On the strength of two super-catchy singles, Louis the Child burst big onto the EDM scene in the past year.
The Chicago-bred DJ/production duo—Freddy Kennett, 20, and Robby Hauldren, 19—met in high school and musically bonded in an after-class DJ club. As Louis the Child, the pair began playing at small venues through 2013-14.
Then, in 2015, the group rose to popularity with the Ultra Music release of “It’s Strange” featuring K.Flay, which highlighted the soundtrack for the FIFA 16 video game. The single garnered additional notice with its praise from artists like Taylor Swift, who included it on her list of “Songs That Will Make Your Life More Awesome.”
The duo followed up in 2016 with another earworm—the Big Beat single, “Weekend” featuring Icona Pop—and before the summer was over they’d added major festival slots like Coachella, Electric Zoo, Lollapalooza and Electric Forest to their live resume. They also opened tours for The Chainsmokers and Madeon.
Additionally, Kennett and Hauldren have become in-demand remixers, with LTC mixes for Miike Snow (“Genghis Khan”), The Knocks & Matthew Koma (“I Wish”) and Ty Dolla Sign (“Blasé”) in 2016 alone.
Later in the year, Louis the Child dropped another chilled-and-hook-filled electronic single—“Fire” featuring Evalyn on Ultra Music—then they retreated to the studio, from where they’ve concocted a batch of new music that fans can expect to hear in 2017.
We caught up with Louis The Child’s youthful duo to talk about its breakthrough and a bright future.
DJ Times: You were both creating music before you met each other. What were your alias names and what did you focus on musically?
Freddy Kennett: Robby was creating under the name Haul Pass, and he made mash-ups. I went under the name Fatboy, and I started with producing dubstep.
DJ Times: What was it like juggling both school and pursuing a musical career? And how’d you two meet?
Robby Hauldren: Definitely easier than juggling 13 chainsaws at once. We met at a Madeon concert.
DJ Times: Who are some artists that influences you?
Kennett: Kanye West.
Hauldren: Flume, Porter Robinson, ODESZA and, of course, Madeon.
DJ Times: Tell us how it is being some of the youngest DJs in the industry.
Hauldren: As long as you work hard enough, it shouldn’t matter your age.
DJ Times: What type of DJ equipment do you guys use?
Kennett: We use Pioneer CDJs when we perform, but we will be putting together a live set and playing instruments on stage once we have more music out.
DJ Times: You are best known for your singles, “It’s Strange” and “Weekend.” Did you ever imagine that those two songs would be the kickoff to your career?
Hauldren: We definitely felt those songs were special and that people would like them – but you never know how well a song is going to do. We had no idea people like Taylor Swift and Lorde would be talking about “It’s Strange,” or that “Weekend” would land in an Apple ad. It’s really awesome that people like the songs and have connected with them in such a great way.
DJ Times: You have opened for artists such as Madeon and The Chainsmokers and have played at major festivals, such as Coachella, Electric Zoo, Electric Forest and even Lollapalooza in your hometown. How were these experiences?
Kennett: These were all such amazing experiences. Touring with Madeon was really crazy for us because he’s always been a big inspiration – and it was our first time touring on a bus with an artist. Lollapalooza in Chicago was probably the greatest experience ever. Getting to play in our hometown to all the people who have been with us since Day 1 and supported us was really special. We had our families with us, the crowd was huge and the energy was amazing.
DJ Times: Do you guys intend to complete a college degree?
Hauldren: At the moment, we are 100-percent focused on music and art. It could be cool to teach sometime down the road, though.
DJ Times: Currently, you guys are working on an EP. What was the inspiration behind this new music and when can we expect for it to drop?
Kennett: The EP is finished and we have a new single that we’re going to be dropping soon. With the EP, we tried to make it very diverse, while still maintaining our sound and style throughout. There’s a little something for everyone on it and we feel our fans are going to love it.
