With big brands falling over themselves to grab a little cool from the music they associate with, next up is Converse - possibly one of the few brands that’s already got more than enough cool in its locker. Turns out that the shoe-makers have been cobbling together their canvas marvels and the like for 100 years now, and so to celebrate, they plonked a group of uber-cool music-makers together in a room and didn’t let them out until they came up with a song to do the Converse Conga (TM) to.
And so, together (we think we can categorically say for the first time) are songmakers-to-the-stars Pharrell Williams & N*E*R*D, along with up-and-coming Santogold and where-has-he-been Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. They’ve come up with “My Drive Thru”, which has little to do with fast food and cars, and far more to do with melody, hooks and feelgood nu-wave pop. Casablancas trills in his customary laidback style, Santogold pitches in with some aplomb and the whole effort is sewn together with the by-now-familiar Pharrell beats and tricks.
It’s fair to say that all of the collaborators are more than a little gushing about the whole thing. “I’ve always wanted to work with Julian and I’m a big fan of The Strokes. Santogold is super-talented and she cares about music so much that it’s not just about sound, it’s a visual aesthetic,” said Pharrell Williams, the track’s producer. “Working together on original music that crossed all of our inspirations was completely refreshing and I love the track. As for partnering with Converse, I only wear and support the things that I like. The Chuck Taylor is the golden goose egg.”
Santogold was just as enthusiastic: “As an artist that is just breaking, being asked by Pharrell and Julian to join them on this project was a dream,” she burbled. “My inspirations come from sources ranging from singers like Nina Simone and Grace Jones to bands like Devo. Working across musical genres was like creating a patchwork where I got to weave together various influences and allow them to co-exist in a fresh and original way.”
A music video to accompany the track is set to follow sometime in July, but for now, sit back, click right here and let the tune shuffle on its tummy down your broadband pipe and onto your PC, while you marvel at modern technology.
For more on Converse, head on over to www.converse.com
(Clare Lydon)
