Talking To: Oslo Twins

Despite the name, Oslo Twins is actually a five piece outfit who came together several years ago when they met at the University of Bristol; the leading duo Claudia Vulliamy and Eric Davies studied philosophy together.

“We both did philosophy at uni but I remember seeing a video of Claudia on Instagram singing at an open mic night and I was so taken aback by the performance,” Eric tells Bristol24/7.

Both Claudia and Eric were in bands before they started their newest project but they wouldn’t have considered themselves as part of the music industry back then.

“I knew nothing,” Claudia laughs. “I had a band at school and I was very into music but I didn’t think of it in that way, until I met Eric basically.”

The band released their debut EP, Back to Nothing, earlier this year which was produced by Ali Chant and his new boutique record label, Fascination Street Records, a collaboration with Factory Studios in Barton Hill.

It was the first EP release for the band as well as the label.

After many emails to different producers and recording studios, they got a response from Ali who was interested in working with them.

What was it like collaborating with the producer who’s worked with the likes of PJ Harvey and M. Ward, Yard Act, Katy J Pearson, Perfume Genius and Gruff Rhys?

“It’s been pretty amazing,” Eric tells Bristol24/7. “When we first met him, we were blown away by the stuff he’d done.”

The EP was recorded and produced at Ali’s studio, the Playpen, in Bristol during the pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns.

“It was the first experience we had recording with Ali so it’s been an amazing thing to do; it was a really collaborative process,” Eric explains.

“I think that the trouble when you’re writing these demos and stuff is that you can kind of get it to a point and then you need someone else to try and get it to that next level, and that’s why you need someone like Ali to do that.”

Back to Nothing is influenced heavily by the sounds of 80s and 90s industrial electronic music, a conscious choice for the band who wanted to make something different to what they were hearing in South London from the likes of Shame, HTML and Goat Girl.

“With the whole South London scene, I remember really consciously thinking about wanting to make something that’s not being made by that whole scene,” Eric tells us. “Every song [on the EP] has the same kind of melancholic feel to it.”

“The nostalgia is what definitely links them all together in terms of a theme,” Claudia continues. “And then in terms of the sounds of the EP, because I feel like we were so young when we made it, that it’s quite raw.”

Do they have a favourite track on the EP?

“It might have to be Miss Yesterday,” Eric says. “I think that’s what sparked it all off for us as well. I don’t think we would have ever worked with Ali if it wasn’t for that song so it was pivotal to the actual development of the EP.”

“We had such a strong idea of the track that we were really attuned to what it should sound like and Ali really nailed that from my point of view.”

Although it may seem the band has gone global with appearances at Green Man Festival, Manchester Psych Fest and a special gig in Paris this summer, they are still focused on continuing to create and produce more exciting music.

 

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“It’s quite exciting, the idea of recording new stuff. I don’t want to give away too much but we are doing things,” Eric slyly hints.

“It’s difficult as I didn’t want the EP to come out,” Claudia laughs. “It’s hard when you’ve been working on a release for such a long time. But yeah, I’d love to just keep releasing music.”

“Our sound is good and we’re progressing in lots of ways. We’re still working the same sort of overall style, but I’m quite keen to kind of show everyone where we’re going next.”

Oslo Twins latest album Back to Nothing is available to listen to now.

Main photo: Oslo Twins

Read next:

• Progression, innovation and collaboration is the formula at Fascination Street Records
• Marla Kether on jamming with Ezra Collective, touring with Loyle Carner and the release of her debut EP
• Macatier: The DIY musician bringing a taste of American rock to the city of Bristol

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