In Lockdown With Cousn

Interviews / May 11, 2020

A few weeks back we caught up with Cousn, a production duo based in Bristol who have been a ‘duo’ together since they were 6 months old… We spoke about their new music, what they have been getting up to on lockdown, what their style of their dance music is, plus finding out what their ‘Top 5 Tracks In Lockdown‘ are to listen to.

Cousn ‘Ritual‘ is released 15th May on FAMLY Records – Click Here To Preorder

Hi boys, how are you doing?

We’re doing great, thanks for asking!

To anyone who hasn’t heard of you, describe the sound that you produce in the studio…

We make real dance music that feels live, we never follow a template. As we’re both musicians and were in bands growing up our music fits that in-between of live and electronic club music.

What new music do you have coming up in the next couple months?

We’ve got a release coming out on our label FAMLY on the 15th May called ‘Ritual’.

Our original inspiration for writing this track was the whole worldwide ritual of going out clubbing at the weekend, then suddenly out of nowhere this global pandemic comes along and that now feels like a distant memory, even though it’s only been a few weeks.

We feel like the track now relates more to the everyday rituals you do to keep sane during lockdown; your one run a day, your weekly pub quiz zoom. So the song has taken a bit of a turn but it’s very upbeat and we’re happy to be getting it out.

We’ve then got another release coming out in June on FAMLY called ‘Are You With Us’. This is a proper belter with Bill shouting a rally call full pelt with live drums from our drummer boy ’T Willy On The Sticks’.

Remix-wise our ‘Pour the Milk’ remix was released a few days ago. We had a lot of fun working with the Suzanne Vega vocal sample and again featured a lot of live drums from our drummer Tom. Coming up we’ve got a remix of Allie X – Super Dooper Party People (May 30th), remix of Lau.Ra – Get Creative (June 20th) and a remix of the one and only Klaus Blatter for his insane track about Bill Gates which will be coming out a little later. So lots to come in the next few months, we’re well excited for you to hear it.

Top Tips for keeping sane on the lockdown we are currently on?

Our top tips for keeping sane during lockdown… Have something new to look at in the mirror:

Alfie has shaved a Mohawk and dresses like Robert Di Nero from taxi driver, and Bill’s bleached his hair and trimmed a handle bar moustache, channelling his inner Tiger King.

Get creative with your takeaways:

We made battleships out of pizza boxes, and attack shots of gin. Drinking definitely makes it more fun.

D&D:

Our mate Cal started a big online Dungeons & Dragons game for all our mates, none of us had ever played before, but it’s so sick.

Our name is Ralis Dren, an ancient elf wizard, Joe (our tour manager) is Fenya Bimbleton the most beautiful halfling girl in the land, Harry (who designs most of our EP artwork covers) is Mawrom Bradbeard, a dwarf who knows how to handle his big hammer, Guy (our muscle) is Princess Dessacka, a noblewoman with the best sense of fashion and then Jamie (makes mental music under the name Mutebody) is Amorist… a human idiot.

Stay creative:

We’ve been making loads tunes. Although this is such an odd time it’s been really good locking ourselves away and making some mad sounds, we’re really lucky to have found a great place in Bristol to set up our home studio during all this. Big shoutout to Jen (aka Yushh from Pressure Dome) for sorting us out with her digs.

How long have you two been a duo and how did you meet?

Well we met when I was about 6 months old. My parents took me to the hospital to meet my cousin Bill, I remember strolling up to him, sunnies on. I looked at him, he looked at me, and both with a wink and a click of the fingers we said simultaneously, ‘alright mate’, and that was it. We’ve been making beats ever since.

You weren’t wearing sunnies you had little pink boots on – Billy interjects.

Top 5 tracks that you have been listening too during lockdown?

Talk Talk – It’s My Life