Hermitude

The guys behind Hermitude, Luke Dubs and Elgusto, continue to make solitude sound cool thanks to their silky-smooth remix of Kite String Tangle’s latest single ‘Stone Cold’. But that’s not all they’ve been up to. I sat down with Elgusto recently to find out more about their upcoming LP and get the low-down on the chilled out pair’s plans for the summer.
“We’re so close to finishing the new record,” Elgusto announced proudly. We’re in that last section of the marathon – we’ve just gotta push forth and complete the beast.”
“It’s a really exciting time because the songs we’ve nurtured for so long are finally coming together. Instead of just being a bunch of ideas, they get their own personality and we can start to understand where they’re going to sit on the record and how it will sound as a finished product.”
This forthcoming release is the highly anticipated follow-up to their 2012 breakthrough album Hyperparadise. “On the back of that release we’ve had so many amazing opportunities – Luke and I have been so fortunate. We’ve definitely been enjoying the ride, that’s for sure. We’ve been around for a little while now and in that time we’ve seen changes in the scene, but to be a part of it all has been fantastic.”
Elgusto makes it clear that the building blocks of Hermitude’s success is their presence on the touring circuit. “We’ve been pretty much touring non stop since Hyperparadise dropped – and a lot of those crazy, fun experiences are reflected in the tracks.”
Hermitude recently completed a whirl-wind tour of North America with good buddies Rufus. All documented in an online tour diary, it feels as though you’re along for the ride as the guys play to sold-out venues, meet some incredible characters and discover some mouth-wateringly good local food – all washed down with enough alcohol to make the whole trip seem like a beautiful dream.
“There’s definitely a bunch of songs influenced by our on-tour antics,” Elgusto laughed. “Though we realised that we needed some nice down-tempo tunes and a couple of songs you can put on when you’re driving or chilling at home. We think there’s a nice mix.”
For now we’ll have to take their word for it, as the guys plan to keep us sweating on it just a little longer. “No, I can’t share the title just yet,” he says coyly. “But I can tell you that the plan is to drop the record in the first quarter of next year. It’s pretty exciting – Luke and I can’t wait!”
In the meantime you can get your Hermitude fix when they take to the stage at Phillip Island’s biggest New Year’s Eve party, Beyond the Valley. “We’re super excited! Phillip Island is an amazing spot. The line-up is hectic – as soon as I saw who was playing I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be fun!’.
“Aluna George is definitely on the list to see. Danny Brown is going to be super fun! Kaytranada, All Day, Husky,Vance Joy is there, Banoffee, Bag Raiders and our mates from Rufus. When we finished up the US tour with them, we were like, ‘See you guys at Beyond the Valley’ – it’s going to be mad!”
When & Where: Beyond the Valley, Phillip Island – December 29 – January 1
By Natalie Rogers