the festival as headliners?

All about those baby steps!

You've collaborated with a range of artists, from Bebe Rexha to Bryce Vine. How does working with different musicians influence your sound and expand your creative horizons?

I think it’s great to explore different styles and genres, not only with our production but with the types of vocalists and writers that we collaborate with. It keeps things fresh and it’s fun having different people bring new things to the table.

Matt & Eli: Sets: HOUSE OF DIVINO, Shoes: THURSDAY BOOT CO., BAROLLO ITALY, Necklace: BRILLIANT EARTH

As DJs and producers, you've made an impact on the electronic music scene. What do you believe sets your music apart and resonates with your audience?

We usually try to make songs that are fun and get you dancing, but also hopefully resonate with you on a more emotional and nostalgic level too… They’re kind of a melting pot of a lot of different influences- whether from dance music, from pop, from alternative rock etc. So even if someone isn’t necessarily a big fan of EDM or doesn’t go to a lot of DJ sets, they can often still feel some type of connection to our music and our mixes.

What are the highs and the lows of your career so far? How were you able to rise up to the challenges?

Not being able to do shows during the pandemic definitely felt like a low. But we tried our best to turn that into a positive, and I think being in the studio all those months led to a lot of music and ideas and projects that we were super proud of and led to good momentum coming out of it.

Your Las Vegas residency at the Wynn's XS & Encore is a significant achievement. How does performing in Vegas compare to other venues, and how does it contribute to your growth as artists?

Vegas is great. It’s definitely different since you’re usually playing to a mostly-new crowd every time, which means we sometimes end up playing there multiple times in the same week even— whereas most other cities we’d only go once or twice a year. We end up experimenting and testing new stuff and if certain songs or edits connect with Vegas crowds, it gives us confidence to play them everywhere else too.

What's the secret to maintaining a successful musical partnership and a strong friendship simultaneously, especially in an industry as demanding as music?

Make sure it’s still fun. There’s gonna be certain challenges and disagreements, but we know that we have the same goals. When we think about starting in the basement twelve years ago and googling “what music production software should we download”… we also remind ourselves that this all started because we just wanted a new fun thing to do with our best friend.

Matt: Jacket: TELL THE TRUTH, Shirt: KSUBI, Jeans: KSUBI, Sunglasses: QUAY, Shoes: DR. MARTENS. Eli: Jacket: D.RT, Shirt: PAUL FREDERICK, Pants: RAILS, Boots: THURSDAY BOOT CO. Sunglasses: QUAY

Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for Two Friends in the coming years, and what can fans anticipate from your future projects and releases?

We’re always trying to improve and grow, so I think hopefully you can expect just bigger and better versions of what you’ve seen thus far. Whether that’s with our original music, our Big Bootie Mixes, our tours, our Big Bootie Land festivals, whatever it is, we’ll be grinding hard to keep leveling up.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

Eli here, I’ll go with Where The Wild Things Are since that was my favorite one as a kid.

Matt here, I think if I had to choose one it would be The Giving Tree. I loved that book growing up, my mom would constantly read it to me. I love the message.