Let’s Be Friends Interview | The Student Pocket Guide
by Suzie Parsons

Let’s Be Friends are one of the hottest names in electronic dance right now. They’re the name behind the Global Gathering 2014 anthem and have worked with the likes of Felix Da Housecat, Fedde Le Grande and Steve Aoki to name a few. We caught up with the boys ahead of their UK shows to talk cats, Pine trees and Katy Perry.

So guys – your first year has seen support come in for your sound from an incredible spectrum of major names and now you’re responsible for the Global Gathering 2014 anthem. How does that success feel?

OREN: It feels great after all the hard work the last two years but this is just the starting point for us. We’re just  warming up!

‘Let’s Be Friends’ is such a nice name for a dance act! Is there a story behind the name? 

JONNEY: Nah, not really. We just really liked it, felt right, funny, and non-specific to anything. It really made the most sense and still does I guess.

Speaking of names – Oren – you have such a unique name! Where is it from?

OREN: It’s an Israeli name, this is how we call the ‘Pine tree’ in our language – you should ask my parents!

You guys seem to love your funny pictures on Facebook – I’ve noticed an awful lot of cats (I’m more of a dog person myself).  Do you have a bit of a soft spot for cats?

JONNEY: Well a friend asked me to look after a kitten for a few months while he travelled. That was about 2 years ago now! It was my first, I had dogs all my life, but she’s raised like a dog. She likes to play rough and fetches stuff. I’m really happy with her…

OREN: Sure, Actually we have 3 girls in our family: Milky which is Jonney’s cat all over our Instagram, and R2 and D2 – my two dogs. They’ve both been with us from the start. R2 is a beautiful Australian Shepherd and D2 is one of the smallest Border Collies alive. She’s the love of my life.

So besides your passion for music and animals, do you have any other weird or interesting obsessions?

JONNEY: [laughs] I don’t have a love for cats. Just mine! (Ok, well they are extremely cute sometimes). I love making artwork and experimenting in the studio, and DISNEYLAND! God I am obsessed. It’s SO much fun – I can’t get enough!

OREN: I think I’m developing a ‘small tattoo addiction’: I have 4 and we’re currently working on my fifth – I just LOVE it!

What music did you both grow up listening to? Got any skeletons in the CD rack that you’d like to share with us? Oren we hear you have a soft spot for Katy Perry!?

JONNEY: I love hard house, love The Wonderstuff, and of course regarding electronic we have the The Prodigy, Pendulum and Justice. I really love hard house though!

OREN: I grew up listening to Pantera and Metallica, Depeche Mode and Radiohead. Today I’m a massive Arctic Monkeys fan – I love Kanye West and waking up listening to some Rudimental.

Oren we hear you have a soft spot for Katy Perry…

OREN: My Katy… I love that girl but I didn’t grow up on her music. I really got into ‘Anne-Marie’. She is amazing.

If you could remix one track – any track (besides Katy Perry!) – what would it be and why?

JONNEY: Officially? Well if we get permission to do what we want with ‘System of a Down’s’ files I will jump right on that! Also Marilyn Manson would be good.

OREN: I don’t know about ‘one’ remix – it’s too hard to choose, I know we would be more than happy to make some music with ‘Serj Tankian’ or ‘System of a Down’. It’d be like a dream come true.