We caught up with them ahead of the festival for a quick chat…
Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?
Normally Ellenie (vocals and guitar) would write the lyrics and structure then Marcel (drums) would give his input and add his drums and play around with structure and adds what he feels works, then all three of us get together and Louis (bass) adds his bass and things and then we start rehearsing.
In May 2016, Two Stroke released an introductory offering titled ‘Warmest Colour‘, and a self-titled follow-up EP was released in November 2016. How would you compare the two separate recording sessions?
The ‘Warmest Colour’ album was recorded live and it features Ellenie on her own.
Ellenie: So I would sit and play the bass drum and hi-hats with my feet and the guitar and do vocals at the same time. But in a few tracks I added a little thing here and there.
All of these recordings were basically rough demo’s that were released. The follow up EP was recorded at Red Bull Studios by the three of us in November 2016.
Two Stroke E.P. by Two Stroke
Since Louis and Marcel have joined Two Stroke, how much has the song-writing process changed?
It’s still very much the same process, writing the tracks, then recording home demo’s. But it keeps evolving.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
The three of us really psych each other up and that makes our creative juices flow. But all three of us have our different ways of using what inspires us to get creative.
What’s on your current playlist?
Between the three of us we have loads of different musical styles and artists we like but if we have to name a few that is on our playlists it ranges from Royal Blood, Ty Seagull, The Gories, Deap Valley, Queens of the Stone Age, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, Jay Z, Reasonable Doubt, Illmatic and loads more!
What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic career?
Ellenie: I can’t answer for the boys, but for me personally it was when I got my first electric guitar from my Dad for my birthday.
David Bowie is quoted as saying “It makes me so angry that people concentrate on lyrics. It implies there’s no message in the music itself.” What are your thoughts on this statement? Music or lyrics?
Music is ridiculously underrated vs. lyrics. But the two has to go together. The best lyrics needs the best music to go with it. So both.
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
Our first gig. People’s response was great.
If you had to choose between never playing live again, or never being able to release music again… Which would you go for, and why?
I guess we will all go with playing live. Its great to play your music to other people and to see their response.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you in the near future?
We will be playing live around Cape Town for now and we will record some new material very early next year and then JHB and Pretoria in February to play some shows there.
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