RS: The video for "Killer" is really cool, when and where did
you film that?
Justin: We had lots of fun with that. We worked in Tampa for a
while and we met some people that had a film studio so we got to do
some cool sets in there, and actually Christiana and I directed that
one so we're really proud of it. We had some people up of course
filming and stuff like that. It's all of our true friends in it.
Some people that we actually had met through the internet and it was
like a fan situation as extras, and actually most of the people are
actually friends. We were just having a regular old time and doing it
naturally.
RS: The video for Let Me See Your Underwear was also pretty
wild, what was it like filming that one?
Justin: That was lots of fun actually. That was in Los Angeles and
everybody there was pretty much our friends from the club scene. We
had a show the weekend before and we told people if you want to be in
the video to just show up. We had a big old party with that one and
it was just a lot of fun. We like to have videos where everybody has
a good time.
RS: With your live performances, have you been performing out a
lot lately?
Justin: Actually we did enjoy a spate of September shows in New
York. We've been really busy with travels and all sorts of personal
things like adventures in life etc. We basically visit the major
cities and do a promotional run that way. We do have some things
coming up for Europe in the works tentatively. We're always up for a
fun good time, but the whole touring thing isn't exactly something we
put as our priority. We just usually like videos to do a lot of that
expression for us and then shows are just something that have become
fun at the moment when they come up. Nothing's set out and we don't
do the tour bus thing, that kind of doesn't fit Christiana and my
lifestyle choice.
RS: I also notice in addition to Them, you also run your own
label, Electro Venus.
Justin: Christiana and I were actually fortunate enough to grow up
in music industry behind the scenes. Our main mentor and a friend is
Stacey Q of "Two of Hearts" fame. So she brought us in the biz with
her producer Jon St. James, back at the height when Christiana and I
were young teens we got brought in by Stacey to run her fan club,
officially, after school. It was lots of fun and a great experience
and that of course later developed into doing management for some
groups into the 80s and most of the 90s. Then Christiana did work for
Enigma records and we had lots of fun behind the scenes, so that was
just a natural for us. We are fortunate to have advice and help from
Jon St James and industry guys including Tony Swain, They put their
two cents in and experience to give advice along the way. So it's
kind of like a group effort with the likes of many prestigious friends
that helped us along the way.
RS: Do you think it would be a good idea for most independent
artists to do their own record label?
Justin: As I said, Christiana and I don't go on about the experience
but right out of high school we were already basically typing up
contracts for artists- major label contracts and all sorts of things.
We were exposed to and involved in so many different facets of the
industry that it was second nature for us. I think I didn't see it as
work, it was just something that was naturally embedded in us. So for
other artists, perhaps, without that experience under their belt, that
might be a little test because we did have a good base of any
questions - our mentors were there and had been through it all. We
just used their wonderful advice to guide us along the way and found
wonderful people we've met it the industry. They embraced us with
great friendships. Everybody has been very good to us with great
advice.
