Getting To Know: Twayn

The debut EP, 'Cupid Isn't Real,' explores the narratives of two separate relationships and breakups. Can you share the inspiration behind choosing this theme for the EP and how the storytelling evolved throughout the creative process?

Most of our previous releases this year have been focussed on teenages struggles such as friendships, peer pressures and feeling like you don’t fit in. Now that we’d finished our A levels and left school, it felt a very natural transition to change direction a little and to write about slightly more mature themes like relationships and heartbreak; all of which we explore in ‘Cupid Isn’t Real’. The storytelling in the EP is interesting, because the songs were written completely separately from another – we never planned to bring them into a full body of work together as they had been written separately and independently in the first instance.  But, when we thought about it, the songs complimented each other really well, so we got in the studio and produced them.

The lead single, 'Boarding Pass,' features haunting synths, powerful vocals, and a punchy brass chorus. How did the production and musical elements contribute to conveying the emotions and narrative of the song, particularly in the context of a romantic interest leaving for a "new girl"?

Initially, Boarding Pass was a similar ballad style to ‘Try Not To Cry’, another song on the EP.  Then, when we got to the studio, we added some 80’s drum beats and realised that we could make it a lot more upbeat and ‘punchy’. The more aggressive sound of the song looks to replicates the frustration of the lyrical content, which is bitterly questioning whether your ex is seeing someone else.

3. 'Criminal' is described as a pop/rock anthem with standout harmonies. What inspired the lyrics and overall theme of a previous lover or friend persistently trying to come back into one's life, and how did the pop/rock genre enhance the storytelling in this track?

The idea of the song is something a lot of people can relate to. With our own thematic shift from friendships to romantic relationships in ‘Cupid Isn’t Real’, we wanted to blend those two lyrical points of view in ‘Criminal’.  The pop/rock style really came to life in the studio, and having that supporting instrumentation really allowed the anger of the lyrics to come through - why won’t this person leave you alone? It also feels extremely cathartic to sing, like a release of pent-up emotion. The pop/rock style is new to us, but that also helps the song feel even more statement-worthy and emphatic in its messaging.  It’s a message to the person that they’d better not come back!

4. 'Try Not To Cry' takes a different direction with a piano ballad, showcasing Hannah's lead vocals and independent songwriting. How does this track differ from the others on the EP, and what motivated the choice to explore a piano ballad in the context of a breakup?

‘Try Not To Cry’ is really going back to the piano ballad roots of Twayn, and is a classic way of emoting feelings of a breakup, so we felt it had to be on the ‘Cupid Isn’t Real’ EP somewhere! The song is slightly different from a normal breakup song though, because it’s told from the perspective of the ‘breaker-upper’. It was the first song Hannah ever wrote (about a year ago), and it’s a proper heartbreak anthem; quite stripped back and vulnerable, unlike the rest of the EP.

5. The EP's final track, 'Love You And Lose You,' brings together both Hannah and Grace's writing. Can you delve into the collaborative process and how the combination of your perspectives added depth to the storytelling, especially considering the nostalgic vibe of the song?

Hannah:  Yes! I wrote the majority of this one, but the bridge was initially just a series of oohs and aahs. One day, Grace opened the demo (without my knowing), recorded a bridge, and when I listened to the track the next day to continue working on it, I started crying when I heard what she’d done! I think it’s so beautiful and amazing that she could sum up my feelings so perfectly – it must be a bit of twin telepathy. The track is certainly my favourite on the EP… at least for the minute.

6. The EP will be launched at HMV Newcastle on November 11th. How does performing live contribute to your connection with the audience, and what can fans expect from the live experience of the 'Cupid Isn't Real' tracks?

We love performing live as it gives us an opportunity to get to play to fans and meet them properly rather than communicating through social media. We usually perform with a quite a stripped back set, with just a piano and our two vocals, so the sound of many of the songs change. This hopefully brings the lyrics and harmonies more to life in a way, or at least in a different way from the fully-produced tracks. We also dive into the history of some of the tracks before we play them, which is lovely as it feels like we’re letting our audience in on a secret. After all, we couldn’t do any of this without the support of our listeners, so it’s a nice opportunity to be able to share little back stories with fans.

7. As you explore themes of relationships, breakups, and mixed emotions in the EP, what do you hope listeners take away from 'Cupid Isn't Real,' and are there any future projects or themes you're eager to explore in your music?

I think we want our listeners to recognise a real development, both lyrically and sonically, in this new EP.  A strength of our songwriting in this collection is the honesty; we enjoyed exploring the different aspects of heartbreak, being more collaborative in our writing process to get the best out of both our ideas. We’re excited to write more fast-paced pop music – we have a couple of songs that are more Maisie Peters/Taylor Swift inspired that we can’t wait to release in 2024.