Most siblings just grow up together and then eventually go off and do their own thing. Matt and Mark Hill on the other hand, decided to start an electronic funk group together as brothers.
Matt performed loop shows at local coffee shops with his guitar and loop pedal. After a while, the two brothers came up with the idea to add drums to Matt’s set. This is where Mark came in. They started to play house shows, at the friends’ apartments and their parent’s basement. Mark said, and then “the rest is history.”
Since the beginning, their sound has changed a lot. They said they didn’t even use a computer to make their funky electronic beats, it was simply based only on a guitar, drums and loop station.“We improvised everything and I have to say it was brutal at times,” Mark explained. “We would be looping everything and sometimes I could barely even hear and I was trying to keep it all together over there on the drums ha!”
Now they have added more instruments, added more albums and have had a bunch of new ideas as musicians to add that have evolved their music. Every album the Floozies put out, they stick to their roots, but they also try to make each one different with their own spin.
“It’s not healthy or exciting for anyone (artist or listener) to play or hear the same stuff over and over again,” Mark said.
Although the duo wants to vary their music, one aspect they want to stick true to is their funk music genre. Mark stated, “We’ve always been a funk band. We grew up on funk. “
He explained it is not something they have much say in, it is just something they do. Mark tried to be in a rock band in his earlier days at college, but he could not leave his “funk groove at home.” The duo tries to explore music and are always practicing and trying to hear everything they can get their ears on, so this means one day there could be potential to hear a different genre from them, but for now funk is what they do.
A major influence that helped shaped their music to be like this was Maurice White of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Mark explained, “We grew up listening to Earth Wind and Fire and still do all the time. Incredibly inspirational and talented guy and whole group of musicians over there.”
To create their music, there isn’t any one process that follows. Matt works in the studio all the time, trying new things. This could be a guitar lead for their song or sound design. They start with that one part and go from there to get their music sounding like they want. Mark explained, “Matt is always plugging away trying out grooves.”
Once they had established themselves, they started putting on shows. They have done their own shows at a concert venue, but they have also performed at festivals. For their shows, they create their own environment by creating the lights, sound and production. They go through some stress planning every detail of the performance, but they love seeing it all come together once they hit the stage. They want their fans to come and enjoy their experience.
“We really spend a lot of time planning and working out ideas to give the best possible all around experience to our listeners, fans, and friends,” Mark stated.
Milwaukee is one of their stops on their latest Granola Jones tour, so you can catch them Feb. 19 at The Rave/Eagles Club with their opening act Sunsquabi and Defunk.
