In celebration of its October drop, Adidas StellaSport has partnered with Boston-based string instrument duo Chargaux (aka Charly and Margaux) on an exclusive playlist, including music by Chet Faker, M.I.A, Little Dragon and James Blake. The collaboration also included a q&a, photo shoot, plus some super fun GIFs that sync up with the songs. Check it all out below. Here the playlist and stay in touch with the latest on Adidas Stella Sport on its dedicated Tumblr page, edited by Lotte Anderson, editor of London zine Maxilla.
Hi Girls! Thanks for making the playlists for us; they’re awesome!
M: Live performance is one of the most invigorating aspects of being a full time musician. Being on stage feels completely natural because it’s what I’ve been doing my whole life; I’ve been playing recitals since I was ten. I live for the adrenaline rush of putting myself out there, completely and vulnerably in front of friends and strangers. It’s a challenge both mentally and creatively and I’m constantly thinking about how I can go harder each time I hit the stage. I love to observe how other people perform as well; it’s like scientific research to me. Whenever I watch other musicians I automatically take mental notes on what I like and don’t like about it. I think about how certain things they say or do make me feel and I apply it to my own performance practice. It’s really important to me to knock people’s socks off when I play because people need that real interaction. People need to feel connected, that’s what music is for.
I know you guys met on a street corner and then jammed the next day…on the same corner! What were the challenges merging both your visions into one as Chargaux?
C: After that day, we figured the best way to get to know each other as we worked together was to experiment with anything that stimulated us. We learned we are extremely ambitious together. Getting people to understand that we make art is not as hard as it used to be.
M: The challenges are the same as any other relationship, when you first meet someone you find that you have a lot in common but you also have a lot of differences. Some of the things that we have in common are that we’re both classically trained, both from big cities, both have a love for creating beautiful music and art. Most importantly, we’re committed to what we do, truly value each other’s opinions and have infinite patience for one another as business partners and best friends. Our differences are
mostly logistical; we might disagree about what approach to take on a performance, what to do in a song or how to focus our energy. However, those are all things that can be worked out. We’re a cohesive team because we are both open minded and aren’t afraid to take the giant risk that is living your life as an artist.
There are lots of workouts available online these day. What do you prefer doing, taking a class or physical exercise on your own terms, at home or out in the city?
M: I love a little bit of everything. I find that if I’m practicing yoga for instance, being in a class full of people is the vibe. The positive energy you absorb when there are like twenty people in the room all with the same goal, all breathing a collective breath gives me life. On the other hand if I just want to release some energy and break a little sweat I’m perfectly cool with doing an online workout at home. Whatever mood I’m in is what I do.
C: I like to ride a bike for a half hour, mix in core workouts with yoga and stretches, then use free weights and maybe use a couple machines. My favorite work out to hate are push-up planks, but I do them because my wrists need to stay strong
What is travelling with a band like and how do you stay energized on the road? Can you give us any goss or on the road secrets?
C: It’s interesting; you constantly thank the driver for keeping everyone alive. Every band-member has their own personality, but that gives the group vibrancy. There’s great food almost everywhere; paying attention to what you eat is very important for regulating energy. During travel we run, walk, stretch in the sunlight and sunbathe.
M: Traveling with a band is always a riot! I grew up with only brothers so I’m definitely used to being a around a lot of different personalities. The secret to maintaining your sanity while on the road is keeping some kind of routine. On our first tour as openers there were guys in the band that would get up early to go running and go to the grocery stores in the cities where we were playing to buy their favorite foods, as opposed to just eating whatever came along. Seeing them do that made me realize that no matter what city you’re in, you can create a familiar environment for yourself so that you can stay grounded.
You both make visual art in addition to the band, do you have a studio or process you go through to be inspired?
C: I travel to my apartment in Boston to decompress. When I can’t escape, my mind is my garden; whatever I plant in it will grow. We can go through long bouts of 12-hour workdays for a month straight, during that time the desire to create grows and to me life itself is art. I paint when I don’t work on music related things. Right now I’m taking a break from selling paintings through a gallery for a year because I want to be surrounded by my children a little longer before I let them go.
M: I always draw at home and I always have some kind of music playing as I do it. I’m just now starting to explore myself as a visual artist so my inspiration is coming from within. What I mean by that is basically I am pushing myself to see how creative I can be, how many different ideas I can come up with, how detailed can my drawings be and what new techniques can I learn. It’s a very exciting
process.
Margaux, I can’t believe you were a figure skater! How often did you practice and how did your teammates help support you before you had to perform alone on ice? Do you still find the time to skate?
M: I can’t believe it either. It seems like a lifetime ago! At the peak of my training I would get up at six in the morning, train for two hours before school, go to school and train for 3 to 4 hours, after that I’d go home and do homework and do it all again the next day. On the weekends I trained all day; that included ballet, strength training and actual time on the ice with my coach. It was hard work and a super competitive sport. It was about athleticism as much as it was about grace, personality and poise. As a skater you have to be incredibly powerful and look good doing it. If you’re from the same skate club, it’s like a sisterhood. Everyone from the team wants to represent their city well so we were all super supportive of each other. Coming from Detroit I felt like I had to represent my city well by being the absolute best I could be. I haven’t skated in forever, but it’s like riding a bike…You never forget.
What does being creative mean to you?
M: Being creative means connecting with your highest self, it means being childlike and trusting your instincts. It means caring about your own thoughts and ideas more than other people’s opinions. Creativity is my happy space; creativity is where you find excitement in life that drives you forward. There is tons of negativity in the world; trusting in the power and versatility of my own mind is
where I find peace. I’m thankful everyday for the ability to think independently and to dream.
C: Being creative is mental freedom; ambition is what makes others know you’re living your life as a creative. Mental freedom compounded with ambition is my air and water. Everything I own is extremely colourful… I love to give gifts; I love to give creative gifts more.
What are the qualities you admire most in fellow artists? Are there any female artists that you admire in particular and why?
M: I love artists that have a distinct vision for themselves and stand by it, artists that aren’t just trendy but have something to say. At the same time, I love artists that if they choose to follow a trend do it in the most epic way possible; Missy Elliot is the greatest to ever do it. Seriously, she’s always taken risks as an artist and has such a distinct voice and style that you can’t deny that it’s her when you hear her songs. Listen to Miss E…So Addictive and try telling me it isn’t one of the most creative albums you’ve ever heard. I appreciate female performers that remain completely authentic no matter what.
C: I have a long list of muses; Betty Davis, for her dynamic role in funk-rock and being the inspirational liaison between her friend Jimi Hendrix and her husband Miles Davis. Billie Holiday, her story is unbelievable. Harriet Tubman, who along with her legacy was also a genius herbalist. Alice Coltrane, Shingai Shoniwa, Patty Smith, Janis Joplin, Georgia O’Keefe (the first female visual artist
I learned about in grade school), Regina Carter, the list won’t stop
What is your process when writing music, do you seek inspiration separately and then come together to refine your vision? Or do you find that one of you focuses on the melody while the other organizes the arrangements?
M: Inspiration to write music comes from everywhere; there is no particular consistent method. For example, I had a very vivid dream and there was a melody that kept repeating in it, as soon as I woke up I recorded it on my viola. Then another thought occurred to me, there was a song I used to sing as a child that came back to me… I took that melody and reinterpreted it, allowing it to mix with the melody that I’d dreamt of; every time is different. Sometimes Charly and I might just be fooling around on our instruments and one little phrase will stick out, so we’ll record it and build on it a few days, maybe weeks later. Other times I will write an entire song on my own bring it to Charles and ask her to add harmonies or change my arrangement and a new song will be born. The excitement of creating music is that you don’t know for sure how it will come together.
Exercise is full of personal goals; do you have any at the moment? Are there any physical goals you’ve smashed recently?
M: My personal goal is to become a better swimmer, I’m currently taking private lessons and every lesson I achieve a little goal. For example, last time I swam the length of the pool faster than I have ever before. I also love that it’s a full body workout; my goal is to have an overall toned body. Yoga, swimming and cardio workouts are slowly but surely making that a reality.
C: I like exactly where I am; I have some ambitions I will keep quiet about, only because I don’t like to talk about my plans. I recently built upon everything I wanted to target: strength, endurance, and patience.
