There’s something quietly compelling about a project that forms across distance — ideas exchanged between time zones, songs taking shape in fragments before finding their final form in shared spaces. For this sibling duo, what began as a back-and-forth between the UK and Australia has evolved into something far more cohesive: a sound that feels instinctive, unforced, and deeply personal. Their debut work captures that sense of fluidity, blending spoken word, indie textures, and electronic elements into something that resists easy categorisation.
At the centre of it all is “Suki,” a track that encapsulates both their creative chemistry and their willingness to lean into vulnerability and self-acceptance. Drawing on a wide palette of influences while carving out a distinct identity of their own, the duo balance technical precision with emotional storytelling. As they prepare to release more music and take their collaboration to the stage, they offer insight into their process, their influences, and the unique dynamic that comes from creating music with family. We spoke with the band.
First off, when I hear your band name, I can’t help but wonder if its derived from the film “Desperately Seeking Susan”, starring Madonna and Rosanna Arquette. Whether or not that is true, who is ‘Suki’ in your version of the story?
Yes – our name nods to “Desperately Seeking Susan” and mirrors how the project began – my brother and I sending songs back and forth between the UK and Australia. ‘Suki’ in Japanese relates to love, and the idea of searching for love in some form felt like something most people could relate to. I grew up training in martial arts and studying Japanese language and culture, so it felt like a natural and personal reference.
In which cities are each of you based? You are obviously meeting in person, judging from your social media posts. Did you meet up to record this in a studio? Tell us about that.
Danny is based in Bristol, while I split my time between Bristol and Sydney. When we’re in the same city, we focus on writing and live shows; otherwise, we exchange ideas remotely and develop them further in person.
The EP came together in a slightly unconventional way. We built demos together, then I recorded most of the tracks at 4000 Studios in Brisbane. For “Suki,” we worked with Kon – recording between Brisbane and Danny’s studio in Bristol, before sending everything to Kon to mix.
Tell us about your first composition as a duo and whether you consciously decided on a particular aesthetic for this project?
Our first composition came together really naturally. It was actually for another track we’re releasing later this year. Danny had this really cool synth and drum beat, and it just clicked with something I’d already been writing on my own.
For “Suki,” it all came together very easily, especially the lyrics (I wish they were all like that haha). There was a real sense of creative freedom, and I’d also met someone who shifted my perspective – that embracing every part of ourselves, even the shadow, is far more powerful than pushing it away. That really fed into the track.
In terms of the aesthetic, I think I’d reached a point of real self-acceptance – embracing having an unconventional voice and leaning into spoken word as part of my storytelling. Working with my brother and Kon really gave me the space and confidence to explore that and just go for it, which I’m so proud of now.
So, yeah, we didn’t consciously set an aesthetic – it really just came from being authentic and not overthinking it.
I hear elements of Republica, The Ting Tings, Gwenno, and Phantogram in your music. But I assume your influences are very different. Tell us about that
That’s so nice to hear – I’m very flattered! I did have to go back and re-listen to a couple of them, but I definitely hear the connection now.
Our influences are quite different, but maybe that’s part of what makes it work. I’m really inspired by Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Wolf Alice, while Danny’s more into The Strokes and The National. We also both really like The Naked and Famous and Confidence Man, which has also naturally shaped the project.
Did you grow up in the UK or Australia and how did you come to live on different continents?
We grew up in South Bristol, Danny is still based there, while I left when I was eighteen to study and later moved to Sydney after receiving a scholarship for my MA. I built my career there in music and acting, while still returning to the UK regularly.
Then, in 2024, I relocated to London for an acting opportunity for a year and began spending weekends in Bristol sharing ideas with Danny. That’s when we realised how special it was to collaborate as siblings – there’s a natural connection there that you can’t really replicate. We feel very lucky to have that.
Did you have much in common musically in your formative years?
Yes – really similar actually! My stepdad (and Danny’s biological dad) is a musician and our mum was his backing singer. There’s some really funny old videos of them actually – we love to whip them out and have a laugh every now and then. So we grew up surrounded by music constantly and it was really varied too – a lot of rock, glam rock, motown, blues.. I think it all must have seeped into our membranes when we were young. As we grew up we started to develop our own musical tastes, which ended up being very similar (I’d like to say I influenced Danny – obviously – haha). We both really liked bands such as The Strokes, early Kings of Leon, Muse, Radiohead, Bloc Party.
Given that you play different roles or instruments in your duo, what does each of you bring to the partnership that the other might not?
Danny’s an incredible producer with a deep technical knowledge – he’s great at building the foundation of a track and translating my ideas, especially when it comes to rhythm and percussion. He’s also a strong songwriter.
I tend to bring the storytelling – lyrics, melody ideas, and sometimes initial parts on guitar, bass or synth. That said, there’s a lot of crossover. Danny often records the demos because he’s faster, but I’m quite particular about any guitar parts I’ve written.
Ultimately, it’s a real fluid mix of roles and creative freedom, but if we had to define it; Danny leans more into production and songwriting, and I lean more into songwriting, lyrics and guitar – and we both meet in the middle.
Many artists experience a sizeable lag in a song’s germination from the time that writing starts to the time it has been mixed and mastered. What was this like for you in the case of your song “Suki”?
“Suki” actually started back in 2023. We wrote, recorded and produced it quite quickly, but it wasn’t until Danny and I fully committed to the project – and completed the EP earlier this year – that we had everything mixed and began preparing it for release.
Which new or underrated artists should everyone listening to this interview check out right now?
There are so many, but a few new artists we’ve been really into lately are Lizzie Esau, Laura Mvula, TTSSFU, Harry Hayes. They’re all doing really interesting things sonically and carving out their own space. We’re always drawn to artists who feel authentic and a little left of centre.
What does the next year look like for both of you as artists, not only regarding this duo, but also other artistic endeavours you may be involved in?
We’ve got a few more releases from this EP coming out across the year, with some music videos we’re really excited about. Alongside that, we’re already writing the next EP for release next year and planning live shows and a tour later this year and into next.
Outside of the duo, I’ve got a couple of acting projects coming up and I’m developing a short film that we’re hoping to shoot in Bristol. Danny also has his own solo project called SIG SALI so I’m sure he’ll be working on that as well.
Get the single at https://ffm.to/desperately-seeking-suki-suki
Instagram: @desperatelyseekingsuki
Website: https://www.desperatelyseekingsuki.com/
Tiktok: @desperatelyseekingsuki
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