DUO

If there's one blessing from 2020, information technology'southward that The Kooks' frontman Luke Pritchard and vocalist/songwriter Ellie Pritchard found the time to create a stunning body of work under the moniker DUO.

Although the couple didn't know it and so, a trip to the Isle of Wight to visit Luke'due south Granny Norah would be the musical catalyst for what was to come for the pair. After writing a few songs on that fateful trip a few years agone and penning tracks in-between so and now, it took the great lockdown of 2022 to encourage the pair to think almost making a body of work together. Luckily for us, they kept at it and DUO was born. Blending pop singer/songwriter Ellie's sultry vocals and evocative lyricism with Luke's background as the frontman to indie rock ring The Kooks, DUO represents a much-needed dose of timelessness in music today. Their offset single 'Don't Estimate' targets naysayers and serves as a perfect insight into the pair, from their tongue-in-cheek lyrics, 60s French cinema, and timeless melodies. DUO'south releases experience like a nice escape to another world where beloved, murder ballads, and a Miami car bulldoze all exist in the same place.

While speaking with the real-life lovers and being warmly invited into their home via Zoom, you're instantly reminded of the powerful duos that have shaped music — from Serge and Jane to Marianne and Mick to Patti and Robert. They finish each other's sentences, champion one some other's instincts, and, most importantly, know the importance of creating music that is both timeless and intimate; a level of intimacy that could but be seen, heard and felt by listeners when the pair is creating art with the person they love most.

To celebrate the 2nd act of their 3-deed EP release, 1883 caught up with Ellie and Luke to hash out all things DUO , from their artful choices to their reasonings for only recording a scattering of takes for each song.

First things beginning: I need to know more about the story of Granny Norah and her unique role in DUO. Tin can you tell me a bit well-nigh how she became the catalyst for the creation of DUO?

Luke: Oh, Granny Norah! My Gran never liked any of my previous girlfriends, but when Ellie came over to stay they got forth actually well. She just kept maxim " This is you lot, this is information technology, you're washed, you need to stop!" [Laughs] We went to the Isle of Wight and was able to spend a lot of fourth dimension with her just before she died. We were on this farm that she lived on in the countryside and information technology was the beginning of our relationship; it felt good to go out of London and get out of the scene. We would get to the studio and write songs and come back and play them to Granny Nora and she would give u.s. her honest opinion, like " this is good, this is terrible ." [Laughs]

She would give her seal of approval!

Luke: Exactly. She was a big supporter. We spent a lot of time with her at the beginning of our human relationship and that'll e'er be special to me.

I know you lot commencement wrote some of the songs a few years ago and some more recently but did the shutdown from the pandemic let you both to accept the time to make this new album?

Luke: I call back that would exist fair to say. Information technology was quite a large gap because I was doing The Kooks' album in-between and there was no plan to exercise an anthology; nosotros just had the songs that we fabricated on the Isle of Wight that we did for ourselves. Nosotros didn't take these big plans to brand anything simply and then lockdown happened. Nosotros just dearest making music together so we only started doing it and it got serious and suddenly we had ten tracks. I think if lockdown didn't happen, I call up it would've taken us 2 years or more to go to where we are today with the tape. It was the catalyst for sure.

Ellie: It was the souvenir of time!

Luke: Information technology was good to focus on it and take information technology more seriously because we do piece of work really well together and making music together has never felt forced.

Ellie: Yeah, information technology kept us decorated which was important.

It kept you busy during those 8 months of nothing!

Luke: Exactly! The songwriting changed throughout, too. Nosotros started getting more than imaginative and writing escapism lyrics, like being in a automobile in Miami in the 70s.

Ellie: We went full nocturnal as well. Nosotros would sleep all day and work all night, writing these trippy lyrics. We didn't carp the neighbours too much.

Luke: We accept very nice neighbours — they'll knock on the wall if they like something.

I've listened to both of your work exterior of DUO and there'south Ellie's solo piece of work and The Kooks archetype hooks are woven throughout the album. What practise you think one another brings to the music, besides your romantic partnership?

Ellie: Oooh! Adept question. Information technology'due south funny because before we worked together, we ever would have debates on songs. I have my way of writing, like having a concept and the lyrics first, whereas you're a melody starting time type of person.

Luke: That's true. I would say yous freshen me upward. I think as well it's been great to have a female perspective. Ellie brought a lot of mod female person artists into the mix, similar Claire Laffut and Lennon Stella. That feminine energy is powerful. With The Kooks, I gathered a lot of experience production-wise so I did a lot of the music. Information technology was the first album I've made without having an experienced producer around, we did everything ourselves. It was the two of u.s., which was intimate, without anyone telling us what to do. It brought a kind of intimacy that wouldn't have been discovered otherwise.

Ellie: We would encourage each other a lot, too. We'd tell the other to follow their instincts. Everything you hear is the outset idea we had.

Luke: Yeah, we had rules. Do you know the Ramones' rule of just strumming downward? Nosotros had this thing where we could, at most, practice ii vocal takes and that'due south information technology. No more. Don't overthink it, don't endeavor to change things. Information technology sounds a lot more raw that style.

I find that astonishing considering I experience like a lot of music now is over-produced, taking a 1000000 takes of something. The fashion yous both have recorded this anthology sounds accurate.

Ellie: That's what I learned from Luke. A lot of The Kooks' recordings would be washed as a band in a room whereas I was from a popular world of doing 25 song takes, chopping it upwards, tuning all the vocals. Luke said aye I'thou not going to do that! [Laughs] Information technology has to exist right the first fourth dimension!

That must've been quite fulfilling and freeing — knowing that if it sounds rough, that's skilful because that's how it sounded in the moment.

Ellie: Information technology'southward very homo. There are a few songs where I audio tired and I know I was moody and information technology's so fun listening back and remembering that vibe.

I retrieve that's lovely because you can't remember the 25 takes y'all took of one song, but y'all tin can remember exactly what it was similar to record the commencement or second have. Those are nice memories for you both.

Ellie: Yes! It was and so fun.

Luke: Very nice memories.

Something I love almost your music is that you've dressed up amazing themes and gorgeous melodies, but take thoughtful and poignant lyrics — like in Don't Judge, which aims at what we will phone call naysayers thinking they take a place to make comments about your relationship. When writing a vocal like that, practise yous find it somewhat of a therapeutic process to go it out and brand what you lot're experiencing more tangible?

Ellie: Yeah, specially that song.

Luke: I'd say we have fun with information technology. Nosotros're not thinking about information technology too seriously but then, in hindsight, information technology was pretty serious. We were having some bug with naysayers, I'll steal your term for that. Since nosotros were doing all of this for ourselves, which is different for both of the states in regards to our own spheres of music, we were able to say what we needed through our songs. That ane, to be honest, is all Ellie; I just wrote the 'don't judge our dearest' bit but the residue was all her. It'south your story really, El.

With your new album, would y'all say there is a common thread or theme that connects all of the songs?

Ellie: Information technology'south quite hopeful.

Luke: Love is a theme, too. It'south meant to be quite transporting. We got into wanting it to feel like yous've fallen into an sometime movie. It's a chip corny but it is an album well-nigh us getting together and how we feel. Information technology's timeless and has that feeling of an old movie or a record that you'd put on from kickoff to stop.

Ellie: With a few sassy moments in-between. The weird thing about doing the album together, normally you don't live with the people you're working with. You don't spend every minute with them. Luke and I were watching all the aforementioned films, listening to all of the same records, reading all of the aforementioned articles. We had an identical experience so all of the stuff we were watching influenced what we were making.

I know yous mentioned information technology sounding like driving in Miami in the 70s, but 'Pontiac GTO' sounds similar it could be in a French spy film, and the entire anthology sounds like you could place whatever song in a Jean-Luc Godard flick and information technology would fit beautifully. I know on Twitter y'all mentioned albums that inspired the album, only were there whatever films, books, or other media that influenced it?

Ellie: I funny inspiration is that video game we were playing! That's why I always think about the Pontiac and a Paris mode show. We watched a lot of erstwhile romantic French films, every Audrey Hepburn motion picture.

Luke: Charade nosotros watched at the start of lockdown. Lots of Serge & Jane, as well, and Françoise Hardy. Nosotros were quite intoxicated past that entire era and artful. The anthology all the same has a modern feel but it pulls from the energy of the past.

Ellie: We tried to incorporate a scrap of humour, too.

Luke: A lot of the music that we love has a bit of a wink to information technology. That'southward something I'd say we are quite good at doing together. Information technology's and so dainty that you picked upwardly on Pontiac, that's one of our favourites.

I was listening to information technology again this morning and all I could recall was this is a fun song. I'd similar to mind to this forever.

Ellie: There's definitely a beret in there somewhere!

Luke: Yeah, there'south some jazz and Latin in in that location. Producing that felt natural. We went into that world and just wrote about information technology, which is absurd.

Ellie: I was reading Patti Smith's 'Just Kids' at the time, too, and all of those actual dear stories and everyone is partying, there's just so much storytelling going on. Nosotros're very sorry nosotros missed that 60s and 70s period in life.

'Darling' is such a dreamy track with really cute lyrics near your relationship, similar 'Darling, you got me hiding. I don't know what my life would be without your love' — can you tell me a bit about the song?

Luke: I'd say it'south probably the best vocal take Elle does on the record. It's so incredible. When she sang that, I was melting. Information technology'due south then haunting. Information technology was one of the first sessions nosotros did while we were in the Isle of Wight with Granny Norah, she loved that one. She listened to it over and over on those 90s headphones you lot'd get with a walkman?

Yes! I know what you mean.

Luke: I asked if she wanted to use new ones but she insisted on using those, bless her. Merely the vocal, for me, is about a ghost haunting you in some fashion. It's a metaphorical lyric that I'k not great at explaining! [Laughs] Do you want to give information technology a go, Ellie?

Ellie: Nope, yous're doing slap-up! [Laughs]

Luke: We were talking near a lifeless doll and it'southward substantially a metaphor for some past trauma kinda post-obit around us, together, trying to effigy things out and exit information technology in the by.

Ellie: Which is funny because information technology came out like a honey song which it is, but information technology'south funny when yous go in with one idea and come out with that. We recorded information technology in the snow and I puked up a lot of red vino that night.

See, something you probably didn't remember if you took 25 vocal takes!

Ellie: Yeah!! [Laughs]

Luke: It was similar a romcom — I held back her hair while she puked and the snow was falling.

In The Sidewinder you sing "We are disasters together we'll fall/yous are the reason I spring through these hoops" which is a gorgeous lyric, just the song itself is a murder ballad. Can you tell me a bit about that song and the story backside writing it?

Luke: That was the final song we wrote and we were challenged by our manager to write a murder ballad. We were simply talking and shooting the shit and he said I really think you guys can write a murder ballad! So nosotros did. Nick Cave did that record and information technology was amazing and Bob Dylan does these quite romantic dark songs, likewise. It was a challenge for sure.

Ellie: It was the starting time person from the outside giving input, too.

Luke: I love these duet songs that are well-nigh being the outcasts and the outsiders, criminal or non. We thought about a series killer blazon of couple — completely fictional [laughs]. We don't take any bodies back here.

Ellie: Neither of us could lift a body! I'm weak and y'all have a terrible back.

Luke: Right? But it was really fun, it was escapism in a way. There is reality there to an extent—being an outsider and putting up the barriers a bit—but it'southward cool to experience like Bonnie and Clyde sometimes. We put the whistles in every bit a little nod and homage to those songs over the years.

Ellie: That lyric you mentioned, I think it's how a lot of people feel that way. You feel like some of the crazies, but you accept each other for that. The weirdos in the corner.

I find everything you've released — from the music to the visuals to how you lot're releasing your music in 'iii acts' like a film — incredible and seamless. Was your artful, both separately and as a couple within this projection, something you both e'er had or something you worked to create?

Ellie: It'southward my chance to do my dream 60s fashion shoots. It's always been a secret dream of mine. Nosotros watched so many of the old French TV shows that Jane and Serge would be on, nosotros're gutted they don't exist anymore. When the opportunity came to do a video like that, nosotros ran for it. The clothes are all our own which is funny; we got into a addiction of buying each other clothes off eBay and Etsy. Luke's great at buying me cool vintage pieces.

Luke: It'due south absurd though because in the video you mix a lot of pieces. You're wearing some vintage with Zara pieces, lots of mix and match. We did go into that era but with a mod experience. Ellie pulled all of the looks together. It's the beauty of doing this matter together; we tin can just have fun and practise whatever we want. I come from a time where there was Tiptop of the Pops on tv, which I did with The Kooks a couple of times, and there isn't anything like that anymore, so I'm glad we could do something like that. Those shows permit y'all take the piss a chip.

Y'all're releasing the record through your own imprint — LITA Records or Love in the Afternoon records. Why was information technology important to make your imprint for DUO?

Ellie: I think so we could have control over the image and everything. The whole idea of our project is that it'due south going to be the two of u.s., it's going to be fun, and it doesn't need to do 'well' whatever that is. Information technology doesn't need to pay the bills or put a roof over our heads. We could but not compromise and have fun.

Luke: Nosotros want to be creative and experimental with this; we've collaborated on a perfume together and nosotros've created tennis balls with our logos on them, merely trying to see what absurd things we can do and lean into it and build over the years. I'thousand sure we'll do many records, but it'south nice to have a place with AWAL where nosotros tin do our ain thing with a team that's helping us with it. It'south nice to start on our own platform.

Ellie: Mark, our managing director, has been a guru in all of this too.

After we're no longer in a global pandemic, would you both go on tour together? I feel like your aesthetics and personal style would brand for an incredible live show.

Ellie: Aw, that's so squeamish.

Luke: We'd love to. We thought we'd look for that anyway, we only desire things to build in our ain fashion and we would want the live show to be the best it could be and done well. Permit's run across if people desire united states to play first! [Laughs]

The big final question: what else should people know nigh DUO?

Luke: Wow, that has stumped me. Nosotros are a ring? [Laughs]

Ellie: We can exercise better than that!

Luke: We're not very hidden, we are quite open.

Ellie: I tin't think of anything.

Luke: We do not take good answers for direct questions? [Laughs] In all seriousness, we're very beholden of everyone's support so far because it has been actually good. Nosotros will one day play a gig and please come along!

Ellie: And our EP is out today! And our album is out next calendar month!

Luke: We're happy and having a cracking time.

Check out DUO's EP2 below & EP3 out in December.

words by Kelsey Barnes

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Source: https://1883magazine.com/duo/

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