Scottish alt-pop duo LOVE SICK were greeted with a wave of tastemaker attention for their colossal debut single‘Bullet’ and their ‘No Sleep’ EP. FORTHCOMING ‘SICK’ MIXTAPE WILL FOLLOW ON 1ST APRIL – PRE-SAVE HERE
Then they retreated as they immersed themselves in carefully identifying and curating every aspect of the artistry. That attention to detail informs every element of their output, from their diversity of influences to their scope of their ambitions and the aesthetic world around their music.
‘Run Out of Love’ puts LOVE SICK’s dark-hued after-hours twist on a sound which echoes touches of Mark Ronson’s sad bangers set ‘Late Night Feelings’ as well as the esoteric yet accessible production of Caribou and the woozy electronica of Kaytranada.
Julie Knox’s delicate, sensual, ethereal vocals chart the emotions of a relationship in its final embers. It encapsulates the moment – ironically – where a love interest realizes the extent of their feelings for you almost immediately after they let the relationship fall apart.
With a spiraling vortex of emotions, new sonic avenues and haunting visuals Love Sick is imposing a new standard in the UK alt-pop scene.
LOVE SICK say, “This song was one of the ones where most of it came out in one take and the creative process happened really quickly. We wanted to keep it quite understated and Lo-fi in the production so went for a minimalist approach. The original demo before we had a title was called lo-fi song. It’s about someone not appreciating you when you’re there and wanting you when you’re gone”.
‘Get Wild’ opens with brooding R&B beats before Shaun Canning’s twisted synths and lurching bass directs push the song into the darker side of the alt-pop spectrum. Julie Knox’stopline then exudes an hypnotic allure, her vocals narrating the tale of a woman who is determinedly disinterested at the games played by her love interest. Why wallow in self-pity when you get drunk, get high, go out, and get wild?
As with the rest of their upcoming music, ‘Run Out of Love’ was entirely written and produced by Julie and her LOVE SICK partner Shaun Canning. The connection between the two dates back several years. They first met at a party, where they quickly realized that they shared a spark. They began hooking up and collaborating at the same time, to become LOVE SICK.
Get Wild’ opens another window into the upcoming ‘SICK’ mixtape, which sees the duo explore the sizzling tension and tender subtleties that can make or break relationships. Channelling late night hedonism, it dives into a multitude of reference points including Miley Cyrus’ eclectic ‘SHE IS COMING’, Mark Ronson’s heartbreak anthem collection ‘Late Night Feelings’ as well as the festival-conquering Caribou and woozy electronic maverick Kaytranada.
‘SICK’ is the first instalment in two interrelated mixtapes that the duo will release this year. This is the darker episode of the story, which will ultimately chart love’s extremes, from euphoric adoration to sour separation with all of the borderline break-ups, fleeting encounters and utter confusion that comes in-between.
Consistently unafraid to push not only sonic boundaries, but also personal limitations, the duo’s gritty, highly personal electro-tinged pop with an alternative r&b flare will offer a warped world to immerse yourself in with more releases to come as 2022 takes shape.
We got a chance to speak with the duo and take a deeper look into their work, music and projects.
Tell us about your story as an act and duo.
We first met at a party, discussed our favourite bands, and went on to start writing together. Then down the line, became a couple which then became LoveSick.
What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?
It feels like we have a bit of living to do after lockdown and everything the last two years has brought us. It’s important for our mental health and also for the music to have experiences to write about.
What makes this song and the upcoming EP release special to you?
It’s our first piece of music we’ve released in a few years and is the start of a new era for us.
What inspired the track “Run Out Of Love”?
The experience of relationships that you put your heart into that didn’t work out. We wanted to keep it super chill in the production and be a track that you can vibe and lose yourself to.
How do you think tiktok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?
We think social media and TikTok especially are having positive and negative effects on artists’ careers. We feel it’s an amazing shop window to exploit and connect with people, but there’s an endless pressure to post looming over you sometimes.
We think it’s changing how people write as well. We feel like songs are just gonna keep getting shorter to coincide with people’s attention span.
What excites you about your future?
We’re writing the answer to this question in an Uber to a studio in Calabasas and the sun is shining. We love the unknown of where our music will take us and how it will react. It’s been so long since we’ve put anything out; it’s scary but super exciting.
What are some of your core values as a human beings?
We believe in positivity and trying to see the silver lining in things when they’re not going our way. Music is like a kind of therapy to us. We make music as a way of expressing our emotions and sometimes escaping them!
What are your projects for this year?
We have two EP/mixtapes coming very soon and a few singles after that.
