Lion Babe

Did You Know?

• The duo's name "Lion Babe" comes from Lucas' horoscope sign (Leo) and Jillian's hairstyle.
• "Treat Me Like Fire" was added to Grand Theft Auto V's in-game radio station Worldwide FM on November 18, 2014.

Career

Lion Babe is an American R&B duo from New York City made up of vocalist Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman. They met through a friend, and after releasing the 2012 single "Treat Me Like Fire," their profile grew, leading to a deal with Interscope Records. Their self-titled debut EP arrived in 2014, followed by their first studio album in 2016. Their second album came out in 2019 on their own label.

Jillian Hervey, whose mother is actress Vanessa Williams and father is Ramon Hervey II, originally wanted to be a dancer. Lucas Goodman started making music in his dorm at Northeastern University, then moved back to New York to intern at Truth & Soul Records, a label with a retro focus. While there, he found a vinyl copy of Eunice Collins' "At the Hotel 1974," which he later sampled for "Treat Me Like Fire." The two met at a party through a mutual friend when Hervey heard Goodman's music.

She introduced herself, but they didn't stay in touch, though they did follow each other on MySpace. Hervey moved to New York to attend The New School. For a dance class assignment, she reached out to Goodman for original music. That led to her talking about wanting to sing, and Goodman encouraged her to try a soulful style like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.

They named themselves Lion Babe, a name that grew in meaning over time, coming from Goodman's Leo zodiac sign and Hervey's hairstyle.

"Treat Me Like Fire" came out in December 2012. At South by Southwest the following March, rapper Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) reached out and asked them to open for him. That summer, they signed a US deal with Interscope and a UK deal with Polydor. They stayed in touch with Glover, who later appeared on the lead single "Jump Hi" from their debut EP.

On November 18, 2014, "Treat Me Like Fire" was added to the in-game radio station Worldwide FM in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Grand Theft Auto V. On December 15, Lion Babe released their self-titled debut EP digitally, with vinyl and streaming versions including two extra songs. Hervey and Goodman wrote and produced the EP under Goodman's production name Astro Raw. Critics called it a warm-blooded mix of soul, R&B, and electronica, and noted Hervey's resemblance to Erykah Badu.

Childish Gambino was the only guest, appearing on "Jump Hi," which later peaked at number nine on Billboard's Twitter Emerging Artists chart.

Work on their debut album began in 2015 and it was released in February 2016. Besides Goodman, production came from Pharrell Williams, Dave Sitek, and others. The duo said they were making the album with friends and working with Mark Ronson, and that they had recorded another song with Childish Gambino. Hervey described the album's sound as eclectic, mixing soul, dance, hip-hop, and pop, with positive, empowering lyrics. In 2015, they put out the song "Wonder Woman," which hit number one on Billboard's Twitter Emerging Artists chart. That same year, they were featured on Disclosure's "Hourglass," from the album Caracal, released as a promotional single on September 11, 2015. In October 2016, the duo was chosen as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month and appeared on NBC's Today show with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, performing a cover of Tom Jones' "She's a Lady."

Goodman studied producers J Dilla, Flying Lotus, and Timbaland, calling their techniques magical. He aims to bring funk and soul into a modern context, creating an iconic performance and a music brand like Prince or Iggy Pop. He also draws from RZA, Kanye West, and Just Blaze. In high school, he played guitar and was influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

He says New York City, as a melting pot, inspires him. Hervey looks to classic vocalists like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, and Erykah Badu. Both grew up listening to Curtis Mayfield and Sly Stone. Goodman also cites early 2000s influences like The Neptunes, The Strokes, and the White Stripes.

As a duo, they say The Beatles are a huge influence, and they listen to artists across genres such as Lee Scratch Perry, Sergio Mendes, and Fela Kuti. Both are inspired by Pharrell Williams, having grown up on his music and production.

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 2000s 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.