- Words David Flindall
The Manchester neo-soul duo with a flair for mythology break down their love of the West Coast, how to cure a broken heart and why Jason is the greatest Greek hero.
Social media has changed the way we interact with our favourite artists. More than just musicians, they’re now personalities, people we can interact with on the daily. Now more than ever we’re aware that musicians are pretty normal people, they just have a weird job. Every week we get to know one of our favourite SoundCloud heroes, internet dating style, in our new column, Internet Crush.
For a pair of seemingly introverted neo-soul artists, Children of Zeus aren’t exactly shy. The Mancunian duo have a made name for themselves with a hazy fusion of 90s nostalgia, lo-fi production and frankly fantastic voices. Tyler Daley and Konny Kon’s combination of Soulquarian sounds and UK rap has set them apart from the waves of R&G and smoother, more R&B influenced afroswing that have taken over Britain in recent years. Their debut album Travel Light drops later this month and later this year they’ll be bringing their northern soul to Outlook Festival in Croatia. We get a taste of what’s in store in this week’s Internet Crush.
Who is your favourite child of Zeus?
Konny Kon: Tyler Daley, god of divine harmonies and also unanswered emails.
What’s the best Greek myth?
Tyler Daley: I dunno but I like Lycurgus who mistook his own son for a weed/vine and chopped him with an axe. Then because he was so distraught he then chopped his own legs off. Good times.
Konny: Whatever myth the Jason and the Argonauts film is based on. (Argonautica– Ed.)
What’s the greatest neo-soul album of all time?
Tyler: Jill Scott – He Loves Me.
Konny: Erykah – Other Side of The Game.
Describe your sound in just a sentence:
Konny: Imagine the soundtrack to the finale of a film, where the underdog is smashing the clean-shaven smug-faced huge guy through a coffee table one last time and then the hero and the exotic co-star girl walk off into the sunset as Mancunian backdrop fades to black. That.
Favourite colour:
Konny: The sky at 21.37 on June 28th 2018.
Favourite movie:
Tyler: Goodfellas.
Konny: Spinal Tap.
What’s your star sign?
Tyler: Scorpio.
Konny: Whichever one I told my girl I was when I met her to maintain compatibility.
Have you ever been in love?
Tyler: Yes.
Konny: Every weekend.
Have you ever had your heartbroken?
Tyler: Not over a girl
Konny: Never.
How do you deal with a broken heart?
Konny: Console yourself in groupies’ booty meat.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Konny: Neneh Cherry.
Tyler: Lisa Bonet.
Last book you read:
Konny: Ableton instruction manual.
First single/album you ever bought?
Konny: SoulIISoul – Club Classics Vol. One.
Tyler: EPMD- Unfinished Business.
First band/act you ever went to see live?
Konny: Snoop/Dogg Pound/Nate Dogg/SWV/Blackstreet at NYNEX.
Tyler: A different Snoop show!
Earliest memory?
Konny: I actually remember lots from around the age of two for some reason. I remember being at the Nottinghill Carnival in my pushchair watching the rain hit the plastic cover and falling asleep to music.
Tyler: First day at nursery hoping the kid that thought he was He-Man wouldn’t punch me.
What do you do in your spare time?
Tyler: What’s spare time?
Are you a morning or evening person?
Tyler: Evening.
Konny: Neither.
First song you ever wrote?
Konny: A rap about picking up litter in the playground.
Tyler: A song about my nanna.
Favourite lyric?
Konny: Not sure if you mean ours or someone else but we don’t have any good ones of our own.
Tyler: ‘if you know your history then you will know where you’re coming from’ – Bob Marley.
Konny: It’s a toss-up of ‘most intellects do not believe in God but they fear us just the same’ by Erykah or ‘She went to suckin’ my asshole, it felt so great I farted in her mouth and made her cheeks inflate’- Bust Down. But probably more the first one though.
Children of Zeus play Outlook Festival, Pula, Croatia, 5-9th September.
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