Born in Sweden, raised in England, brothers Oscar and Hugo of indie duo Mrs Bishop are now blessing the ears of Sydneysiders with their debut single “Where The River Flows”.
Hey there, please start out by telling us your name, your role in Mrs Bishop, and your favourite Abba song of all time.
Ok wicked. We’re both doing this interview, so we’ll respond from both of us! Mrs Bishop is comprised of us two brothers - Oscar and Hugo. Oscar sings and plays the piano, and Hugo sings and plays the guitar. They both play the synthesizer too, every now and again. We’re Dancing Queens.
Your MySpace bio describes your childhood as years of “frolicking in the snowfields in Sweden and getting up to no good at boarding school in England”. Were you creating music together during those early years of mischief?
Those ‘early years of mischief’ are definitely a reference to Hugo’s behavior . Oscar is a good boy. He spent his formative years keeping his brother on the straight and narrow. But, in answer to the question, yes, absolutely. We have always been writing music together. At first things began at a very rudimentary level of simple duets with a few chords to pin the melody down. As we grew up, this gradually developed into us incorporating different instruments and technologies to create something more complex.
What inspires you, musically or otherwise?
Non musically, our number one inspiration has to be nature. Nature in it’s stillness, tranquillity and unadulterated beauty. But sometimes nature is musical, isn’t it? You must have been out on a walk, to a place slightly remote and quiet. Did you hear the sounds of the wind in the trees, the bird song, and the insects stirring? That is inspiration.
Your debut single “Where The River Flows” has received radio play on both Fbi and Triple J. How are you enjoying the limelight?
It is incredibly humbling to have people say how much they like our song. Writing music has always meant a lot to us, and when this is also true for other people, we feel very fortunate.
I noticed the single features the glockenspiel. What other instruments do you play?
Clarinet and oboe is what we have been playing for many years, plus the piano.
If Mrs Bishop was a film who would be the leading lady?
Your aunt.
Can you tell us a little bit about the songwriting process? How did “When The River Flows” come about?
Our songwriting process is definitely haphazard. After a song is written, we seldom are able to identify how it came about, but it always does. WTRF started with a memory. That is all we can remember.
You recently played at Oxford Art Factory with rising indie stars Guineafowl and Parades. How was that experience?
Fantastic. We really enjoyed that show. We got to play before these bands which have been on the scene for a few years, so we felt very lucky. All the bands that played that night have some wicked people in them, too.
A few songs that have been on high rotation on your iPod/Discman/Gramophone lately?
Humpback Whale Songs - Feat. David Attenborough.
Are you currently working on a debut album?
No, but we are in the midst of writing our first EP!
Any gigs coming up?
Yes, certainly. The 30th of this month (June). At Oxford Art Factory.
Shoot, Shag or Marry: Bjork, Princess Kate Middleton and Kylie Minogue.
We’d marry Bjork, in a chapel by the sea. But in Sweden, not Iceland. We’d like the Duchess of Cambridge to take us on a date, and then we’d know. We don’t really know about Kylie. How old is she now anyway? But hey, age is just a number.
Thank you for your time! Any last words or shout outs?
Thank you to all who are supporting us so far, it is greatly appreciated! Knowing that there are others who love our music is such an honour. Cheers to Gina, too, for this interview. Also watch out for our comrades ‘Toucan’, who are creating some beautiful music right now. There is so much great music around in Sydney at the moment, just open your ears and let it all in.
Thanks,
O/H
