1. Growing Up
Big Fella: My first musical memory was playing a little keyboard with an attached mic at my fifth birthday. I gathered my family around to hear a song I made and completely blanked. I became really nervous and started crying and my brothers started laughing at me. Everyone left and went back to watching TV and I felt so deflated. After that I only sang under the blanket at night when no-one was around until I was a teenager.
PasoBionic: As a kid I remember driving around with my parents listening to old Bollywood soundtracks. The songs were always so sad. As I got older they turned more religious and stopped listening to music so much. My elder sisters listened to Top 40 pop on the radio: Prince, MJ. Then rap happened. I was shocked and entranced when I first heard Public Enemy. It was raw energy, nothing like anything I’d heard. I was hooked.
2. Inspirations
BF: Otis Redding is my favourite singer. I love broken voices that sound like they hurt to sing, like Kurt Cobain or Janis Joplin. I’m a sucker for a sad song.
PB: Key inspirations of my early musical life were Public Enemy – avant-garde sample collages; DJ Shadow – you don’t need a vocalist to take you on a journey; Mr Bungle (specifically Disco Volante) – there are no rules, sound as art. Now I’m inspired as much by books, movies, paintings and architecture.
3. Your Band
BF: We met 5 years ago when I approached Paso to remix one of my songs. We share a love of darker shades and decaying textures. It’s a very easy working relationship.
4. The Music You Make:
We describe our music as ‘future-noir’. We released our debut LP Abominable Galaxy in 2012, a split EP I Know We’ve Only Been Going Out For Three Days But It Feels Like Forever with Friendships [this year], and we have our sophomore album Beneath The Static And The Low dropping Friday September 20.
We’re husband and wife, which actually makes writing songs easy. There’s a studio set up in our house, so it’s – chop the onions, record the vocals, clean the dishes, make the beats. Music is part of our daily routine. Usually vocals and harmonies are recorded a cappella and then beats are constructed around them.
5. Music, Right Here, Right Now
There is an amazing, inspiring music scene in Melbourne. Just check out RRR/PBS playlists. Of course the main obstacle is getting heard amidst all that. We recently played with Sietta and Hailey Cramer, both of those acts were amazing. As far as Sydney’s live music scene goes, I think FBi Social has the best gigs in town.
Beneath The Static And The Low out Friday September 20 through Remote Control
