Attention music enthusiasts! If you’re in need of a soulful R&B duo to immerse yourself in, then look no further Phlake is the group for you. Hailing from Copenhagen, the music duo is made up of producer Jonathan Elkær and singer Mads Bo Iversen. Back in 2016, the creative pair splashed onto the music scene with their debut album, ‘Slush Hours.’ Since then, the duo have gone on to earn three gold and platinum albums and numerous accolades – including a few Danish Grammy’s. Alongside their numerous awards, Phlake has also amassed a dedicated fan base which has helped them amass over 180 million global streams.
With the recent release of their fourth album ‘Phine,’ the Danish duo is showing no signs of slowing down their music takeover. We were able to chat with Mads and Jonathan about everything from their creative process, making the ‘Phine’ album, and so much more. Read the full interview below.
Heya Phlake! Thanks for sitting down with us.
Hey Spindle, thanks for having us.
How has this year been for your both? Can you believe we’re already in October?
Jonathan: This year has felt like one month. Found out I was gonna become a father in late January. And now, album out and child getting born within one month. Super excited about it and can’t wait for both babies to drop, haha. And it’s been absolutely great to be back with the band playing festivals all summer!
You two have any plans for spooky season?
Mads: Just colored my hair grey.
Let’s dive into the music! Do you both all remember your music “ah-ha” moment?
Mads: The first Phlake track we ever made is a song called “New Slow” (from our first album “, slush hours”). The demo was very easy and extremely satisfying to make. And even though it was difficult to finish the song, it was a seminal experience for us because we found a direction for the sound and the vibe that we both liked very much.
Which artist or record do you continually look towards for inspiration?
Mads: Nostalgia, Ultra by Frank Ocean. The songs on that album/mixtape are extremely good, playful and versatile. There’s mainly original songs on it, but also some alternative covers where he rewrote the lyrics in a trustworthy way. It’s almost like he is showing off how good of a songwriter he is. And it dropped at a certain time of my life when I needed it the most, which might also explain why it’s so dear to me.
Jonathan: Love Below with Andre 3000. Still feels super progressive when I listen to it. Perfect balance between art and commercial.
Can you take us through the creation of Phlake? How did you two end up linking up?
Mads: We grew up in the same suburb in Copenhagen called Albertslund. Actually, we didn’t know each other before 2010. At that time, we had both moved to Copenhagen – and through mutual friends (from Albertslund), we met each other and started making music together almost right away. Our friends were true matchmakers and linked us up because they knew we both made music.
We have to talk about your R&B sound. First of all, it exudes such calming, unique and soulful energy, it’s absolutely fantastic. How would you both describe the inner workings of your sound?
Jonathan: When we first started out, we called it rhythm n’ balls. Because I came from being a hip hop producer combined with Mads’s soulful voice. And then our sound developed through the years along with our music taste. But also from working with a lot of different artists that inspired us. We’ve never been afraid of mixing genre’s. So I guess we grew more and more eclectic through the years. And less R&B. Though I think R&B is still the core that we stem from.
Is there an R&B legend that you would love to collab with?
Mads: He’s more pop (plus he’s dead), but George Michael would be fun.
Your latest single ‘Bitter’ is such a dope track, and it also features Che Lingo. Can you take us through the creative process for this track?
Jonathan: We made that song with one of our friends Thøger Dixgård from Copenhagen, who’s also an artist and producer himself.
On top of that, we sampled a guitar from Lasse Ziegler (the guitar player in our live band) and wrote the song on top of that. I did the production, and we wrote most of the song together in that first session.
How did you two and Che Lingo end up collaborating?
Jonathan: Thøger Dixgård, later on, suggested that we get a UK rap artist on the track. Our management reached out to Che Lingo and luckily, he loved the song right away. She also played at Roskilde Festival this summer, where we featured the show. We also got the time to do a live session for the song in Grapehouse studios in Copenhagen. You can check that out on our Instagram @phlakemansion.
You guys just released your brand-new album Shine. What messages or themes did you want to explore with this record?
Jonathan: Mads came up with this thing we call “the phine sign”. It’s a thumbs-up hand sign, but only with your thumb sticking up half the way (go to our Instagram to see pictures of it). Phine can be a state you are in when you are neither feeling good or bad. But somewhere in between. We all tend to constantly try and show the world the perfect version of ourselves on social media and even when we talk to the people that are closest to us.
So we wanted to show a more imperfect version and focus on our flaws and the things that don’t always work out in our lives. Broken trust, bad relations and the personal transitions these things can bring with them. That being said, the album also contains songs about love and kitchen parties. I guess it’s a more free and more versatile album compared to the last one “TIDOYS”, that was very conceptual.
Can’t get enough of “Vendetta” and “2min,” absolute bangers! Out of the 13 tracks on the record, which song was the most challenging to create and which was the most seamless to make?
Jonathan: Thanks a lot man, that’s two of my personal favorites as well!
2min was one of those songs that felt like pure fun to make. And the first Phlake song with the whole Phlake band playing on it!
Better Days took like forever to finish. It was one of those situations where you fall in love with the demo. And then spend 10000 hours trying to catch that same nerve. And what a relief when you succeed! That’s the beautiful thing about music. Every time you think you have figured it out, a song hits you with that curve ball. All processes are different and good songs can come out of both fun and tough sessions!
With Phine currently making the rounds, can fans expect a Phlake tour soon?
Oh yess! We have a small European tour coming up in a few weeks. Five cities in five days (26th -30th October) First London, then Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Oslo. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the show in Stockholm because the venue is being renovated – and it’s to late to find a fitting place for the show now. But if there is some die hart Swedish fans out there, we play a tour in the spring if ’23 as well. All info is on our Instagram as well.
Thanks for sitting down with Spindle Magazine.
It was our pleasure!
Make sure to listen to Phlake’s fourth studio album ‘Phine’ here or below.
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