[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article references three KCRW exclusive songs performed by Billie Eilish and Finneas; those songs are not included as part of the audio archive, but can be heard in a radio encore on Sunday Dec. 22, 2024 at 2pm PST.]
In December 2015, KCRW’s Chris Douridas booked Billie Eilish and Finneas for his weekly band showcase/dance party, School Night. This was just about a month after then-14-year-old Billie set Soundcloud ablaze with “ocean eyes” — a song originally written by Finneas for his high school band The Slightlys.
Fast forward to 2024, the sibling duo have released their third studio album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, featuring chart-toppers like “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” “WILDFLOWER”,” and “THE GREATEST.” The album has landed at no. 6 on KCRW’s Best Albums of The Year list and picked up 7 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.
Amidst their extensive touring schedule, the siblings returned home to Los Angeles and sat down with Chris Douridas for an exclusive interview and acoustic performance, in front of an intimate audience of some of the world’s best engineers and producers.
Billie and Finneas chat with Chris about their growth as artists and producers over the decade since their School Night debut, the making of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, and what the future holds for them — both as a team and as individuals.
This session was recorded and mixed by Bob Clearmountian at Apogee Studios in Santa Monica.