Double Duchess Freaks the Funk Out

Double Duchess, the San Francisco-based duo consisting of davO and Krylon Superstar, has been steadily building a fan base since their debut in 2012. Their music is an eclectic mix beats that is irresistibly catchy, combined with sassy lyrics that celebrate being queer in every sense of the term. Their performances, both in their videos and live, are campy sexy goodness.

I caught up with this dynamic duo recently to discuss their origins, the creative process, their fantastic new single and video "Good Girl Freak Out," and their show this Friday, October 3 at the Elbo Room.

What were you up to creatively before you moved to the Bay Area?

Krylon: I was heavily involved with the New York club kid scene in the early 1990s, particularly the Save The Robots party. I also did a lot of fashion modeling. I then lived in Berlin for eight years, where I focused on dance and performance art. Throughout this time I also made music as an element of my performances.

davO: I started in music at the age of 15, while I was living in the Baltimore area. I rapped and played drums with Jepetto, and we were a part of the Warped Tour in 1999-2000. I gained a lot of experience in music production as well, and as I got older I started gravitating more towards DJing.

What made you relocate here?

davO: I moved here with a longtime friend/collaborator. We were looking for a good West Coast base, and we liked how San Francisco was both compact and urban.

Krylon: I spent a summer in San Francisco in the 1990s and had the time of my life, and figured I'd be back again one day. After Berlin, I was visiting a good friend from my hometown San Diego, and I followed her up here. Clearly, it's a different city than what I first encountered, but there is a magic here that cannot be wiped away.

How did you meet?

davO: We were both fairly new to the city. A mutual friend introduced us and we started hanging out together. We kind of nonchalantly produced our first track, which got a really good response, so we went from there.

What made you pick the name?

davO: We were throwing names around that we thought were similar to our aesthetic-happy, sassy, black girl sort-of vibe. "Double Dutch" stuck with us, so we queened it up by switching it to "Duchess"

Is there a philosophy that guides you while you are creating together?

Krylon: Our process is pretty cool. We are coming from somewhat different places musically, but it works together well. One thing we both agree on is that it should be fun to dance to.

davO: Definitely. If the outline of the track is something we both vibe to initially, we'll keep it around and work it out into a proper song.

You send a lot of queer messaging out through your lyrics. How deliberate is that?

Krylon: We want to celebrate being queer and encourage people to fly their freak flag, yes. But it's not just for queers. We have a lot of straight fans who vibe with our music and our message.

davO: It's not so much an agenda, but as queer people we are writing from that perspective. We're talking about love, loss and other topics that are universal, with the added layer of using queer vernacular.

The fashions you sport in videos and live show are very distinct. How do you figure that stuff out?

Krylon: davO is more the music mind, the beat organizer, the creator of the pulse. I am more of the visuals person, which comes from modeling and making my own club kid and performance outfits. Fashion to me is a reflection of inner light and love, as well as a reaction to what is happening in the world. The look is very us, catchy and fun.

What was your latest track, "Good Girl Freak Out," inspired by?

davO: I started working on the track a couple of years ago with Future People. The song developed into the story of a relationship between two people, and addresses the back and forth that can happen. On the one hand, you want to be in a relationship and be a good person, and on the other hand you want to go crazy and have a good time. I think everyone struggles with that.

You collaborated with a lot of people on it; Future People on the track itself, JB Ghuman, Jr. directing the video, and Kelly Osborne as a special guest star. What's it feel like having these people help create your vision?

Krylon: I think it's wonderful. Having Kelly on board - with her background, her connection to music, fashion, and Hollywood - made it more intense, and gave the whole thing a boost up. JB was also really cool to work with, and he had some amazing insights, and knowing that he heard the song and was immediately on board was really cool.

davO: It's helping to widen our reach. Working with other people who are really into what they are doing enhances what we are doing, and getting different perspectives on your own work helps a lot.

Have you been collaborating with other people on different tracks?

davO: Our upcoming new album has several collaborations. We worked with queer Baltimore rapper TT the Artist, as well as with Nicky da B (who recently passed away). We are also working with a crew for the next video in conjunction with the album's release.

When is your new album due out?

davO: Tentatively Spring 2015. It will be our first full-length release. We will be running a campaign through Pledge Music starting in mid-October, where you can pre-order the new album as well as get some nice swag.

Krylon, you dance naked towards the end of the video for "Good Girl Freak Out" and your body is hella slammin'. What's your secret?

Krylon: I'm 40, so it's no small feat. I'm vegan, I rock climb, I meditate, I don't drink or smoke. Working at Whole Foods has educated me a lot about healthy eating. I say food is energy. And energy is life, so if you put positive and creative food into your body, then you get a positive and creative life. I do still indulge in sugar, although I cut back drastically on that right before the shoot, because I wanted to look tight.

What can we expect at your show at Elbo Room on October 3?

davO: We haven't done a lot of hometown headliner shows, so this is a great opportunity to present a full-on show with all of our songs to this date. We'll be joined onstage by back-up dancers Saturn Rising and Joquese Whitfield. Opening for us will be Ricashay and Aima the Dreamer, and there will with DJ sets by Two Dudes in Love. We're looking forward to performing for all our local friends and fans.

Double Duchess perform Friday, October 3 at the Elbo Room, 647 Valencia Street. Show starts 9:30pm. $10 at the door. www.doubleduchess.com

www.elbo.com