A Chat with Underhill West (04.02.23)
Inspired by the likes of Daft Punk, The Weeknd and Twenty-One Pilots, Greek duo Underhill West bring a nostalgic flair to modern-day indie-pop. We speak with Underhill West about their new album Mission, tell us what music means to them, future plans, and much more!
OSR: What does music mean to you and what inspires you to make music?
Underhill West: Music has always been a companion to both of us as kids, our favourite songs have been the soundtracks of our lives. Growing up we found out that music is a way to experiment, express ourselves and discover who we really are. We get inspired by our childhood memories, movies, social issues or even human nature.
OSR: What do you find more difficult to write: melody or lyrics?
Underhill West: Melody has always been more challenging than the lyrics. There are thousands of words to express yourself but only 12 notes.
OSR: What can you tell us about your album Mission?
Underhill West: Mission is an indie-pop concept album ideally listened to from start to finish. It has eight tracks and introduces you to an allegorical storyline of a character in a dystopian future society where a massive corporation tries to initiate everyone through their VR mask. Friendly yet saturated, like your favourite childhood VHS movie.
OSR: Did you experience any challenges when creating Mission?
Underhill West: Of course, and we loved it. We wanted everything to sound real and dirty. No VST instruments no anything. Warm synths re-amped through tube amps, samples from tapes and rock instruments. It is challenging to paint a fresh indie-pop album with this pallet. It was also very challenging to expose and narrate the storyline between the songs. We are very proud of the result. Shout out to our team, engineers and artists who participated in this project.
OSR: If you had to play one song from Mission to a new listener, which track would you choose?
Underhill West: ‘I look at the times’ could be a very good sample of Mission. It’s a good representation of what the album talks about and how it sounds.
OSR: If you had to eat the same meal each day for the rest of your life, what meal would it be?
Underhill West: Tasos could eat homemade meatballs and fries every day, and Mike is all about chicken soup.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Underhill West: A companion they can trust in their good and hard times, vibes to inspire them to choose love over fear, and remembering those carefree days when they were kids.
OSR: If you were to perform with any musician, who would it be and why?
Underhill West: We admire so many of today’s artists and bands, but most of them would be great to work together in the studio and witness their geniuses. If we had to share the stage, it has got to be legends like Bon Jovi or Michael Jackson.
OSR: Describe Underhill West in one sentence.
Underhill West: Two boys making indie-pop music like they’re playing with their toys.
OSR: Do you have future plans as Underhill West?
Underhill West: Yes, we plan to play Mission everywhere we are welcome. There are gigs in Athens and Thessaloniki in March. You can get all the info by joining our mailing at www.underhillwest.com. What is more, we will go to the studio to record the rest of the Mission story in the next album. Can’t wait for that!
Many thanks to Underhill West for speaking with us. For more from Underhill West check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
