Can you tell us a bit about your journey to date and how you started making music together?

Oli: Sam and I met through a music collective that we were both part of in Manchester called Do Your Best, a friend of ours was putting a gig on where he would pair unlikely collaborators to create a set from scratch and then perform, Sam and I were put together, I ended up getting Covid so we couldn’t play but we had enjoyed working together so much and Sam (who was already performing solo as Another Country $$$$) asked if I would like to join! As it had been a dream of mine for years to play live drums in a project like this, it was a no brainer!

(Kirsten Heskamp)

Your music feels eclectic, nostalgic and innovative at the same time and we were blown away on first listen. Can you share some of your points of reference?

Oli: Thanks so much! We are both really inspired by film and gaming, specifically J-Horror and found footage horror, I play a lot of games like Silent Hill, early Zelda and Chrono Trigger, I’m really inspired by the soundtrack and atmosphere from those games.

Sam: Especially in the live set I think a big point of reference is club culture and dance music, but in the way that we’re really trying sample from really broad sources and never trying to be too locked into specific modes- like we make an effort to span a broader spectrum in a way that hopefully feels very respectful to its roots!

If you could pick an ideal setting (real or fictional) to listen to 'CURSED FRAME' in, what would it be and why?

Oli: The 3D realm that Homer Simpson goes in to in that Treehouse of Horror episode

Sam: I guess if I were to counter with a real place, I think definitely in a forest at night, that was the key reference point I kept coming back to when we were planning and filming the music videos, maybe that or just like an empty room? haha

(Kirsten Heskamp)

Were there any non-musical influences on the EP - books, films, art etc?

Oli: For sure the early Silent Hill and Zelda games, films like The Blair Witch Project, The Ring (1998), Tetsuo: The Iron Man and any imagery involving liminal spaces.

Sam: Yeah, videos games are always a massive point of reference, I’m always really obsessed with the aesthetic of a UI and implying some kind of interaction between an audience and the visual. I think Blair Witch, Pulse and I think We're All Going to the World's Fair were maybe the three major influence on the EPs visuals and themes, definitely sampling from analog horror & found footage horror- thematically as well as visually!

You've been signed to Bristol's Spinny Nights from the beginning. Do you think labels still have an important role to play in today's musical landscape?

Oli: Absolutely, we owe so much to Arthur at Spinny Nights, he’s been an absolute powerhouse and his enthusiasm has really kept us going! I think independent labels are super important, especially ones where you can directly interact with the people putting your music out, it goes a long way to not ever letting things become monotonous or feel like a job.

So much of music is about community and supporting each other. Are there any acts, venues or events that have had a particular impact on your development as a band?

Oli: we are surrounded by friends making amazing music, namely Crimewave, Buffee, Mogan, Chermansog, SILVERWINGKILLER, Ship Sket, Kop-Z and leather.head, and so lucky to be in Manchester, the venues are incredible and there are some brilliant promoters putting on gigs prolifically.

Annoyingly we haven't gotten to catch you live yet. How do you adapt the tracks for live (if at all) and do you enjoy the process of figuring that out?

Oli: for the most part, we try to capture the live feel in the recordings but I would say it’s heavier live with the live drums cutting through a bit more, it’s been a tricky but ultimately really enjoyable process making things work both on and off the stage.

Sam: We often use the live space as a place to figure out and write the songs a lot of the time, there’s always at least one or two work in progress songs in the set at any time that! I think that’s a big part of what the EP is about, capturing those key moments in how our live set has changed and developed over the years!

There's a strong visual aspect to what you do. Can you tell us more about how that works and why it's so important to your vision for this project?

Oli: Sam blows me away with the visuals he creates, sometimes I find myself just watching them while we’re playing live! I think it’s important to have the visuals because we don’t sing or talk to the audience, the set is just one continuous piece so it’s nice to have the visual aspect to engage the audience

Sam: <3 <3 <3 my background is in film and media alongside music, so I think it’s natural any time I write a song that I immediately start thinking about what the imagery of the song looks like, I’ve always been really inspired by conceptual artists like James Ferraro- his projects always feel like they have this whole world built around them, and there’s like mythos and lore surrounding it while still being really abstracted, the game that he developed Desolation Seed is an amazing example of that! Which I guess is maybe the next level for us who knows haha.

(Kirsten Heskamp)

It feels like you've taken your time to release this EP, given that your first single 'BODY FARM' landed over a year ago. Was this a conscious decision (as it seems to have really paid off)?

Oli: Sam and I are quite used to just releasing stuff quite prolifically in our previous projects so it’s been really nice to take time and strike when the time is right, rather than just getting it out as soon as we can, again Arthur (Spinny Nights) has been really helpful with that side of things.

In an increasingly challenging climate for musicians (especially emerging acts), what keeps you motivated?

Oli: I think we just love playing live so much and being surrounded by so many amazing friends who are in the same kind of situation as us makes you feel less alone with it all, when we hang out we will all often talk about experiences of being in a band, good and bad so it’s like the perfect support network.

What are your hopes for the project and the year ahead?

Oli: it would be amazing to play abroad more and collaborate with people we meet along the way! We have a Cursed Frame remix EP coming out later in the year and more brand new stuff at the end of the year! We’re just going to keep busy and stay as productive as we can while avoiding burnout!

Could you leave us with some recommendations of new music you've been listening to (the more niche the better)?

Oli: weed420, Junior Brother, KFC Murder Chicks, Bassvictim, Gutting, Dev Lemons, FLOCO, Djackulate

Sam: Forever United Ever Bright is a project I found recently and love! Really dark ethereal drill flips it’s awesome