“At its heart it’s a very experimental EP,” says Gabriel. “The whole point was to test the boundaries and try radical things and find our feet. We worked really closely with a producer Kamal Engels and we all contributed a bunch of ideas. We got a drummer in, we got our dad to play electric guitar and Kamal also played some bass. They were all our ideas, but we worked with a bunch of people to creatively direct it into strange, esoteric directions.”
The pair’s experimental inclination is exemplified by the EP’s title track and lead single. The song begins as a fairly innocent-sounding gypsy waltz. When the chorus kicks in, however, it transforms into a driving alternative rock song. These opposing elements then proceed to form a somewhat unlikely union from the second verse onwards.
“When we brought that song to Kamal we actually hadn’t finished it, but we had an idea about the sounds,” Cecilia says. “We wanted the effect of two sections sounding completely different and then blending at the end. It was really fun being able to experiment in the studio with things you can’t do when you’re fiddling on acoustic instruments at home.”
“It’s really exciting to juxtapose two completely different genres together,” adds Gabriel. “It’s so much more interesting to listen to and create something that’s so uncommon. You break outside the boundaries of all rules and regulations and you really just have this infinitely open-ended platform.”
Despite the heavy emphasis on unfettered experimentation, Eyelids Bouncing also suggests Gabriel and Cecilia have a knack for penning memorable melodies.The pair understand the importance of maintaining something for listeners can grab onto, but it doesn’t always go as planned.
“We have actually had a lot of confusion come from it,” Cecilia says. “People are quite confused about what sound we are. But that EP was us experimenting and trying to show all that we can do.” “That’s kind of what it’s all about,” continues Gabriel. “To keep it interesting and fresh, but also not alien. I really do believe in writing songs in an almost selfish way, with no concerns for what the radio might think, because then you can give birth to a really true product. Oftentimes, while you may be somewhat alien, because you’re so passionate about what you’re doing, people can see and understand that passion.”
Gabriel and Cecilia’s no holds barred approach is a marked deviation from the cookie cutter fare that dominates reality talent shows. Eyelids Bouncing was their first release following The Voice, so perhaps it was a reaction to the normalising shackles imposed by the competition. However, during their time on The Voice, they were actually granted a certain amount of freedom.
“On the show, the underlying thing is that they were trying to get everyone to sing in their pop genre and really fit the mould,” Gabriel says. “Other participants in the show weren’t even allowed to play instruments or do their own versions of songs. But we proved that was what we were able to do and that was what we were about, more so than singing pitch perfect and enunciating everything perfectly and whatnot. So they allowed us to explore that a bit more.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
