Six quick questions with Tennyson

Coming all the way from Edmonton, Canada, Tennyson will be making their first appearance in KL at The Bee this Saturday. Tennyson are Luke and Tess who play jazz-inspired electronic music. We spoke with them ahead of their gig this weekend.

I read that you guys started out as buskers in Edmonton, Canada. How did you go from busking cover songs to making electronic music?
Luke: Both projects overlapped for a couple years. We would play jazz cover shows in coffee shops, and then in between those shows fly out to other cities in Canada to perform as Tennyson.

More and more young people are making electronic music nowadays. What do you think about the claims that ‘guitar music’ or ‘indie rock’ is dying?
L: It seems like kids get into whatever is most appealing and accessible. It’s a lot easier to make music with a laptop than learning an instrument and finding other bandmates.

This is your first intercontinental tour. How does it feel travelling to another side of the world to play your music? Ever worry about the reception?
Tess: It’s unbelievable and so exciting for us to get to experience new countries, and even more exciting to be able to share our music with people all over the world. So far the reception has been very enthusiastic, which is super encouraging.

Do you think making music is easier when your bandmate is your sibling?
T: Being sibling bandmates works better than you might expect. Any fights while on tour are usually forgotten within the hour, and growing up together has made sharing new experiences very special.

In many interviews people bring up your young age. Does the pressure ever affect you whenever you’re making new music?
T: I think most interviews get our ages wrong, so people always think we’re younger than we actually are. It definitely adds a certain pressure, but it can also be motivational.

When can we expect your debut full-length album?
L: Releasing a full length is my dream, but music consumption is so fast paced. It’s a bad idea to assume people will wait for something [laughs].

Catch them this Saturday at The Bee Publika for 'Upfront presents Tennyson'.