BLOOD AND FIRE

FAULT: How has 2010 been for you?

Helene:

It’s been pretty busy, this has been the first year we’ve really had a chance to concentrate on music. Hard work combined with some luck have resulted in some good things and we have definitely been moving in the right direction. Getting in touch with New York-mixer Justin Gerrish (who worked on Vampire Weekend’s ”Contra” album) was great. We sent him an email because we admired his work on ”Contra” and he agreed to mix ”Battledrum”, our debut single. It’s really worked out for us, the song was just playlisted on national radio in Norway.

FAULT: Could you tell us some more about ”Battledrum”?

Helene:

The song is about desire and fear – both interesting emotions, so primal to humans, they make you feel alive in this really intense way. So it’s based around adrenalin, I guess, the rush you get from both lust and fear.

Fionn:

We also liked the idea of taking a familiar subject like desire and subverting it a little.

FAULT: What sets you apart from other artists?

Fionn:

I really don’t know what to say to a question like that, it’s probably for the listener to decide. I will say, though, that we are interested in trying to push pop music forward and developing our own sound, doing something that we hope fills a gap and is worth listening to.

FAULT: What is your creative process, when writing a new song?

Helene:

PU55YF00T1N is a 50/50 project, but most often the first idea for a song, the lyric and the melody, maybe a guitar line, starts with me (”Battledrum” came to me as a reggae tune – sounded a bit like Gregory Isaacs – one night when I was falling asleep). From there, Fionn takes care of the production, instruments and arrangements – makes the song a full song rather than a sketch, and then in the final process we both work together on the music and lyrics if the song needs anything more.

We both like so many different types of music, but my songwriting to date has probably been more inspired by ”classic” songs from soul, punk and old r&b.

Fionn’s record collection is a little more off the track. He’s really compulsive about music and listens to everything. He also does a bit of DJing

FAULT: Do you write from personal experiences?

Helene:

I guess all of our songs are based on some self-experienced emotion. I find my songs are more engaging and immediate when the lyrics are based on situations or emotions I feel strongly about. We’re quite intense people – not exactly an advantage in most other situations, but when writing songs it definitely helps me.

FAULT: What are you currently working on?

Helene:

We never stop working on new songs, but we’re aiming to record our debut album during 2011 and are polishing off the songs for that at the moment.

Fionn:

We’re also getting our live set together and I’ve been chasing off a neighbour’s cat that’s particularly egregious and keeps bullying my cat. Mingus is very small and can’t really fend for herself, whereas my neighbour’s cat is more like this strange wiley hyena like deal, with a real mean streak.

FAULT: Do you have any live shows coming up?

Helene:

We’re playing a few gigs in Norway during the next couple of months and we’re pretty excited about getting out there again, but long-term our aim is to start playing in other countries as well. One of our definite aims is to play some gigs in the UK. It is our ”other home”, so to speak, because Fionn is born and raised in London and I lived there for nearly four years as a student.

FAULT: What is your FAULT?

Helene:

It’s our fault that there’s one more band out there. This weighs heavy on our conscience but we aim to make it worth your while.

Hear more! Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/pu55yf00t1n