Clay Knight and Harrison Mills of ODESZA are living the dream.
They have played at some of the biggest festivals of the summer, even though their LP Summer’s Gone was released only last September. Seeing them perform live, you’d think they’d been in the circuit for at least a few years by now — except ODESZA’s huge grins on stage give it away.
Can I admit I’m sick of electronic music? Too many beat drops and not enough talent. But the guys of ODESZA somehow make it all seem fresh again. It’s rare to see two people mixing live together. It’s intelligent electronic music (three words I’d never thought I’d write in the same sentence). I sat down with the guys after their Sunday Main Stage Block Party performance to play another game of twenty questions.
Instagram or Snapchat?
Harrison: I’m going to say Instagram, cause I’ve seen cooler things so far.
Wayne’s World or Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure?
Clay: Wayne’s World for sure.
Strangest thing you’ve ever seen from on stage at a festival ?
Harrison: I’ve seen a girl try to climb over the railing and then halfway over the railing someone blinded her with a light. Then she threw her arms up in the air and just fell over. (Laughs) That was pretty hilarious but horrible at the same time.
Blondes or brunettes?
Clay: Oh, brunettes. The darker the better. Sorry! (Note: I’m blonde.)
Boxers or briefs?
Harrison: Either.
Britney or Christina?
Clay: Britney’s got my heart. Forever.
Harrison: (Laughs)
Dream collaboration?
Harrison: I think we’re all over the place, but I would probably say CocoRosie.
Clay: Beat maker-wise — probably Flying Lotus.
First concert you ever attended?
Clay: I don’t know if I want to say that. (Laughs) The first concert I probably ever went to was *NSYNC. It was either Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC, I’m not sure which one.
Harrison: Wow! I just learned something new about Clay today.
Clay: I don’t like to talk about it.
(Everyone laughs)
Best concert you ever attended?
Harrison: The best? Ooh! Honestly, recently we saw Nicolas Jaar at Lightning in a Bottle. It blew my mind for sure. It was so different from any other electronic show that I’ve seen. I don’t know if I’d say it was the best show in the world but as far as electronic music goes I was like, “Wow!” He was able to do it in a very different way and the crowd reacted really awesome.
Pizza or Seattle dog?
Clay: Pizza.
Whiskey or vodka?
Harrison: Those are both my things!
Me: Then which of each?
Harrison: Whiskey: Four Roses. And vodka, I don’t know if this is lame but Grey Goose is real good to me.
Me: Ooohhh okkkk! Someone has been watching rap videos.
Clay: So high class! That’s like the nicest shit, dude!
Harrison: I was just saying that both of those things are what I would have if I could have any of those. That was my top! I’m not going to be like R&R (whiskey).
Me: Maybe some Smirnoff? (Laughs)
Harrison: Yeah — whatever’s cheap right? (Laughs)
Favorite brunch spot?
Clay: Well, when I lived over in Bellingham I used to always go to The Bagelry. That was my spot for a while.
Me: Do you have one in Seattle?
Clay: I don’t have one in Seattle. I’m kind of newly back here so I haven’t found one yet. Do you have any recommendations?
Me: I went to The Wandering Goose today on 15th, on Capitol Hill, and they have biscuit sandwiches with sausage and cheese. So good.
Clay: Oh! Gotta get that.
SPIN or Rolling Stone?
Harrison: I probably read SPIN more than Rolling Stone. But I don’t really read magazines that often.
Me: Books, then?
Harrison: Yeah, I read a lot of books! I was a nerd, I read fantasy novels.
Me: Like Lord of the Rings?
Harrison: Not Lord of the Rings but – I mean those are great – (Laughs) I read like… Terry Brooks.
Me: (Laughs) I have no idea what that is.
Harrison: Don’t worry about it! Don’t look it up please!
Favorite breakfast cereal?
Clay: Kix!
Harrison: (Laughs) Kix?!
Clay: Who doesn’t like Kix?!
Harrison: “Yeah — gotta have my Pops.”
Favorite city to play in besides Seattle?
Harrison: I would say San Francisco. L.A. and San Francisco have been really good to us.
Mudhoney just played at the Space Needle. If there were no limitations, where would like to play?
Harrison: If no limitations are real, I want to go back to the Kingdome and play in the Dome before it was destroyed.
Me: The Kingdom?
Harrison: The KingDOME!
Me: Oh, “dome”! I was like kingdom? Clay — do you have a spot in mind?
Clay: I’ve always had this dream of a big party out in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of boats. Like an island made of boats and putting a concert on with a bunch of people getting drunk.
L.A. or NYC?
Harrison: I just went to NYC for the first time last summer. But I would have to say L.A. because I would need some sun.
So you guys lived in the dorms together right?
Harrison: I lived in the dorms with his roommate when he moved out of the dorms.
Clay: We hung out more once we were out of the dorm situation.
Harrison: We didn’t really meet until senior year.
Do you have good college story then? That was going to be my next question.
Harrison: Not really! I can’t really think of one crazy thing.
Clay: A lot drinking. I know that!
Harrison: A lot of the good times were forgotten. I wish it were that crazy; we just spent most of the time in a basement making music.
Most recent discovery on Soundcloud?
Harrison: I liked Eagles for Hands remix for Laura Mvula. It was an awesome remix.
Clay: For me…I forget the song…But it’s featuring this guy named The Weeknd. We played it the other day.
Harrison: Kavinsky?
Clay: Yeah! Kavinsky and The Weeknd. It was called “Odd Look”.
Have you guys been to Block Party before?
Clay: I’ve never been.
Harrison: No, never! Sasquatch was the first festival I had ever been to. It was a mind fuck. I’ve never been a live music type of guy. We had to relearn how we made music to be able to play it live because neither of us really knew how to do that.
Did you go to Disclosure at Sasquatch?
Harrison: Yeah, they were after us. It’s funny ’cause as we were leaving after our set, I was going to go say hi to one of them. But they had just flown from somewhere like Japan and he looked so tired. He was like stumbling out of the bus. So I was like, “I should not bother this guy.” But they kicked ass!
