Sofi Tukker Takes the 'Freak Fam' to Ultra Europe

There’s only one thing better than doing what you love and traveling the world alone, and that’s doing what you love and traveling the world with your best friend. Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern make up the absolute powerhouse of a DJ duo that is Sofi Tukker.

Sophie was born in Frankfurt, Germany and grew up partially in Canada and partially in Atlanta while Tucker grew up in Massachusetts with a passion for basketball. Tucker’s passion for basketball landed him admission to Brown University where he played for three years. Sophie attended the United World College of the Adriatic in Italy.

With such different life paths, one would think it would have to be fate which led these two to each other. The story goes that Sophie was performing at an art gallery at Brown University in 2014 when Tucker approached her to compliment her. This led them to striking up a conversation and the rest is history.

One well-known fact about the duo is that they have a deep appreciation for Brazilian culture. There are heavy Brazilian influences echoing throughout almost all of their music. Listeners can also expect tons of Portuguese vocals done by Sophie across a variety of their discography including, but not limited to tracks like “Kakee,” “Swing”, and one of their most popular songs “Drinkee” which was nominated for a Grammy in 2017. Sophie has spent ample amounts of time in Brazil and has learned the language fluently in order to be able to sing it. Sophie says in an 

, “I learned the language so that I could sing in it, actually. I was singing in Portuguese before I knew the language and then I was like, ‘I should start to understand what I’m saying.’ So I went and studied and spent some time in Brazil and met the Brazilian poets, and now we collaborate with them.”

Based in Miami, the duo, in an attempt to make the most of 2020, were able to build a dedicated network of fans by livestreaming a DJ set every single day of lockdown. This community came to be known as the Freak Fam and has persisted since lockdown ended. The Freak Fam has not only proven to be an extremely loyal fanbase for Sofi Tukker but it created a space for like-minded individuals to come together and enjoy a sense of community in the midst of a very isolating time in most American’s lives.

Sofi Tukker can be found performing at festivals around the world as well as at their residency at Marquee Nightclub in Vegas. Their most recent album “WET TENNIS” (an acronym for ‘When Everyone Tries to Evolve, Nothing Negative Is Safe’) was released at the end of April 2022 and supported by a world tour. With everything the duo has accomplished since its inception in 2014, they are showing no signs of slowing down and should be on everyone’s list to look out for.