Blog 8 - Article for the double page spread.

Sensual Anarchy. The name says it all, this exceptional duo never fail to surprise us again and again. The multi-talented duo not only play a wide variety of instruments featuring keyboard, harp, guitar, bass and produce outstanding vocals; they also design their own sets which include silent movies which compliment their performances. The black and white film projections mainly present the interior of run down buildings, walks in the woods, and females bathing in dark lakes, all contributing to a sinister ambiance, thus enhancing the atmosphere created by their potent lyrics.

I met the band in a quirky cafe in Kemptown, Brighton on a snowy day in January. They were fashionably late, but it is uncertain whether this was due to rock n roll or icy conditions. We got chatting over endless cups of builders tea.

How are you both?
Jamie: Yeah we're great thanks, just been sledging on the snow, some things never get boring with age.
Misha:Yeah. Despite the snow i managed to visit an art gallery in Brighton before coming here. I love when random things stimulate you to keep creating. Like this morning i came across an interesting archway, which has been disintegrating slowly through time and it triggered an idea for a photo shoot. I'm really excited about it.

So are you both from Brighton?
Misha: yeah, I've lived in Kemptown since i was a child. I couldn't imagine living outside of Brighton, I love it here; the music, the sea and the gay scene make it such a great place to live. Jamie:Nah I'm not from around here actually, i grew up just outside of Leeds and then later on my family moved to Sheffield when i was a teen. But i recently bought my own flat in Brighton by the sea, it's such a great place to live.

How did you two meet each other?
Misha: Well, we meet at BRIT School and were great friends but never really worked together on material. However when Jamie dropped out, that's when things really turned around, and suddenly we united musically.
Jamie:I found BRIT School very inpersonal, they were only interest in making the students mainstream. We are all so delicate at that stage, I didnt want to be lured in. I just wanted to be living the life as a musician straight away, free of conforming my music to what they wanted to hear. But now i have accomplished that, I didn't fantasise that my flat to be as small ( laughing) but I'll get there.
(Jamie starts singing Rockstar by Nickelback jokingly.)

What is the first album you ever bought?

Misha: Probably one of David Bowie's early albums.

Jamie: Rain Dogs by Tom Waits. I adore Tom Waits, i was ecstatic to see him perform in Paris last year, the gig was intimate which made it even more special.

Which track do you wish you had written in the last ten years?

Misha: Fuck! There are so many. White Chalk by PJ Harvey is a song very close to my heart.

Jamie: I'm hooked on the song U.R.A Fever by The Kills at the moment, I can't stop listening to it, it's so addictive.

What inspires your installations which you create for your performances?How did you think your fans would respond to the silent films which are played in unison to your music.

Jamie: Well, we are both interested in different forms of art. If i have an idea i will express it in a media which will expose the creation to its full potential, i wont always express myself through music. Because of the lyrics me and Misha wrote together, we got into similar mind sets, which made it easier for us to do projects together. Finally, we produced many short silent films which coincidentally complimented the album 'Rebecca' perfectly.
Misha: Rebecca is an extraordinary album. Both me and Jamie have had similar experiences, which we could relate to. We had both met women with certain characteristics which have bewildered us and have tried to captivate her personality in our short films and lyrics. The sinister ambiance which is created in our performances in a visual aspect, the lyrics and the atmosphere we create by using a wide array of instruments, to convey to people what we have experienced.