110 | The Scoop on the Origins of the Fab Windowsill Chats Theme and What It’s Like to Be All Music All the Time – with Fab Duo Ben Braden & Nick Sadler of Strange Hotels!

Margo is joined by cousins Ben Braden and Nick Sadler, otherwise known as Strange Hotels – the writers and producers of Need Your Trouble, featured in the introduction for every episode of Windowsill Chats! After touring for years as a part of Portland’s iconic touring band The Lower 48, Ben and Nick formed their indie-electro duo Strange Hotels in early 2018, and within weeks of forming the duo, they had the opportunity to open for Billie Eilish and Finneas at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. Their songs have been featured in several TV shows including Shameless, Viceʼs King Of The Road, and Conan O’Brien’s Needs a Friend. Nick & Ben describe Strange Hotels as the most collaborative project they have been a part of- and are a sonic blend of dance, R&B, vintage pop, and indie rock. They have taken a very DIY approach to recording their songs, recording and producing their music solely on iPads. They moved to Los Angeles in 2019 quickly booking a residency at their favorite club, writing new songs, and releasing their second EP, Mixtape II.

Margo, Ben and Nick discuss:

The transition from The Lower 48 to Strange Hotels
Moving to LA 5 months before the pandemic heat and how it affected their work
How being able to do what they enjoy at an early age benefitted them
Their willingness to be broke and commonality for being bad at having a boss and how it aided in their success down the road
Finding different ways to share their music
How the music industry currently works, streaming platforms, and finding new ways to be financially successful
The unglamorous side of the entertainment industry