Ferris & Sylvester are London based alternative Americana duo, Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester. They met as solo musicians battling through London's vibrant music scene and started writing together. In early 2016, the pair recorded their first record 'The Yellow Line EP' and are now getting ready to release their forthcoming EP 'Made In Streatham', set for release 2nd Feb (2018).
1. What process did you go through creating 'The Room' and how much did it differ to your previous release?
We
had a lot of fun creating The Room as part of our EP, Made In Streatham. The
whole record was written and recorded in our South London flat; we kitted out
our kitchen/living room with insulation, recording equipment, all the
instruments we needed - including a full drum kit - and a bunch of great
musicians. Not sure if we’re too popular with our neighbours now sadly! The
Room represents such a defining moment in time for us, so it was only right to
record it our way with our favourite people. Our last EP had a very different
journey. We were incredibly honoured to create our first ever record with the
legendary producer, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover in his recording studio looking out
over Sierra Nevada… quite different to looking out over Streatham Hill’s train
tracks from our homemade studio. Despite both being very different, both were
centred around long days with seriously talented musicians and engineers. We
feel we got so much out of both journeys and are very proud of both records.
2. Who influences you musically and what inspires you lyrically?
We
are both constantly listening to music to inspire us and we consider it a
really important part of songwriting. We listen to a really broad range of
artists and genres from Fleetwood Mac’s hooky lyrics to D’angelo’s irresistible
funk to Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz guitar. Lyrically, we love the poets;
Dylan, Joni, Johnny, Simon & Garfunkel. We love listening to albums, which
sadly grow less and less popular in modern day music. However, we have found
some true gems like Flyte’s album ‘The Loved Ones’ and Laura Marling’s ‘Semper
Femina’. What inspires us most is listening to new music that we haven’t heard
before, no matter the genre, giving us new ideas to play with.
3. With your forthcoming EP 'Made In Streatham' looming, what track are you most excited for people to hear?
We
are so excited for the new year because it means people can hear our favourite
track off the EP, ‘Sometimes’. We are so proud of this one and feel it’s the
most important song of the lot. We talk about togetherness when everything else
seems unclear, which couldn’t feel anymore relevant. We’re also so excited for
people to sit down and listen to the whole EP as one!
4. You recently played a three-week residency at The Spiritual Bar in Camden, but where in the world would be your dream venture to play a residency?
We love playing at Spiritual Bar. It’s
where we met and where we developed the band, so it’s a very special place for
us. It’s hard to think of any place where we would feel more at home! Although,
we would love to go somewhere new with a great music scene like New Orleans and
find a new stomping ground… any suggestions?
5. Would you rather only drink chocolate milkshakes for the rest of your life, or only eat pizza (for the rest of your life)?
PIZZAAAAA! All day, everyday.
'The Room' Review:
'The Room' is my definition of a perfect folk song. It's a steady track with a brilliant harmonica intro, building into vocals that compliment each other wonderfully. Ferris & Sylvester effortlessly combine a classic 60s/70s sound with a warm modern indie vibe. I'm really looking forward to hearing the rest of their EP 'Made In Streatham'!
Ferris & Sylvester's Links:
'Made In Streatham' EP (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/made-in-streatham-ep/1287405977
Website: https://www.ferrisandsylvester.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FerrisSylvester
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-362621295
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