Here’s our interview with Leeds Living after our show at The Garden Party in September.
What are your impressions of The Garden Party so far?
J: We just got here at about 4 o’clock; it’s heated up a bit now.
M: It seems like a nice vibe!
How does playing a festival differ from playing your own show?
J: It’s just a lot more people, a lot more atmosphere!
M: I have to confess, I don’t normally like playing festivals; you know you have to get on and get off quite quickly and it can be quite stressful but it’s been really nice here; as long as there’s a nice vibe and people are with us when we play, it’s cool.
What’s been your best live experience in Leeds so far?
M: Well I don’t think there’s one thing that we can say is the best ‘cause every time we play it’s different but when we played the two Beacons festivals that we did were a real highlight. Gigs: we’ve played Wharf Chambers, we like that; they’re intimate and small.
J: I think the best one for me was probably Tom Tom Club at The Brudenell, about two years ago. That was amazing. Just meeting those guys was amazing.
What up-coming shows have you got in Leeds?
J: We’re playing Headrow House on 23rd October, which we’re excited about because Golden Teacher (who they’re playing with) are fantastic and Headrow House is a new venue.
What influence has the Leeds music scene had on your being a duo?
J: For me, it’s being able to meet people who were musicians first, in bands second, so loads of people that are in more than band; it’s that sense of collaboration, especially around the Hyde Park area; there’s a lot of creativity.
M: I think musically, we’re not necessarily as influenced by Leeds other than its strong club culture, like the DJs. But what I am influenced by is that Leeds has a really strong sense of community and I think that’s a really big thing, especially in dance music. It’s about unifying people and having a shared experience. It’s not about stardom or hierarchy.
What do you have in the pipeline?
J: We have a new album coming with quite a lot of tracks; we have vocalists now like Emma Mason who we’re collaborating with, possibly even live in the future, and we’ve got guitar on the new album from John Nash who’s in Cowtown and Hookworms. A bit more of a disco/house analogue kind of direction too. And a European mini tour!
M: We’ve gone out of our comfort zone a little bit more this time: vocalists, lyrics…
With thanks to Chris Haywood and Ryan Crossland
