Kendra: So I’m originally from Southern California. I say that because there is a huge distinction between the north and southern region, and I noticed that you two-note you’re from East London. Is there a clear difference between the east and western parts of your city? In particular the music scenes?

Kat Knix: People from all around the world gather in London to find their chosen families. East London, compared to other parts of London, is dirtier, grittier, messier, and crazier; just the way we like it. East London contains an unlimited amount of creative powerhouses. Every day there’s always something cultural to do; live gigs, exhibitions, and art performances. You feel a creative freedom in East London that you can’t feel anywhere else. And we love being part of this world.

Kendra: Since we’re on the subject of locales, you got to work with EVEHIVE who hails from a world away in Rio de Janeiro. Were there any aspects of EVEHIVE’s part of the world that you wanted to make sure were included in “Gave U Life?” 

Kat Knix: We wanted ‘Gave U Life’ to travel to new parts of the world, which is why we were so excited to give EVEHIVE free hands to remix the track. We especially wanted her Brasilian jungle beats to come through, and she did not disappoint!

Kendra: In “Gave U Life” there’s this line that I kept going back to, “smells like basic.” A read if there ever was one. In regards to music though, what’s a way an artist can truly smell as basic as can be? 

Kat Knix: In our world, being basic in the music industry is to bring your most attention to what the masses want, when you should focus on what you want. For us, it’s always been important to put our own creative vision before anything else. Cause if you don’t love your own music, how can your audience love it?

Kendra: The new album, ‘The XTRA CRISPY Remixes,’ drops just in time for summer. Which, I do believe the warmer months and remixes just go hand in hand. Do you find that to be true, that remixes tend to be summer anthems more often than not?

Kat Knix: There was definitely a thought behind that, so thanks for noticing!

We love to go out dancing all year round, but the way Summer nights never ends and temperatures are high, gives you easier access to the nightlife! Nothing beats dancing in the sunset to a great DJ set surrounded by a sweaty crowd.

Kendra: Listening to the music took me back to getting my first SEGA for Christmas back in the day. Being that you two are ‘90s, kids, as well – I’d love to know what remix off the album you’d want to be placed in an old-school video game and why?

Kat Knix: Definitely High Cheru’s remix of “Infatuated.” This remix takes you to the most fabulous video game you’ve ever played. High Cheru is giving you sparkly rainbows, yet with a cocky accent. Imagine glittering 16-bit electro vibes mixed with Tami T influences and K Pop. Once you hear it you’ll know exactly what we mean! 

Kendra: Sticking with the ‘90s for a second, is CRISP&CLASSY, in any way, an homage to C+C Music Factory?

Kat Knix: OMG, we’ve never thought of that before! We’ve always been very inspired by C+C Music Factory, so maybe it was an unconscious decision. Who knows?

Kendra: Also, with Coachella still fresh on my mind and all these artists from today bringing out the likes of Shania Twain and Hayley Williams, I’d love to know what artist you’ve drawn inspiration from would you love to connect with if you had the chance to at a festival like that? 

Kat Knix: It would be a dream come true to meet Peaches in person. They, like us, understand the value of cocky and challenging lyrics that punch you in the face. We would have a lot to talk about while enjoying liquid refreshments backstage!

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘The XTRA CRISPY Remixes’ out this June – anything else you can share with us, perhaps tour plans? 

Kat Knix: We’re gonna take a well-deserved Summer break, using The ‘XTRA CRISPY’ Remixes as our Summer soundtrack! And then, who knows? Maybe some collabs, gigs and more music! We can’t wait to see what the future holds!

The post Time to Level Up with CRISP&CLASSY appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Her debut EP will be out later this summer but before we get attached to Stormy Emotions, we have her single “Insomnia” to fall in love with. Well that, and this interview that’ll leave you wanting more.

Kendra: When you were studying TV and film, did you know in the back of your mind that you wanted to eventually pursue music?

Ishani: Yes, one of the reasons I studied it is that I wanted to make my own music videos in the future. I love that I can do that now. I’m a very visual person and so I wanted to express my music in film.

Kendra: Most of the time we hear of musicians who make the switch from some really out there career to singing but you came from a creative field. Did that make heading towards music easier?

Ishani: It’s hard to say. I’m a self-taught musician but my background in theatre and TV did prepare me for some aspects of being a musician. For example performance and writing. It made me more aware of the broader world. Being in video production, helped me understand what it’s like to be both in front of and behind the camera. As I used to direct and sometimes act in different projects.

Therefore, when I decided to pursue music, I wanted to understand it from all angles. I studied sound engineering and learned how to be a producer as well as a performer. That helped me understand the whole creative process. It also helps me to understand and respect all of the people that I work with.

Kendra: Let’s go back for a second. How did it feel when you got love from MTV India?

Ishani: It was really exciting to see my video playing. I watched it whilst on Skype with my manager who was in the UK at the time. I jumped up and down. It was played on MTV India for a year I think, and I remember once visiting a supermarket and hearing a group of young girls singing it together. It was such a surreal experience, but I loved it obviously!

Kendra: Because you have lived all over the place from England to India to Singapore and back to England, is there one place that you feel your sound reps best?

Ishani: Probably the UK. I grew up here and so to come back here, it feels like a full circle. My biggest musical influences are also bands like Massive Attack and Portishead who started up in the UK in the late ’90s.

Kendra: Now let’s talk about “Insomnia.” With a track that has as many layers as this, where do you start? Lyrics, beats, harmonies?

Ishani: For “Insomnia” I had the lyrics and melody in my head. Then I put in a bass line and a beat. My friend Jason came over and played guitar on it. That process was actually quite unusual for me though. I more regularly put a bass line down and build songs from there. But different songs have different journeys.

Kendra: When you can’t sleep and want to just get lost in a TV binge, what’s your go-to show?

Ishani: Arrested Development is a show that always makes me laugh and I’m so happy the new season is out. I try not to watch TV if I can’t sleep. I write music. There is something about the quiet of the night that sparks my creativity.

Kendra: Because you’ve noted how you love being in the studio. How does that differ from being on stage?

Ishani: It’s so different. It’s like getting to know a whole different person. A side of me I’ve never met before. Performing a song that you’ve worked on in a dark studio, it’s not easy. I guess my music is very personal so sharing it live is a whole different world.

Kendra: Do you have any shows coming up we can be on the lookout for or will you be recording all summer?

Ishani: I’ll be recording a fair amount but I will be performing some gigs around London. Please do check out my Facebook page for any gigs that I post there.

The post Don’t Sleep On Ishani appeared first on ZO Magazine.

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Kendra: How did you guys come together? Was this a lifelong friendship that manifested in music, or did you all not meet until later in life?

Tom Wilkinson: The latter I guess. The writing process began a few years ago when Scott was looking for people to start a new band with. He found Jamie on MySpace and connected with his songs immediately. Then they met in a local club by chance and got things started. Matt, Lloyd and I were in other bands at the time which then split. We all came together as a five-piece around 18 months ago following a line-up switch. It’s great because we’ve still got this buzz of being in a new band, yet we’ve got all this material behind us already.

Kendra: When you all did get together, was the sound instant – or did it take awhile to get the kinks worked out?

Tom: To an extent the sound – or at least the foundations of it – were already there when me and Lloyd joined 18 months ago, and then we just brought our own influences to the mix. It was obvious from the first practice that we were all on the same page – Things clicked right away. To me that’s just as important as the sound – If you don’t get along then you’re fucked. You hear stories of bands that hate each other and they’re still making music, and inevitably it gets shittier and shittier and you just think what’s the point.

Kendra: Well it’s all worked out now and you have your new single “Quiet Room” out and about. I heard some lighthearted sounds in there that reminded me of the Disneyland parade; electronic but entertaining. Was the happiest place on earth for tourists (and a lot of locals) an inspiration at all?

Tom: Can’t say it was! It’s cool that you hear that though – I really like how people are hearing different influences and get different vibes from it. It definitely has lighthearted, feel-good qualities about it, while at the same time having more dark, solemn tones, particularly lyrically. The verse and chorus create quite a weird contrast in that sense.

Kendra: Living in England, you guys are no stranger to tourists yourselves. What’s the oddest thing tourists find interesting about where you call home?

Tom: Well we all grew up in a small seaside town called Torquay which is where we’re living now. Ironically it’s full of “tourists.” It has its flaws but it’s a real beautiful place. Watch Metronomy’s video for The Bay – It makes Torquay look like Monte Carlo.

I haven’t really answered your question. Fawlty Towers was set in Torquay – That seems to be everyone’s favorite Torquay fact.

Kendra: Back to the music. Do you guys have more where “Quiet Room” came from?

Tom: Definitely. That’s the most exciting thing for me. I keep forgetting that people are judging us on the last few singles we’ve released and that they haven’t heard the other stuff we’ve recorded. We have the next few singles lined up which I think are our best yet. We’re sitting on some new demos and are back in the studio with our producer James Bragg at the end of July. We’re aiming to have our debut LP out next year.

Kendra: How was playing the live showcase for BBC Radio 1?

Tom: Yeah it was sweet! It was pretty nerve-racking when we realized how many were there but as soon as we started we felt at home. It was quite surreal setting up with all these top, super-professional BBC sound engineers and producers… The guys that do the sound for the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge and Maida Vale studios, asking us all these questions about our gear. We were trying to play it cool but didn’t really have a clue what they were talking about.

Kendra: Are opportunities like that something you’ll always pinch yourself over?

Tom: Not really to be honest because it felt like it came at the right time and that we had deserved it. We’ve worked really hard since the five of us got together 18 months ago and shows like that are the reason we’re doing it. BBC Introducing and Radio 1 presenter Huw Stephens had some really cool things to say about us after the show, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for more opportunities like that. We definitely feel ready for it.

Kendra: Now, you have a few shows scattered about this summer. Will you be adding to it?

Tom: I think that’ll be it for the summer, unless we squeeze in another hometown show. We just played our first headline London show at Sebright Arms which was wicked and we’re recording a live showcase for our local BBC Introducing show in July so it’s been pretty busy.

Kendra: Lastly, what’s up with you guys for the rest of the year?

Tom: We’ll have a new single out at the end of summer – It’s a real slick, 80’s-inspired synth-pop track. We’ll be organizing some Autumn shows to coincide with that. We want to keep releasing every few months to build on what we’ve been doing over the last year. Then I think we’ll spend a few months hibernating in the winter, finalizing stuff and getting things in place for the album next year. Watch this space.

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