Hugh are the London based-quartet forging a genuinely unique sound: consisting of two vocalists (Joshua Idehen and Izzy Brooks), a guitarist (Tino Kolarides) and producer, Andy Highmore, Hugh create dreamy pop with a touch of the spoken word about it. Sometimes minimal, sometimes lush, the band are part Beach House, part Grizzly Bear and part their own original outlook. A few months back they released their debut track, “Learn To Fall”, which was a fantastic slice of electro-pop and this was followed up with a lyrically elevated and poetic cut called “Almost Done, Almost There”. These guys are certainly forging a uniquely ambitious path with their brand of well-attuned melancholia, so we were pleased to be able to sit down with them to chat about their pub-meet beginnings, their future plans, and the difficulties of on-stage-creasing.

The first time you met is said to be quite interesting. Tell us about that.

Josh: I met Andy at some pub in South London, I was trying to shazam a Beach House song and he was like ‘if you find out which Beach House song that is I’d like to know please’. It was their cover of Queens song play the game. We got talking about music and we were both looking to start a band so we exchanged numbers. Soon as we realised we liked each other enough to keep working together. I met Izzy at Bestival – asked her to join and Andy roped in his mate, Tino. Boom.

Izzy: I watched Josh perform a poem about his dad which made me cry.

Who is your biggest musical inspiration?

Josh: It’s Beach House atm. I saw them live at Shepherd’s Bush. It’s their songwritng and production (and stage design, whoa) that are on point. Got Teen Dream on vinyl before I even got a player. Dedication, mate.

Izzy: For me, heavily inspired by Lykke Li and Lauryn Hill.

Do you think there will come a point where you feel as though you’ve made it?

Josh: I’m happy I’m in a place I can make something and people like that thing I made.

Izzy: I think going on the road would confirm things for me, maybe when there’s a bottle of Prosecco on the rider

Support from Annie Mac and Huw Stephens is a pretty big deal. How did you guys feel when you found out about it?

Josh: Well I did a dance in my living room and played tekken online for an hour and didn’t lose a single match. There are more than a few faves I only discovered through Huw Stephens – Hjaltalin for one- so to get his recommendation is an honor.

Izzy: You get that email through on a Sunday night, tipping you off that they might play your song and there you are huddled together with your mates on your bed  with a cup of tea, hugging the radio and waiting for them to announce you, it feels amazing every-time.

Working together with friends can often be hard. Do you all get on?

Josh: Yes. Andy is stubborn and I have my artist-panic side but ultimately we’re pretty supportive and nice with each other. So far.

Izzy: Yes, but we do get seriously moody with each other when we are hungry, luckily the best Curry house in South is like 1 minute from Andy’s studio.

What’s the best bit about making music together?

Josh: The tea. The Music. Performing live. The in jokes.

Izzy: Yep – the tea – although I feel I am the one making it too often.

What’s the dream?

Josh: One really, really, really, really, really good album, followed by one really, really, really, long and exciting tour..

Izzy: Having a stage large enough for us  to fully dance around on.

Talk us through the inspiration for your new single Learn To Fall/ Almost Done There.

Josh on Almost Done, Almost There: Andy has a bit of grass outside his kitchen with a glass sliding door between them. One time, when I was over his house working on a beat he’d made, I imagined two people, one outdoors smoking and the other indoors absent mindedly stirring a cuppa. The verse pretty much wrote themselves.

Izzy on Learn To Fall: Learn to fall was about putting someone in my past to rest. I trusted Josh to be the voice that echo’d what I was trying to say and he really got it.

How are you feeling about your debut album coming out soon?

J&I: We’re really eager and excited to get it out there. It’s got some bangers on there..

Tell us about the funniest thing that’s happened to you as a band?

Izzy: We performed a really intimate, unplugged set for Sofa Sounds once where you could literally hear a pin drop. During a really emotive song Joshua sung ‘I’m so out of shorts’ instead of ‘sorts’. I can’t explain how much I struggled, how just one word can set you off.  I remember pinching the nails into my hand to stop myself from creasing, the way we carried on and stayed in the zone is beyond me.

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Give us an insight into your journey? Where did it all start for you?

Josh: We all came together via friends of friends and a love of music, really. Andy and I met at a concert and he is friends with Tino from previous bands. I worked in the spoken word scene with Izzy and when Andy and I wrote the first song, ‘I Can Be Your Light’ we roped the others in.

Were there any previous projects before Hugh – we know Joshua Idehen from his work with Benin City.

Izzy: I’d been working for a few years in the studio with different dance producers. I was sampling vocals for Rinse and doing collaborations with people like Russ Chimes and Pushaman when I met the boys via Hugh.

How do you think London has shaped you as a collective? How has the city inspired you as creatives?

Josh: I am highly inspired taking the long trip from North London to Andy’s in Lewisham. It should take about an hour, but I never pass a chance to ride the DLR – if you sit at the extreme front or back its like a government sponsored rollercoaster; London opens up to you on those rides. Also, it’s hell of a place to experience love and/or self doubt; everything is magnified.

Give us an insight into the creative process. How do you begin making a track? What’s the initial starting block?

Andy: It usually starts for me in the middle of the night, thats when I make most of my music, i just can’t seem to make anything decent before about 10pm. With Hugh we have a few different ways we start tracks, sometimes it starts with some music I’ve made, or some guitars Tino’s recorded, and other times it starts with a lyric or song that Josh or Izzy has. Every track is different. Lately we have been doing more writing from scratch together in the studio, which has been great!

Is it a compromise to come to the final conclusion of how a particular track will sound?

Josh: We all have our sticking points: Andy is usually bullish when it comes to production and my lyrics shalt Never Be Touched By A Hand Not Mine, but we’re pretty much all for one, one for all: if it’s a choice between two outcomes we put it to a vote/try both ideas and see which one doesn’t suck, and if one person does not like a song then we either drop it or try and make it better.
Izzy: Joshua’s favourite phrase I believe is ‘i told you so’. Yeah there is often always a conflict somewhere in the mix but give the track a few more listens to and we tend to all agree on the same thing in the end.

Are there ever any creative differences?

Josh: No. Everyone agrees I am right.

Tell us more about One Of These Days – you must be thrilled with the reaction its been getting?

Andy: Yeah really thrilled, it has always been one of my favourites!
Josh : Can I just say: Andy called it on this one. He’s been its biggest supporter since we wrote it. I’m glad people like our music at all.

What else can we expect from you guys in the not so distant future?

Izzy : More music! We’ve been working with Charlie Huggal on a few tracks that are sounding really fresh, we’re excited to have them heard.

And your live shows? What can we expect from them?

Josh: Dance moves and dope songs with deep lyrics, as well as a good show. If I’m feeling generous I might break out a twerk, as is my right.
Izzy: We’re not afraid to bust out the gun fingers.

Your music is a myriad of sounds. What inspires you to write and make the sounds that you do?

Andy: I think the main thing that inspires me is other music.
Josh: We have similar central tastes but we break off into different tangents: Izzy loves bass/garage, House and folk, Andy likes a lot of modern R&B, I’ll listen to practically anything and Tino on an Elliot Smith/Tom Waits vibe. It all filters in.
Izzy: I always want to tell stories. I’m always inspired by artists whose lyrics take me on a journey so when I’m writing a hook I always question where its going because it has to feel believable.

If you could add another member to the group who is already a recording artist, who would be your ideal choice? 

Andy – Brian Eno
Josh – Fantastic Mr Fox
Izzy –  Neneh Cherry, she’s looking and sounding so good right now.

Words: Shane Hawkins.

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