How would you describe McDermott & North in under 40 words?
We’re an indie/folk pop, songwriting duo from Brisbane, who draw inspiration from the ingenious simplicity of the swinging ‘60s era music and Oasis’ raw honesty.
Tell us about your new single, ‘Everytime (I’m A Little Bit Like You)’.
We wrote this song a few years ago. The meaning behind it changes for me whenever we play it live; I’d like to think it could have that effect on other people as well. I suppose the inspiration for most of the lyrics do come from a place of uncertainty about a relationship, especially young relationships where things often have the ability to become intense and unsettling.
Your music is inspired by the swinging ‘60s. Why is that era of music so influential?
The ‘60s influence ranges more from songwriting, rather than image or sound. What resonates with us from that era is how less is more. What Neil Young and Bob Dylan were writing in the ‘60s was revolutionary at the time, that’s what really inspires us – we want to write songs with lyrics that make you think twice.
What can we expect from your upcoming Melbourne show at The Tote?
We will be playing an acoustic set – a few songs from the first EP but a lot of new ones we have been working on. We started as an acoustic act so it will be refreshing to hear the songs stripped down to their original form and hopefully the harmonies will sound a bit more prominent than if we played with a band.
McDermott & North come to The Tote on Thursday March 5. Keep up to date with the band via their Facebook page.