Public Records – Humans Interview

Humans – Peter Ricq and Robbie Slade – hail from East Vancouver, British Columbia. The duo met back in 2009 and soon discovered that together, their different styles formed a fresh sound that blends lo-fi indie rock with addicting synth and electronic grooves. Humans have toured with everyone from Broken Social Scene, Junior Boys to Crystal Method and performed in popular music festivals like Shambhala. Public Records caught up with the “electronic half” of Humans, Peter Ricq, and learned how the band has evolved over the past few years. Now on the final stretch of their fall tour for their latest EP, Traps, Ricq reassures that their shows are still all about the fun times. And with an exciting concert date with co-headliners The Funk Hunters, set for New Year’s Eve in Squamish, Humans are more than ready to show everyone how to really party and ring in the New Year.

Public Records: You guys have been labelled a “party band” in the past that just wants their audience to dance. Traps though, has a mellower, more soulful groove/beat compared to Avec Mes Mecs. Was there any particular reason for pushing the latest record in that direction over more straight up dance-electronic tracks?

Peter Ricq: We like the “party band” label. We want to offer the crowd who come to our shows a night where they can get loose and forget about their 9 to 5 weekday jobs, make new friends and meet someone they can go home with – if they aren’t already with a keeper.

Traps is perhaps more mellow than the previous release but it is still dance-y and at our shows, we usually try and keep the crowd moving, meaning we select the songs appropriately and might not play some of those slower tracks. To continue reading, click here.