Lion Babe is an American R&B duo from New York City, consisting of singer Jillian Hervey and record producer Lucas Goodman. Following their meeting through a mutual friend, the pair released the single "Treat Me Like Fire" in 2012, which raised their profile and led them to sign a record deal with Interscope Records. Following the signing, the duo released their self-titled debut EP in 2014.
Artistry
Lucas Goodman is inspired by and studied the work of producers J Dilla, Flying Lotus and Timbaland. Speaking on his influences Goodman stated "Their techniques were like magic to me," during his production Goodman tries to bring funk and soul into a modern context, with the goal to create an iconic performance and a music brand similar to Prince and Iggy Pop. Goodman also takes production influence from rappers RZA and Kanye West, as well as Just Blaze. Throughout high school, Goodman began playing the guitar and cited Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin as influences. Goodman also states that he is influenced by the city of New York describing it as a "melting pot" for "all sorts of other things".
Hervey states she is inspired by "classic vocalists" including Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan as well as Erykah Badu. Throughout their childhood the pair both grew up listening to artists such as Curtis Mayfield and Sly Stone, whilst Goodman stated that music that touched up on the early 2000' was as influence such as The Neptunes as well as The Strokes and the White Stripes. As a duo they stated that The Beatles are a huge influence on their musical style and also listen to various other artists from various genres including Lee Scratch Perry, Sergio Mendes in Brazil, and Fela Kuti. Both Hervey and Goodman stated they were inspired by singer and producer Pharrell Williams, stating they grew up listening to his music and his production.