Sleigh Bells say 'thanks' to mum

BY CHRIS SCHULZ

They're one of 2010's biggest and best new acts with a wave of blog-induced hype behind them, but Sleigh Bells wouldn't exist if it wasn't for singer Alexis Krauss' mum.

A chance meeting in a Brazilian restaurant in Brooklyn between Krauss and music producer Derek Miller in 2008 saw the formation of Sleigh Bells, a boy-girl duo who have created waves thanks to a debut album that combines raucus riffs, hip-hop beats and cheerleading chants to ear-shredding effect.

But Krauss said she wouldn't have met Miller - who was waiting tables after moving from Florida on a "quest to find someone to work on music with" - if it wasn't for her mum, who she was sharing a meal with at the time.

"He (Derek) was our waiter. He was very friendly and my mum is also very friendly and so they started talking and shooting the s**t about random things," Krauss, a part time session singer who was working as a teacher at the time, told Stuff.co.nz.

"The conversation eventually turned to why he had left Florida, and my mum being a proud mum was like, 'Oh, my daughter's a singer'. We exchanged information, and that's how it happened ... If I hadn't met Derek I'd probably still be teaching fourth graders. It's weird how life works."

It's fair to say their connection was instant. Sleigh Bells have struck it big with their debut album Treats earning an impressive 75 percent on review aggregate site Metacritic thanks to songs like Tell 'Em, Crown on the Ground and Infinity Guitars.

It even scored them several high-profile fans including controversial rapper MIA, who remixed their song Treats for her own song Meds and Feds on her recent album Maya.

Krauss said she and Miller were a perfect match in the studio with a "natural chemistry" that saw the duo constantly pushing each other to make each song better than the last. 

"As a vocalist and someone who's worked as a session singer for a long time,  I've done a lot of work for different writers and producers. There was something about his music that grabbed me and I just wanted to be a part of it.

"We started realising we could push things in a heavier direction. Everything came together really quickly and we were just really excited. Every song topped the next and we ended on a real creative high note, with Tell Em and Riot Rhythm.

"Those are the two songs we look to now as our inspiration for the next record. We definitely have a ton more ideas and we're looking forward to getting back into the studio."

She admitted Treats was a full-on album and urged listeners to crank it loud.

"I think the music we make is reflective of the atmosphere we want to create in a live setting ... We want the crowd to be hot and sweaty and dancing. We want this to be the type of record people blast in their cars really loudly when they're driving to the beach, or dancing in a club.

"It's not the type of music you put on in your room and groove to."

Sleigh Bells have built up a growing fan base that saw them recently headline their first US tour, but Krauss said her mother is still the band's biggest fan.

"She loves it, she couldn't be happier. For most parents if their daughter told them, 'I'm going to leave my career in one of America's worst economies and be completely broke,' most parents would be like, 'No you're not'.

"My parents are really supportive. They're our biggest fans."

* Sleigh Bells' debut album is out now.

- © Fairfax NZ News