Pop duo splendora21 open up about their inspirations, collaborations, and treasured musical artifacts that have contributed to their success in the studio.
splendora21, the pop duo with undeniable talent, have offered fans a glimpse behind the curtain with their latest release, “entirely.” This sophomore original single showcases the bandmates’ combined efforts, with Tiff Sutcliffe and Lennon Bramlett delivering a fuzz-rock hit that reflects on miscommunication.
But there’s more to entirely than meets the ear, prompting fans to question the duo’s creative process and the role this release plays in their future projects. splendora21 has answered these queries with collaborative playlists, songwriting tidbits, and insights into the musicians who’ve inspired them, including Linda McCartney, who they regard as a “mother figure.”
The duo’s inherent creativity shines through in entirely, proving that splendora21 is a force to be reckoned with in the studio. With their treasured musical artefacts and shared inspirations, it’s clear that the duo’s trajectory is only heading up from here.
Lennon and Tiff discuss the genesis of entirely, the mantra that informs their songwriting, and the “special soul connection” that arose from the creation of their upcoming debut album. Scroll down for splendora21’s assortment of muses, and head here to listen to their new single entirely.
Linda McCartney
Lennon: I remember the first time Tiff showed me Linda McCartney’s music. We had already started writing some songs together and Tiff played me “Love’s Full Glory” from her album “Wide Prairie.” That record became a massive inspiration for us, and we really bonded over her songs. We got stoned and covered that track, laid on the floor and listened to it over and over and over.
Tiff: I don’t know why Lennon said that. I’ve literally never gotten stoned before, I wouldn’t even know how. Anyways, I think the night we covered that song was a really defining moment in our friendship. Linda is a mother figure to us, we go to her for guidance.
The Mantra of “Yes And”
splendora21: Much like in an improv troupe, our band only has one rule, the rule of “yes and.” If one of us wants to cover a Michael Nesmith song or a track from Xanadu, we are gonna do it. If we don’t want to make music that day and we want to go to the aquarium instead, “yes and.” It’s really about just trusting each other in the pursuit of having as much fun as possible.
entirely
Lennon: This song came together really fast. I think I wrote the beat and chord progression in an afternoon and tiff sent the melody ideas and lyrics the next day. It just immediately felt right. It’s definitely my favourite song I’ve ever gotten to work on.
Tiff: most of the songs we write together are about the irrational fear we both have that one day we won’t be friends anymore. Instead of living in the moment we are pre mourning the death of our friendship. That’s what the song’s about.
Lennon: I don’t think that’s “entirely” true. We live in the moment.
The Album
Lennon: We usually joke about how s21 started as a “shared manic episode.” I remember tiff first showed me a song called “dahlia” and I just couldn’t believe how great it was. She sent me some more demos and I started adding drums and other production elements over her phone recordings. I think within a week we came up with somewhere around 20 tracks and just started bouncing ideas and demos back and forth. Now we have a full album set to release later this year.
Because it all kinda happened so fast, the album feels like this burst of energy to me. Listening to these songs always brings me back to the time when we first started writing them, they act as a sort of time capsule that marks the beginning of a beautiful friendship, so I’m forever grateful we’ll have this collection of tunes to look back on. Sometimes you form a special soul connection with someone, and if you’re lucky enough, you get to make music with them.
S21 Recommends
splendora21: Every groundbreaking/show-stopping friendship begins with sharing music back and forth on a collaborative playlist, and right now ours is up to 20 hours and counting. These are some songs that have inspired us while writing:
Overload – sugababes
Our Love (Don’t Throw it All Away) – Andy Gibb
Enchantment – Corinne Bailey Ray
Hejira – Joni Mitchell
Melody (1983) -plustwo
Where You Are – Clare Burson
Amy – widowspeak
Halloween Store – Andy Shauf
Slowly but surely – piri & tommy
Boo’d Up – Ella Mai
