‘Superhuman’ out tomorrow.
Your debut album “Superhuman” is out this week, What is the story behind it?
We wrote the opening track ‘Superhuman’ in the summer of 2017 in our South London flat. We were playing as many shows as we could, and trying to find our identity as musicians. We were mad, hungry and confused. We don’t pretend to be this perfect couple, nor are we interested in portraying that. No story is a straight line.
A friend of ours once said that satisfying your human need for comfort distracts you from being an artist. This theory has stuck to us, at times tormented us, and proved a vital building block for this song, and indeed our first album: ’I’ll never be Superhuman, I’m way too human for that’. This was the starting point.
From there, we began fleshing out this record about humanity. The messy parts – heartache, rage, hunger, jealousy, loneliness and a need to be something more than we are. Also, the wonderful parts that shape us – self knowledge, friendship, love, sacrifice. These things connect us, even though often the human experience can feel so alien.
The songs were written across the world: in hotel rooms, the back of vans, our flat, backstage, during sound checks. So many demos – incidentally a few demo parts that made it into the record. That whole time period felt electric, like everyday was something new and different. A few inspirations: Streatham Hill, Glastonbury Festival, Breaking Bad, Addomme (the Italian restaurant by our flat), Iceland, late night arguments, Otto (our small wise friend) and our Honda CRV.
How was it working with Ryan Hadlock and Michael Rendall on this album?
These songs had been on such a journey by the time we went to the studio. They had been played to empty rooms and crowds of thousands. Some of them had been rewritten and demoed six or seven times. We went straight into recording at Bear Creek Studios with Ryan just off the back of a UK tour. The jet lag was real, in fact Issy actually fell asleep standing up whilst recording a guide vocal. But once we got over the fatigue and bewilderment over this amazing place we found ourselves in, the fun really started. We recorded four of the album tracks across ten days, bringing in amazing Seattle musicians that Ryan knew. The session was high energy and exciting and Ryan and his engineer, Taylor were really great people to work with. Our days began with pancakes and red potatoes at The Maltby Cafe, and ended late after a vocal take or tracking guitars. There was an old mannequin of a female warrior with big boobs sat on top of an old recording booth. We would stare up at her whilst we did our vocals, like we were singing to her.
We flew back to England and went straight to Sawmills Studio with Michael. You can only get to the studio by boat, or by foot. You’re totally isolated from the outside world. We were there for three weeks and it was the happiest time of our lives. We’ve worked with Michael a lot, and we have come to think of him like the third secret member of the band. He is a sensational producer and the funniest person on this earth. We were fully immersed in the record, watching it grow and take new, interesting shapes day by day. We laughed a lot, ate supper together every night and worked into the early hours. We left the studio with twelve recordings that made us proud. We felt like we’d captured something and that is a truly great feeling.
“Darkness I Feel”; a reassuring reminder to trust the people around you, Is this song a good indication of the tone of the album?
The song is almost an answer to the album’s big question – we are not superhuman, we are people and that’s something worth believing in. The whole record is this struggle of wanting to be more than you are – Superhuman, Golden, Breadwinner and Special all share these themes. And then Darkness I Feel counterbalances this yearning. It was the last song we wrote for the album, and it felt like a long overdue outwards breath. Despite being a song about sadness and loneliness, it is a song fundamentally about hope (it’s also Issy’s favourite).
Having released Ep’s previously, how does it feel to be releasing your first full-length album?
It’s a big deal for us. We have always wanted be an album band. And we wanted to give it our best shot. It takes time to get it right, it’s not always easy to build something that you feel totally represents who you are and where you’re going. We spent two years writing this record, touring the whole time, and then finished the record during a global pandemic which was a really hard time to navigate. Releasing singles and EPs have been vital in telling our story. It’s been a journey, we’ve released 25 tracks pre album. We’re so happy to be getting this piece of work out there, and hope our wonderful fanbase feel a part of it.
How long did it take to complete this album?
The album was written about our life together across the span of two years, writing, learning, rewriting, fighting, getting lost, getting it right, getting it wrong, making mistakes, growing and changing. Every song, every show, every demo, every day has been a breeze block in building this record.
Where was the album recorded?
The album was recorded both in the UK and US. We recorded four of the tracks at Bear Creek Studios in Seattle, then finished the recording at Sawmills Studio in Cornwall. A couple of the tracks were also recorded at The Pool Studios in London. It was really cool to record an album inspired by both British and American music on both sides of the pond and we think you can hear the influences of both throughout the record.
From headline tours to supporting tours, whats it like on the road?
An adventure. You’re moving from place to place, playing to crowds and meeting wonderful people. It’s really an exciting, sometimes unpredictable way of life. Not to say there aren’t some days when you’d quite like to be at home with your friends and family. Or some days that you’d rather forget – like that time Archie put beers in our tour bag and they leaked over everything and we spent our night off at a laundromat somewhere in Germany. Or when Issy stepped on Archie’s guitar lead during an acoustic song and stood singing unaccompanied to 12,000 people whilst Archie had to scramble around trying to plug the lead back in. But, we must admit – touring is magical. We take the chaotic, strange, tired days with as much joy as the picture perfect ones.
How do audiences compare from your own shows to when you supported James Morrison?
Well, they are a little smaller. Though mighty all the same. When it’s your own show, you get to play to your fans and it’s like sharing the night with a few hundred of your closest friends. Other times when you’re supporting another artist, you’re playing to a new crowd and you’ve got to win them over. It’s a whole new game. Every time we play, whether it’s to 10 people or 100 or 1000, we give it everything. If someone has bought a ticket or got down to a show early to catch the opener, you have to earn their support. Being on stage is the most exciting feeling and no show is the same. It’s something we’ll never take for granted, especially after the last couple of years where we have all craved that human connection.
What live shows do you have coming up?
We have lots of shows coming up, and soon to be announced! We can’t wait for the months ahead, keep your eyes peeled. Until then, we’re heading to SXSW and cannot be more excited to get back over to America. We haven’t been out there since we recorded the album so it feels great to take it back to where it started.
How are your shows and audiences in America compared to the UK?
We haven’t performed as much in the states as we have in the UK, but the times we have played have been electric. Every crowd is different depending on the night, the city, the context. We played some awesome rooftop shows in Austin when we first went to SXSW. Unforgettable. We can’t wait to be back out there. Some of our most treasured memories on stage have been to small crowds in the UK. We played a sold out show at Green Door Store in Brighton last autumn and it will go down as the happiest, most joyful show of all time. We didn’t want it to end.
Where have been some of your most favourite places you have performed from venues to cities?
It’s often the unexpected places where things take off. We once played a show in Poland supporting Jade Bird. We’d never been before, it was freezing cold and we were just breaking the back of the tour. The crowd was wild. We had so much fun with them and it’s stuck with us ever since. We also played a festival in the Faroe Islands a few summers ago. Again, we’d never been there before so you can’t know what it’ll be like or if the audience will connect to your songs. It was brilliant. The odds were against us – cold and raining. But it didn’t matter. It felt like a homecoming show.
And it goes without saying, there’s no place like home. We played Lafayette in London last November and it blew our minds. To play to 600 people in the city where we first met, and played to 6 people night after night for months, years even. A good moment.
From your music which songs would you say gain the biggest connection from your fans?
Flying Visit has always seemed to reach people. Especially after the past couple of years where many of us were separated from our loved ones. It’s a love song, originally written from the perspective of a child. Children don’t have any of the emotional armour that adults do and they just say how they feel. This song seems to have connected with people and we’re so grateful it’s been a comfort.
What music is on your playlists right now?
We’ve rediscovered T Rex which has been a joy. Madison Cunningham is nothing short of genius. Big Thief, of course. Little Feat, always. Dolly Parton, forever. Tom Waits, because Archie’s phone instantly plays him as soon as we get in the car and we’re not complaining.
Final Messages?
We hope you listen to our album and feel empowered and understood. This project has been a labour of love and we hope it accompanies you on your journeys and adventures. The first of many.
