The PepsiCo Foundation has teamed up with Robin Hood, the largest poverty-fighting organization in New York, to support Robin Hood Rocks, the organization’s successful fundraising concert series.
The first performances this year featured Axwell & Ingrosso on May 25, 2017. 100% percent of the proceeds from the event went towards Robin Hood’s efforts to fight poverty in New York City. YRB attended the event at Kola House and had the opportunity to interview Axwell & Ingrosso about the performance and the release of their new EP More Than You Know
YRB: We featured you guys along with David Guetta, and Kaskade in 2011, you had such a journey since then up until tonights show and the new release We have been listening to the EP for the past few days and really like the track Renegade, tell us how that song came about?
AXWELL: It was a rough sketch, just an idea. We work with 2 guys (Vincent Pontare and Magnus Lidehäll ) who we have worked with before. It made us feel something.
Something “like Friday evening in your car with the windows down”. We make songs that are very demanding (boom, boom boom!) and made for festivals. This is not so much like a club song. We have so much heritage, we always go back and forth and not so far away from one of our favorite songs Stardust.
YRB: Are you still learning and pushing yourself to the next level with this EP?
AXWELL: The best thing about this EP, we just finished building our new studio in Stockholm. It’s in the center overlooking the water. The sound is so good, we know what we are doing. When we are there it creates such a good feeling. It is a place of sanctuary. This is where the new EP was made.
INGROSSO: We still work the same way, in a new place, somewhere to go to work everyday. We still go back and forth to create.
YRB: What does the EP for you?
AXWELL: We are really happy with those 4 songs! We are really proud and they are all different.
YRB: What’s next? A full album or another EP, another video of those characters fighting each other?
AXWELL: We would like to do another video like that. It was fun, It’s also fun doing an EP.
Music for us feels instant. If it makes us feel a certain way , we want to get it out and we would rather not wait a whole year to release it.
INGROSSO: An EP feels very fresh for us.
YRB: What’s next for the rest of year?
AXWELL: A never ending tour schedule. Spring Awakening in Chicago and mainly Europe for the rest of the Summer. There is always something going on there. Performances like tonight for Robin Hood!
In New York, 1.8 million people live in poverty. Known for helping struggling New Yorkers build better lives for themselves and their families, Robin Hood houses, feeds, trains, educates, advises and cares for hundreds of thousands of people in need. The organization funds the most effective nonprofits in New York and provides ongoing support and guidance. Last year alone, Robin Hood reduced barriers to opportunity for nearly 500,000 New Yorkers: keeping families stably housed, providing emergency food, securing jobs for the unemployed, educating thousands of children, and much more.
“We’re grateful to the PepsiCo Foundation for their generous support and to iHeartMedia for their longstanding commitment to helping their neighbors in need,” said Wes Moore, CEO of Robin Hood.
“The concert will really channel great energy towards doing good.”
Photos by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Robin Hood Rocks
About PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation works with non-profit partners to develop innovative, sustainable solutions that address challenges in underserved communities around the world. The Foundation, along with PepsiCo and its employees, seeks to catalyze efforts that advance our Performance with Purpose 2025 goals related to increasing access to nutritious servings, providing access to safe water, partnering to increase recycling rates, and enabling young women to progress through school and be successful in the workforce. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Global-Citizenship.
About Robin Hood
Robin Hood, New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization, finds, funds and creates over 200 of the most effective programs, to help 1.8 million New Yorkers learn and earn their way out of poverty. Because our board of directors underwrites all operating costs, 100% of your donation goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need.www.robinhood.org Facebook: facebook.com/robinhood Twitter: @robinhoodnyc
About iHeartMedia New York
iHeartMedia New York owns and operates WHTZ-FM, WKTU-FM, WAXQ-FM, WWPR-FM, WLTW-FM, WOR-AM and is part of iHeartMedia. With over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S. and over 85 million social followers, iHeartMedia has the largest national reach of any radio or television outlet in America. As the leader in multiplatform connections, it also serves over 150 local markets through 858 owned radio stations, and the company’s radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM, HD digital radio, satellite radio, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company’s radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile app, in enhanced auto dashes, on tablets, wearables and smartphones, and on gaming consoles.