DENIM CULTURE: 3OH!3

Concept & Direction Jan-Willem Dikkers

Images by Michael Mundy

Client: Amazon 

 

 

Nat Motte and
Sean Foreman

are the two Colorado natives behind electropop sensation 3OH!3 (pronounced like the area code in their native Boulder). Together since 2004, their catchy number-one breakout hit, Don’t Trust Me, sold nearly 3 million copies— and had the daring duo donning the equivalent of adult underoos in the video. The tireless band just released a new album, Streets of Gold, featuring Katy Perry and Ke$ha.

Amazon: Jeans can be all things to people, from a status symbol to a memory trigger. What do they represent to you?
Nat: When you’re wearing a nice pair of jeans nothing can touch you. Even if your lack of butt is cleverly disguised and compensated for by exceedingly well fitting denim.
Sean: Jeans are a source of identification. No matter how much someone might ‘not care’ about their jeans, the style says something about who they are.

A: Do you recall your first pair of jeans?
N: I assume they were some sort of overall…
S: I think my first jeans were Osh Kosh. Either that or Levi’s. I wore the overalls like they weren’t ever going out of style.

A: Do you have a favorite pair of jeans or jeans style? What do yours say about you?
N: My favorite jeans were these A.P.C. jeans that I wore for the better part of a year, without washing. They were perfect after that year—so comfortable and perfectly fitting.
S: My favorite style is skinny jeans. I don’t like them too tight, just slim. My jeans probably say that I’m not afraid to do something a bit different, even it that is just wearing skinny jeans.

A: What denim style do you wish would go away?
N: The over-sized stitching on boot-cut jeans is really bad.
S: There’s a style of distressed jeans—the ones with whiskers in the groin region—that just puzzles me.

A: In your opinion, which public figure looks best in jeans?
N: Helen Mirren
S: Garth Brooks

A: Who would you never want to see in a pair?
N: Paris Hilton
S: Darth Vader

A: What is your definition of success?
N: Being respected by those you love and respect. Doing something good for society and trying to advance this culture we live in. Oh, and dunking a basketball.
S: Success is when your are perfectly content and happy with the person you are.

A: If it’s true that success is both a blessing and a curse, what is the down side to the accomplishments you have achieved?
N: I suppose “time-off” is at a premium now, and the constant traveling and moving makes it a little tough on romantic relationships. But the downsides are fewer then the upsides—so we keep doing it!
S: Spiderman said it best “with great power comes great responsibility.” It’s no longer me in a basement with a 4-track, I have a lot more to think about. But it’s still just as fun as the day we started.

A: Who inspires you to do what you do? What do you most like about your line of work?
N: I’m inspired by other people’s music. I am a fan of music at my most basal level, and I always will be, so being involved in music is a very gratifying thing for me.
S: Nat inspires me, as well as my family and my girlfriend. It’s most fun sharing the enjoyment of what you do with other people.

A: What decade currently piques your interest and how does it inform your work?
N: I’ve been listening to a lot of ’80s-era Kate Bush, and there are some interesting production elements in those songs. Believe me- I am stealing all of them!
S: This decade and the future. I have always loved sci-fi and I’m not nostalgic, so I am always looking forward, trying to do something new. That said, the 1770s were pretty rad.

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