Ms Mr Interview

Shrouded in mystery since they formed, Ms Mr are a self-confessed Pop duo that let the music speak for itself. From synthesisers and heavy effects to Lizzy’s hypnotic vocals, they have created a sound all of their own and a dedicated fan base to match. They have grown from obscurity, to the next best thing through the use of their Tumblr, where they revealed their quirky sound and eclectic image. With a very busy year ahead touring America, Australia and the UK, we’re finally able to put a face to the name. Here, Ms Mr’s passion for music spills out, along with their infectious and charming personalities, to give us hope that pop music may, once again, be cool.

Hi Lizzy, Hi Max. How are you both?
We’re doing well, just tired. It’s 10.30am and we’re still waking up!

What have you been up to this week?
We’ve been travelling like mad; all over Germany, Hamburg, Paris, and now we’re in London.

Wow, no wonder you’re tired! If you can, take us right back to the beginning and tell me how did Ms Mr form?
We went to college together but didn’t actually know each other. It wasn’t until Max was at dance school and I was running Neon Gold Records that we exchanged emails. We met up that December and started writing together, fell into a music relationship and went from there.

You’ve shrouded yourselves in anonymity and it took a long time before we could put a face to the name, why do you want to keep an element of mystery?
As pop musicians we’re proud to be making pop, but it’s important to us that we let the music speak for itself. Pop music can often be distorted by personality and celebrity and that’s not what we’re doing this for. We also thought it would buy ourselves a bit more time to build a musical identity.

Your music’s been available to your fans free via Tumblr, has this helped you get recognition?
I think so. Being recognised to release music through Tumblr and then test the more conventional formats helps us to create and connect with our fan base. It fulfils our love of collage and social media. You also can’t expect people to pay before you’ve made it, you have to prove yourself first; that’s the first step.

Do you think free music may cripple the industry?
We’ll always look to share music, but also use methods such as iTunes or vinyl release. The ways of getting your music out there aren’t as separate as they once were. You need a balance and you have to do things appropriately. After people have heard your music, you build up trust and then you can follow up with an album. If people buy it, then great.

What inspires your very vibrant image?
Music and visual; we love collage. We give information and want to overwhelm the senses, without imposing a narrative. We want to allow the audience to make their own narrative and conclusion.

Reviewers have called your sound loud, colourful and industrial-sounding, but how would you describe it?
We want to have a strong identity, be fun and exciting. It’s interesting how people interpret it, but we very much want to leave the door open. We are a Pop band and proud to call ourselves that, but it tends to mean everything and nothing at the same time. There’s such a wide range of Pop about, and we think the album shows that dynamism.

What did you both listen to growing up?
Max – I grew up on Folk Rock, Simon and Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen. My parents ran a festival so there was a large influence of that. But by college I was into the Latin pop scene.
Lizzy – I was born and raised in London so this has had a huge influence on me. My mum listened to classic singer/songwriters like The Beatles, whereas my dad listened to Motown. My brother also introduced me to alternative and rock bands, but I’m very much an R&B girl.

How do you feel about being compared to artists such as Lana Del Rey and Florence and the Machine?
We’re very curious about who we are compared to, but we didn’t reference any artists in the album. We wanted to create an environment, something new. We wouldn’t initially have compared ourselves to them, so it’s interesting what group people have put us in.

Jay Z posted your music on his website back in 2012, have you had any contact with the man himself?
(Laughs) Unfortunately not, but we are going to see Beyoncé while she’s playing here in London and he’s bound to be there!

Would you collaborate with him if the chance occurred?
Definitely. I don’t think that’s something you pass up! But then we’d have to get Beyoncé as well. And Justin (Timberlake)!

You’re MTV’s Artist to Watch, do you feel like you’ve broken into the industry?
It was awesome. There’s a very public element and they care really naturally about music. They kind of stumbled upon us. They came to film Jessie Ware while we were touring with her, but they got interested in us and loved the performance. It’s so awesome; it’s the right step for that attention. And now we have a live video, which is great as we’ve never had that before.

How was touring with Bastille and Jessie Ware?
Both tours were amazing. Opening for Jessie and Bastille and showing our music to their audiences was such an opportunity. We all have different types of music and so we were able to deliver to different audiences. We grew really strong friendships and became part of community.

You recently played at the famous Laneways Festival, how did the Aussies treat you?
Very kindly. We’ve got great support from Australia. We went with high expectations, but the audience greatly exceeded that. To have 5000, 7000 people actually singing along to every word, was our first experience of that. Australia now has a firm place in our hearts.

Thanks very much guys. Enjoy the rest of your visit to London and hopefully see you in Australia soon.
Ok, thanks Charlotte!

By Charlotte Mellor

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