By day vocalist Lilly Wolfson and producer Alex Neuhausen both work in tech, but by night they grace the stages of loft and warehouse parties across Brooklyn under the name Lilly Wolf. Their electronic music marries pop sensibilities with danceable melodies and beats. Covering everything from the quest for wealth to personal relationships, Lilly Wolf tackle a variety of topics with the glistening precision they've come to perfect since forming in the Bay Area and relocating to New York. Fresh from a short tour, we got to chat with Lilly herself about their inspiration, influences and what's to come.

What's been the biggest influence on you as a band?

We listen to a lot of hip hop together, and go to a lot of local hip hop shows, so that's probably found its way into our style. We'll also listen to Top 40 and talk about production techniques, break down what's happening melodically, etc. I like listening to film soundtracks, which I think has influenced how I construct the narrative arc of a track. We also both have a programming background, and we both obsess over the technical aspects of the production. Occasionally we fight over something in the production and it's always really nerdy.

What were your biggest musical influences while you were growing up?

Classical music, because I grew up playing piano. My dad gave me a Mendelssohn cassette tape for my eighth birthday. I still love Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, lots of Romantic and Classical composers. I'm a hip hop fan now, though, too. So my loves list includes Logic and Kendrick and Schoolboy and Drake.

What's the song writing process like for you?

I have song ideas at strange moments, like when I'm out walking or at the grocery or something, so I use a shorthand to write them down in my phone. I'll develop the ideas in Ableton Live later, try to get down the important melody lines plus bass, some basic drums, that sort of thing. Alex prefers to start his ideas in Live and then kick them over to me. We have the same exact setup on our laptops, and we do a lot of passing tracks back and forth. I find it easier to write when I'm in particular moods, and I'm opportunistic about that—if I feel like I'm having a 'songwriter' moment, I'll look for the darkest, most solitary place I can find, crack open my laptop and try to work. I do a lot of writing inside the vocal recording booth at my loft. It's 4x4 feet, just big enough for me to sit on the floor.

What's been inspiring your newer songs?

Films, plays, other people's art. Living messily. I say yes to a lot more things than I used to, which is bad for my health but good for my writing.  

What are the best and worst things about being a band in New York?

Best: We meet so many artists, and perform alongside some incredibly talented rappers, singers, producers, bands etc. I have so much fun at our shows cause the people we play with are so good. I really love living in New York in general. It keeps me awake.

Worst: It's tougher to get noticed locally, cause there's so much competition, so many things to do, so much artistry and showbiz. Kind of a double edged sword, obviously. So that's maybe not ideal, but I think we can make it work. I appreciate that it's not a laid back city.

Where in the world/what stage would you most like to play and why?

We'd love to play a nightclub with a really top of the line sound system, like Output in Williamsburg. Or a big festival, specifically Sasquatch, the Pacific Northwest's premier music festival. The Gorge Amphitheater sounds great and it's at this really beautiful part of the Colombia River. And the amphitheater is built into a hill, so everyone in the crowd has a great view, which never happens at festivals.

What's been your most memorable show of late?

[A couple weeks ago], we played a Quentin Tarantino-themed party. It was our third show of the day, 12:30 AM set time. Alex dressed like a gangster from Reservoir Dogs and I went as O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill.