Interview: The Him discuss eclectic new single ‘Nothing On Us’

Hailing from the dance capital of the world, Amsterdam, the Dutch team of Jeroen Kerstens and Steven Berghuijs formed their partnership; The Him, in 2015 when they teamed up with melodic house mastermind Sam Feldt for their breakout collaboration ‘Midnight Hearts’, of which has amassed over 17 million streams to date. Now, the dynamic duo is back on Spinnin’ Records with their brand new tune, ‘Nothing On Us‘. 

A calming, yet groovy tune, the track uses a cool, halcyon soundset while encouraging listeners to dance and go wild! Known for crafting infectious melodies with their transcendent originals and innovative remixes or their electrifying crowds with their energetic sets, The Him are the international dance force to be reckoned with.

In commemoration of their brand-new release, The Him kindly sat down with We Rave You to discuss how the track all came together, and what the future holds for the duo.

Your new single ‘Nothing On Us’ is out now on Spinnin’ Records! What inspired this record and what does it mean to you?

“We went into the studio with 3 of our favourite writers in LA earlier this year and made this song. We wanted to make something about being really awesome together. That kind of us against the world feeling. In a happy way tough!”

How did you turn an idea into reality? What was the process you took with this track? What was your mindset while working on it?

“The song started on some simple piano chords and then we made an idea for the drop with a big piano/synth. We wanted to make something that was a combination of some classic The Him sounds combined with new influences.”

The vocal chops and chord progressions go together nicely. How did that magic formula come together?

“It was funny because we were almost done recording and said to Gigi can you adlib some simple falsetto high things on the drop. She looked at us like we were crazy but we said we would chop it up into something cool. So right after we cut it quickly just to show her how it would sound. I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what we used!”

Behind the main vocal is a vocoded vocal. How does adding an extra layer impact the sound and its fullness?

“Man we love vocoders. It just adds so much warmth to a vocal it’s almost like magic. It’s cool because in a way it feels like you’re just listening to the vocal which gives the song a lot of focus but at the same time, there is also a harmony going on.”

Describe your sound in one sentence.

“Someone on Twitter once called it ‘romantic bass house’.”

Earlier this year, you signed with Spinnin’ Records and your first release on the label, ‘Jigsaw’ with Jay Hardway peaked at #10 on Beatport’s Future House chart! How did that make you feel and do you believe it was an ample testament to your hard work?

“It’s crazy right! We feel very fortunate to be able to work with the best people in the world. The collaboration with Jay was just fun and easy so we were so happy it was such a huge success.”

You’ve performed at some major festivals this year, including Lollapalooza, Sziget and Shaky Beats. Where do you hope to play next?

“There is no hope left haha!!! We just started our World Tour and we have nothing to wish for anymore. Early retirement achieved haha. But no really we love to perform. So we’ll go wherever they will have us!”

Be sure to listen to ‘Nothing On Us’  below and grab a copy here!