Meet Fifteen0eight

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fifteen0eight and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fifteen0eight, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
We started Fifteen0eight in 2021 with nothing but a vision and quickly realized that no one would take us seriously if we didn’t have something to show for it. We spent our entire first year together in the studio every night from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., after full days of classes at Berklee College of Music. Naturally, the first year of college is crucial for making friends, going out, exploring the city, and having fun—but we didn’t do any of that. We were so stubborn and committed to our goal that we felt we couldn’t afford to waste a single day not creating. That said, not every session was easy. There were many nights when one or both of us didn’t want to stay in, felt uninspired, or had a rough day and simply didn’t feel like making music. We’re grateful to have had each other to hold accountable and to remind us of why we’re working so hard.

We took lots of risks that first year to lay a solid foundation for Fifteen0eight, in the end it’s what gave us our drive and work ethic and taught us that hard work truly pays off. Now, going on four years later, Fifteen0eight has played in venues around the globe, toured with Sofar Sounds, performed and recorded multiple live sessions and videos, and most recently had the opportunity to perform at Chicago’s Lollapalooza 2024. We’re so grateful for all we’ve accomplished in this short time and are very excited to continue developing and growing together.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Fifteen0eight is an Alternative-Pop/Electronic duo formed by Daphne Eleftheriadou and Tomer Oron. We are best known for creating genre-bending music that pushes traditional boundaries. We don’t place much importance on conventional values like song structure and rhyme schemes; everything we make comes from a place of authenticity and love. When we’re in the studio, it’s all about having a great time—constantly laughing, bouncing ideas off each other, and going with whatever sound emerges. Certain elements remain constant in Fifteen0eight: our use of distinctive sound design, intricate and unique drum patterns, and ethereal vocal layers. We always say that our music is what it is because our connection and vibe are so pure; they translate somewhat effortlessly into music.

But Fifteen0eight goes beyond the music. Inspired by unconventional icons like Labrinth, Twenty One Pilots, and Sampha, we are crafting a universe where people can belong—a visual world that complements our audio, immersive art that captivates, and a distinctive aesthetic that encompasses clothing, colors, and even emotions. One day, all of this will be instantly recognized as “Fifteen0eight.” Until then, we’ll keep creating.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of our favorite burger places is called “Burger She Wrote” in West Hollywood. Tomer loves it cause it keeps the integrity of a simple burger without adding anything fancy, and he’s a big burger critique so…

If you’re looking for pizza we stumbled across the best in West Hollywood called “Esco’s Pizza.” The interior is decorated like the inside of a New York subway train; if you’re from the East Coast you instantly feel at home. Oh and the pizza’s fire.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
One very important person in the Fifteen0eight story is mixing engineer Cam Trewin. We started working with Cam in 2022 when we were searching for an engineer capable of mixing a very specific sound. Our music has a lot of intricate layers and tracks that can easily become muddled in the wrong hands, and we wanted the best of the best. We were big fans of Cam’s work with the Australian Alternative-Dance group RÜFÜS DU SOL, so we sent him an email, and two years later, he’s mixed two of our singles and our latest album, “TRUTHFULLY.” Cam is a master at maintaining the integrity of the music while deepening and enriching the sound. He brings out elements that were once unnoticeable, adds incredible texture that makes our sound come alive in ways we never imagined, and is overall such a fun, kind-hearted person to work with. Cam has played an integral role in shaping our sound, we’ve learned a lot from him and we wholeheartedly say that without his artistry, Fifteen0eight’s music wouldn’t be what it is today.

We’ve been fortunate to cross paths with some immensely talented people who have helped us along the way, Nadav Bar Or is another one of them. A multifaceted artist and childhood friend of Tomer, Nadav became Fifteen0eight’s go-to for everything video-related. Our collaboration with Nadav began in 2022 when he volunteered to take on the roles of producer, videographer, and editor for our first live session. We set up our instruments in a circle, surrounded by tube lights in a backyard, and performed four of our songs live. That session brought Fifteen0eight to life in a whole new way—what was once only sound now had a visual representation, opening the doors to an entire visual world, all thanks to Nadav. Since then, Nadav has continued to work with us on numerous videos, and he’s currently filming an ongoing documentary about Fifteen0eight. When we got the call about our spot at Lollapalooza this year, there was no question—we wanted Nadav with us. Despite his commitments as a working student, he dropped everything and flew across the globe to capture every moment during the two weeks of rehearsals and the festival performance itself. We are eternally grateful to Nadav for his loyalty, friendship, talent, and dedication to bringing artists’ visions to life.

Website: https://www.fifteen0eight.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fifteen0eightt?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@fifteen0eight?si=yDwD39ojIPfaAHXT

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ci2F1FCiuVvHVpucprCuQ?si=taQw-0MlTE-daB8NQdm8Lg 

Image Credits
Jonathan Courchesne