We will be highlighting some of the artists playing The Deli KC’s showcase for Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3 on the Seen Merch Stage at The Riot Room patio. Today’s Artist on Trial is Lawrence’s own Middle Twin.
If you haven’t heard of Middle Twin yet, no doubt you will. The five-piece collective stemmed from the electronic DJ duo Brain Food, and is quickly gaining traction in the area with its dancey grooves and frontwoman Demi Renault’s striking vocals. We talked with keyboardist Joel Martin and guitarist Eric Davis to find out a little more about the group.
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
Middle Twin: I think Ink called us “peculiar art rock.” We liked that. We have a lot of pop influence though, so we are peculiar art pop.
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
Middle Twin: Joel started this project a couple years ago as a kind of a DJ-electronic thingy called Brain Food. Demi and Eric joined in November of 2012 and it became more of a band thingy. We then added Jonny [Fitzgerald] and Isaac [Flynn] and eventually decided to change our name to Middle Twin. We’ve been playing as Middle Twin for about 6 months now.
The Deli: What have been your biggest accomplishments as a band?
Middle Twin: Probably the time we drove all night from Austin to Lawrence and made it back in time to catch the India Palace lunch buffet.
The Deli: You are releasing your EP City of Gold this weekend. What can we expect?
Middle Twin: Seven unique, well-crafted songs with very high production quality. We had a lot of fun making it, so hopefully it’ll be a lot of fun to listen to.
The Deli: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at Middle of the Map this year?
Middle Twin: We’ll go with Gary Numan. I’ve heard his live show is crazy.
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
Middle Twin: Towns that have great local music scenes must first have great local bands. Bands need to prove themselves to get support, not the other way around. The best thing you can do is be aware of what’s happening in local music. If you think something’s good, for the love of God, tell people! High-quality local music is an amazing phenomenon. There are local bands making great music and they are doing it on practically no budget. Those musicians who achieve that deserve all the support possible.
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
Middle Twin: I’d like to give some love to two Lawrence bands that’ll be playing Middle of the Map and who a lot Kansas City folk might not know yet. Forrester and Psychic Heat are both incredible bands that put on amazing live shows and write really cool, interesting music.
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
Middle Twin: We’re all pretty into James Blake and Toro y Moi right now. A really sweet band from Montreal called TOPS came through Lawrence recently and we caught their show at Replay. We’ve been bumping their tracks for the past couple days.
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
Middle Twin: Hmm… Let’s go with a bill with us, LCD Soundsystem, and Radiohead.
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?
Middle Twin: Eric: Brian Wilson, George Martin, Thom Yorke, and Quincy Jones. I’m not sure if any musician can say they’ve never been heavily influenced (knowingly or unknowingly) by at least one of those men at some point in their lives.
Joel: James Blake, Damon Albarn, Steven Ellison, St. Vincent. For their beautiful music.
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
Middle Twin: http://www.facebook.com/middletwin
Twitter: @middle_twin
Instagram: middle_twin
The Deli: What other goals does Middle Twin have for 2014?
Middle Twin: I think our main goal is to keep improving as musicians and as artists. We’re constantly trying to improve our live show. I think the best thing we can do for 2014 is get back in the studio and get better and better at writing and recording music.
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
Middle Twin: Do everything on this list.
Middle Twin is:
Demi Renault – vocals
Eric Davis – guitar
Isaac Flynn – drums
Joel Martin – keys
Jon Fitzgerald – bass
Tonight, Middle Twin and Forrester will both be celebrating the release of their EPs at The Bottleneck, with a free show. The Phantastics, and Narkalark also play. Facebook event page.
If you want to catch them in KC, come by The Riot Room on Friday, where they will celebrate the KC release of the album with Antennas Up and Rev Gusto. Facebook event page.
Middle Twin will also be at The Deli KC’s showcase at Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3. They will take the Seen Merch stage on The Riot Room patio at 9:00 p.m.
Middle Twin recently released the video for “Savoir Faire,” from the City of Gold EP. It is directed by Weston Getto Allen (Getto Art). Watch it below.
–Michelle Bacon
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays bass in The Philistines and Dolls on Fire, and drums in Drew Black & Dirty Electric.