SLANDER know first-hand how invaluable a good co-pilot is.
The duo of Derek Andersen and Scott Land recently released their debut studio album, Thrive. Released on September 22nd, the record is a culmination of a decade of touring in tandem, co-producing songs and putting their creative heads together.
It's a formula that has brought SLANDER no shortage of success. In fact, brief deviations from their shared journey have been uncomfortable and unwelcome.
"When we're performing, we can lean on each other," Andersen tells EDM.com. "I think that's super huge. We've both done a couple of solo shows over the course of this journey. Personally, I remember doing a show. Scott was having surgery and I think it was in Thailand a couple of years ago for 25,000 people. I remember getting up there and starting to play. I was really, really high up away from the crowd and I just felt completely alone. It was not the best feeling. It felt like I was on an island by myself, just DJing for myself."
"After that, I really had a lot of respect for solo artists," Anderson continues. "Playing in a club is one thing where the people are right there so it's like they're interacting with you. You're having that relationship kind of feeling. But I just remember playing on that massive stage where the first person you can see in the front row, their head is tiny. I literally felt completely alone. I really, really appreciate having Scott there and just having that emotional bond with someone. When we do something that we enjoy, we can look at each other. You always experience that moment way deeper when you have that someone to connect with... Because we can lean on each other so much on an emotional level, I think that almost takes the burden off of performing a little bit."