The Grammy nominated electronic music duo Odesza is finishing off the year in Colorado with their second Aspen show at the Belly Up Friday night.
Claire Woodcock caught up with Clayton Knight and Harrison Mills Thursday before their show at the Aspen Art Museum, part of the nonprofit's annual winter benefit. They discussed what it takes to translate their live show to a more intimate setting.
Clayton Knight and Harrison Mills have been selling out arenas all year. Having just wrapped up their sound check at the Aspen Art Museum, the space they’re working with is much smaller than what they’ve become used to.
“It's like going back to our roots," said Knight.
This year, the duo released their third album “A Moment Apart.” It’s since received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic album and Best Dance recording for the song “Line of Sight.” Mills says the guys felt pressure after receiving acclaim for their 2014 album “In Return.” Mills called the success surreal, unplanned and a little distracting.
“We try our best to stay in the bubble we're in and work really hard and keep our heads down because that stuff can influence you," said Mills. "It'll start making you second guess decisions so I think like the key to staying kind of true to your sound is to not focus on the accolades.”
Odesza’s set up and performances, regardless of the venue mix and mash elements of a DJ set to continue to redefine how the genre is perceived.
“So it feels like it flows through tempos like that and it feels like they blend in with each other," he said, "But we try to have the performance of a live act. So it's trying to find a balance between those two things.”
Both Mills and Knight say this round of Aspen shows are forcing them to modify their approach to the live performance. Making this Grammy nominated duo prove themselves once again.
