Q&A: Foley

Auckland based pop duo & BFFs Foley (Ash Wallace & Gabe Everett) take us on a holiday to a musical dreamland with their new compelling sophomore EP “Vacation”! Working with the likes of Nate Campany (Dua Lipa, Carly Rae Jepsen, Caroline Polachek), Chris Lyon (The Chainsmokers), Ambian & Sleo and Wells*, their songs continue to showcase their iconic pop sound while taking inspiration from a range of genres including 80’s pop & funk.

With millions of streams on their tracks, a main stage slot at Rhythm & Vines, opening for SIX60 in New Plymouth and more shows coming up, these two are creating, touring, vibing, and living their very best lives!

We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey from when you first started creating music together!

We started out as best mates for about 4 years before we even considered making music together! But once we did, we totally hit the ground running and wrote a whole heap of songs for about a year before we released anything. Some of them were total crap, especially one called “Lemonade” that we totally cringe at now ahha. But after loads of writing and collaborating we landed on a sound that we totally love! We’ve played some seriously amazing shows and been building our fan base which is awesome. Just been touring and vibing recently! Released two EPs that we are super proud of and it’s all gravy baby!

Congrats on your brand new & incredible sophomore EP “Vacation”! Can you tell us a little bit about the concept of this EP and why you decided to call it “Vacation”?

Absolutely - “Vacation” is all about escaping from the monotony. We wanted to write something that allowed people to feel free and get away from whatever was bringing them down. The songs kind of follow the loose narrative of me (Ash) meeting my partner, and the whole experience of this fast paced falling. But its wider than that - the context of “Vacation” is to try and stop overthinking and start being more free. 

One of our absolute fave tracks off the EP is “So Personal”, and we’re in love with the music video as well! What inspired you to write this track and what was the writing process for this song like?

We wrote that track with two awesome collaborators - Ambian & Sleo. That song is about that moment when you see someone across a crowded space, and the whole place melts away. You feel connected like magnets just straight away, and so personal even though you know nothing that personal about them. Sounds cheesy but we’ve felt it!!!

What were your top takeaways from working with renowned writers/producers such as Nate Campany (Dua Lipa, Carly Rae Jepsen, Caroline Polachek) and Chris Lyon (The Chainsmokers)?

WOW - those two are just such talented and generous writers. We learnt a lot about seeing ideas through and trying things out even if you think they might not go anywhere. Some of the greatest things we stumbled upon could easily have been missed otherwise. They are also just such kind people that make you feel so at ease despite being so successful and having such accolades. We never felt any ego from either of them which was outrageously cool if you ask us.

What were your main highlights working on this EP?

It’s always so therapeutic writing with your best friend I think. You just get to talk about things in your life on a whole different level. One of the most hilarious sessions was “Keep Me On My Toes” because we tried this SG Lewis type synth lead line that we thought was going to be EPIC and it turned out so comically terrible that we just laughed and laughed non stop and had such a fun time. Memories! 

If there’s anything you could change about the current music industry, what would it be and why?

We have always been massively passionate about female representation and speak about that a lot. I think the other major issue that we feel strongly on a persona level, is mental health in the music industry. Artists are often vulnerable and facing serious imposter syndrome, and it is incredibly common for artists to suffer from severe anxiety or other mental health struggles. We would love to see a greater sense of community, support, and comradery between creatives and artists - which we think is happening slowly. Other creatives are the best support because they “get” the feeling of releasing music and bearing your soul that not everyone can fully understand. Just wish there was less stigma about the struggles we are ALL facing.

Who are your biggest inspirations in music?

Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Janelle Monae, SZA, Paige, infinite more legends ahhhh. Huge love for Blu DeTiger as well - basslines be crazy.

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

Wells* just released “Tape 3” which is an impeccable body of work.

What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?

Obviously at the moment, we are just on a whole different level of lucky. I mean it’s CRAZY to watch the world and be in this sanctuary where live music can happen. But in general - we think our natural landscape is a big source of inspiration for a lot of kiwi creatives. It’s easy to escape the cities and find beautiful spots that bring you a sense of grounding and source of energy. We are lucky people.

What’s it been like being able to perform again, and how excited are you for your upcoming headline show at Tuning Fork (AKL) and your set at Peachy Keen music festival (WLG)?

Its pretty surreal! Packing these places out with us all like sardines! It’s madness. But it’s also made us remember to stay in the moment and really treasure every opportunity that we have to perform - both our headline show and Peachy Keen mean a lot to us. And when you get on stage, you just feel this sense of being in the now and enjoying connecting to your audience in real life. 

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

Be patient! It’s so common for people to get wrapped up in this story of everything happening overnight - but in reality people work really bloody hard for a long time before anything happens like a big break. I don’t see anything wrong with artists working really hard, growing and changing, and that being a journey. 

Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

BE KIND TO YOURSELF AND TO OTHERS. Sounds tacky but it’s kind of at the heart of everything?

Thanks so much Foley! Make sure to keep up with them on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music.