Hi Ruby! Thanks for taking the time out to answer these...

‘Something to Believe’ is out! How was it to write such a personal song but still keep it feeling universal and relatable? Was it tough to balance the two?

Hey, thanks for having me! I’m so glad you found it universal and relatable - that was definitely the goal for ‘Something to Believe’.

It took form quite quickly and easily actually. At the end of the day we wanted this song to be about hope and courage and almost take you on a cathartic journey where by the end of the song you feel uplifted and walk away feeling better.

So yeah, whilst inspired by a personal situation, we made a real effort to ensure it wasn’t lyrically specific to any one scenario or struggle. We wanted it to be open to acknowledge any pain or challenge whether it’s depression, anxiety, marginalisation, abuse, oppression, a life change etc etc - you know where you have to dig deep, clear away the dark clouds and take back your power and voice and get back to you. Kind of like speaking to your inner child and connecting back in with that purest essence of you and to be gentle with yourself.

On the flip side we also felt that it could equally be about a new and tentative love which a few people took it as too - something completely different to what it was inspired by. That’s the beauty of music - you never know how people interpret it as and what it means for them. So it’s nice not to define it and give away too much detail of my specific experience and what certain lyrics really mean for me because I don’t want to define another person’s experience and meaning of it. It always feels a bit exposing of course but you really can’t have it any other way.

Can you tell us a little bit more about how the songwriting process works between you and Pete?

We have so much fun! We both work really well together and tend to balance each other’s musical tendencies.

As President Street has evolved over the years into Pete and I, I’ve been increasingly involved in the songwriting which has been great.

Every song has been a different process but for Something to Believe I remember clearly - we had a weekend away to write and the mood was a little somber because my feelings were a bit triggered by the person this song was inspired by. Pete was trying out different things on the guitar and as he arrived at what ultimately became the chorus, I just sung the chorus hook and we both looked at each other and knew that that was it. From there the remaining melody, lyrics and music of the song just sort of poured out; driven by pure feeling. We wanted that synergy between everything to (hopefully) move you energetically and take you on that heart journey.

Your tour of Japan got cancelled :( for obvious reasons. Have you managed to keep going with writing and recording in the meantime or have things ground to a bit of a halt during lockdown? How has it been for you in general?

Yes we were so sad to not be able to tour but it’s so important that everyone stays as safe as possible. It’s a pretty difficult and strange time for everyone but we’re trying to keep perspective and keep moving forward. We’ve managed to redirect this lockdown time to be as positive as possible and have spent a lot of time writing and recording.

How has the reception been for ‘Something to Believe’ so far?

It’s been great so far! We’re so honoured people have been connecting with it. It’s a very special song for us and to receive messages from people and hearing how it’s been a song of comfort and hope in tough times for them has been amazing.

Self love and self care is an important theme in your latest single! What are your go-to self care techniques/rituals?

I wish I could say I did meditation but I don’t - yet! I do however try to make a conscious effort to remind myself how lucky I am to be to be alive in this blip in time and be doing music with Pete. So many lives and livelihoods have been affected by COVID-19 so I’m grateful that my circle are all well as it sadly isn’t the case for many others.

Getting enough sleep, drinking a few litres of water a day (I’m a fish), eating well and being creative all help keep me happy and stable - especially during this time of COVID-19! I’ve transitioned into vegan/whole food plant based eating since December so from that I have a spinach and chia seed smoothie (with a little fruit for taste) every day and that’s made a huge difference to how I feel in terms of energy and also mood :) Sugar is not my friend as much as I wish it was!

What are your plans for the rest of the year (pandemic allowing!)? Can we expect an EP/album soon?

EP or album is definitely on the way. Hopefully we can tour it soon. In the meantime we’ll keep writing!