DUAL on their new EP ‘So Alive’

Bursting onto the scene in 2017, long-time friends Maurice Miller (lead vocalist) and Jamie Pyne (guitarist) formed DUAL - a psychedelic indietronica, alt-rock duo. Most recently, they’ve dropped their exciting new EP ‘SO ALIVE’ - a collection of upbeat, feel-good tracks, combined with empowering march anthems representing “self and emotional growth”.

Hey lads, thanks for taking the time to chat to us about your new music! When & how did you first start making music together?

We started making music together in high school, and formed a pysch rock band called NARWHAL. That eventually fizzled out but we both wanted to keep making music together so Jamie started sending me demos of guitar riffs then I'd send back melody ideas. Eventually we moved into a flat together with a bunch of friends and DUAL began. 

We are loving your new EP 'SO ALIVE'! What were your main artistic & musical influences going into this EP?

We both have very different music tastes and are influenced by different things and we kinda end up meshing these different tastes together. Tame Impala has always been a big influence of ours as well as an Australian band called Jagwar Ma.

So great to be able to blend those influences into your music. 'Gummy Bear’ is such a fun song! How did you come up with the concept of this track?

The concept was around edible culture, it’s such a big thing at the moment, everyones taking gummies. It’s funny how something so innocent like a gummy bear can really take you on a wild ride …

'Lights Out' is such a powerful anthem! Can you tell us a bit about what inspired you to write this song?

This is the most honest song we’ve written and it’s about dealing with mental health. I was going through a tough phase at the time and this song was a reflection of that period. It’s about making it through the day.

And another song that we have on repeat is 'So Alive'! What was the writing and production process like for this one?

This track came about super fast, we were having a writing session with Josh Edmonds, Jamie started playing the chord progression and I had the chorus melody fairly fast. The rest of the day was recording verses etc and the whole track as you hear it was pretty much finished that day! It’s funny how fast some songs come about compared to others.

What were your main highlights working on the EP?

Probably that feeling when all the tracks have been mastered and finished and listening to the whole EP while driving for the first time. Being able to hear all of the songs come together into a body of work is really satisfying after all of the work to get them there.

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you especially love?

Riiki Reid, Half Hexagon,Who Shot Scott, No Comply & Dera Meelan

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far, and what advice do you have for other artists out there? 

I’d say try to show up everyday and create something … write lyrics, make a beat, voice note melodies when they come to you! Trust the process!! 

Lastly, we end every interview with this question - if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Don’t worry, be happy.

Make sure to keep up with DUAL on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or Apple Music!