„We have learned to trust our gut in the studio, however, this does not exclude the fact that a production is complex and that it can take us weeks to work on a song. But other times, it only takes 20 minutes, like with “Heads Shoulders Knees & Toes” –Quarterhead
‚With more than 150 million streams generated globally with “Head Shoulders Knees & Toes“, top positions in the global Spotify charts, gold and platinum status in countries like Germany, France, Poland and Austria amongst others, and airplay successes such as a top 10 ranking in Germany, Quarterhead, together with Ofenbach and vocalist Norma Jean Martine, mark the success of another international hit on their already impressive track record. Even though the collective’s dance track, inspired by an old children’s song, was already released last summer, it still remains on the course to success in 2021 as well! For Quarterhead, the track is another milestone and, at the same time, the perfect motivation to reach for even higher goals: “To be creative and then receive approval for your own ideas and impulses unleashes a unique power. We don’t want to repeat ourselves or make it easy on us, but rather keep pushing and exploring new paths,” the two members Josh Tapen and Janik Riegert explain. “For us, it’s all about the music. It’s what drives us. And success enables you to take it to the next level.”
Quarterhead have been one of the most interesting talents on the scene for several years now, at first, making a name for themselves outside of the spotlight with their songwriting and production. Long before they conquered charts and playlists all over the globe with their hit single “Heads Shoulders Knees & Toes”, they captivated the world with their songs for various other artists: from Benjamin Ingrosso, Alle Farben, and Ofenbach, to Schiller, Wincent Weiss, and all the way up to the Backstreet Boys. With their very own sound and style, Quarterhead have managed to win over the
trust from artists around the world, who frequently request them for collabs. According to Quarterhead, the fact that such a studio session can result in a new EDM anthem with a hypnotizing hook or a club summer hit, comes down to what they call ‘structured creativity’: “We create creative spaces for ourselves and gather people, to freely explore song ideas together. In times of a pandemic, this also works
very well virtually with friends and colleagues from anywhere in the world. These sessions are the birthplace of many ideas and fragments, which the two of us then take into the studio for further refinement.”
The duo from the German region Middle Hesse began writing their first songs during school days already. At the time, their focus was on pop, folk, and singer-songwriter compositions: “We were inspired by artists like John Mayer or Jason Mraz, which had an influence on our approach to writing as well,” the two songwriters and producers recap. What started off with song structuring and composition in a completely different genre, was the best prep for their next step musically: “We experimented with pop and dance influences, and the songs by Calvin Harris opened up a door to mainstream that enabled us to find our very own sound.” These early influences also explain why Quarterhead place great importance on lyrics that tell stories, capture moments and observations, and deliver emotions. Whether it’s for their own releases or for commissioned work and remixes for other artists – Quarterhead utilize the deconstruction of sounds as a tool to transcend genre boundaries and to create something that’s never been there before. Quarterhead have got quite a lot lined up for the next few months, not allowing for any kind of pressure, which a mega hit like “Head Shoulders Knees & Toes” could invoke, to arise. “There’s no way to know beforehand whether or not a song will become a success. So what we do is focus on delivering the best possible take. So far, we’ve been well-advised by our gut feeling. If you can break apart the song and remove parts – and the song still remains strong and touches you, then we’ve achieved what we set out to do.”