Amy and Josh Dowdle are a classified triple threat: musicians, models, and siblings. The pair make up the breakout electronic act Lastlings, Australia’s latest leading export. Discovered and signed early on by GRAMMY-nominated band RÜFÜS DU SOL, the duo went from playing in garage bands and earning diplomas to opening iconic shows at Red Rocks and Coachella.
Lastlings’ emotive fusion of dark pop tones and abstract lyricism has grabbed hold of other tastemakers like Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, SG Lewis, and most recently, ARIA-nominated house producer, Torren Foot. Today they release a rework of their hit single “Take My Hand” from their fellow Australian scene-shaper, who’s taken the atmospheric original and put his signature club-ready spin on it.
Amy and Josh have quickly become influential figures in the burgeoning indie-electronic space, having just signed to Astralwerks and now guest-starring on episode one of RÜFÜS DU SOL’s recently launched Rose Ave Radio show. Even in quarantine, they’re making their mark around the globe.
We caught up with Lastlings and Torren Foot on their dancefloor starter and how it came to be.
Are you quarantining together and has that allowed for more time to create... or are you sick of each other by now?
AMY: Yes, we are quarantining together. We have been writing a bunch of new music during isolation. Even though we miss playing & going to shows, it’s been really nice having all the time in the world to write new music and learn new things. Haha, maybe a little bit sick of each other, but it’s fine we get along pretty well.
Do you write your lyrics together or do you each play different roles in the music-making process?
JOSH: We both play different roles. I produce the music and Amy is on vocals and lyrics. We workshop the lyrics together though if they're not feeling quite right the first time around. Amy’s starting to learn how to produce music so that will be great to be able to share production ideas together in future.
“Take My Hand” was inspired by your favorite Japanese anime - is that an art form you grew up with?
AMY: Yeah! We both grew up watching anime. Our mum is Japanese so we used to watch a lot of Japanese Anime when we were little. When I was younger my favourites were Doraemon and Anpanman, and my mum introduced me to Studio Ghibli when I was in Primary school. I am still a huge fan of their movies to this day.
JOSH: I’ve always loved anime, but have started to watch way more in the past few years. I think that’s mostly because I forget a lot of Japanese when I’m not using it so it’s like a very light bit of study for me as well. My favorites are Akira, Ghost in the Shell & Neon Genesis Evangelion.
What first hooked you about “Take My Hand”?
TORREN: Amy’s vocal was what drew me instantly. It’s so emotive, as soon as I heard it, I knew where I wanted to take the remix. The record came together really quickly because of how strong the original was. It was a joy to work on!
You both had the opportunity to play Untitled Group’s Virtual Day Party - how do you feel about live streaming as the new performance reality?
LASTLINGS: It is definitely a great way to keep people excited about live music, especially with what’s going on in the world right now. We’re so lucky that we can be involved with a team like Untitled as well because they’re so passionate about what they do.
It’s definitely different though, performing to no one! The experience you have at a live show face to face with an audience is so special. We really miss those moments and can’t wait to be back, but these virtual parties are the next best thing.
TORREN: I’ve been a huge consumer of livestreams and recorded sets for a long time. It’s such a great way to watch your favourite artists performing, even if they’re on the other side of the world. The Untitled Virtual Day Party was a perfect example of this. Being beamed into the living rooms of hundreds of thousands of people who might not have had the opportunity to see me play before, was fantastic. I can see it being a big part of artists' offerings moving forward.
Did you know each other previously in Australia or cross paths in the music scene down there?
JOSH: Well to be honest, my best friend and I skipped Uni study many years ago to see him at Nautic Giants, this day party on the Gold Coast. I don’t think we met until a few years later though at Elsewhere bar when he played again!
TORREN: Haha those Nautic Giant’s parties were a hoot, and Elsewhere is one of our country’s absolute best! Yeah a couple of random ‘Club Hello’s’ over the years, but this is our first time working together.
Speaking of the Australian music scene, how have you seen it take shape in the US? Any artists you think set the pace early? And who’s the next big breakout?
LASTLINGS: A great example is RÜFÜS DU SOL. They’re definitely the pioneers of live electronic coming out of Australia and we are lucky enough to be on their label too. Running Touch and Willaris. K are both young artists we love who are super hard working and make really really great music.
TORREN: It’s always so good seeing Australian artists kill it in the US. It’s been great to watch my good friend Dom Dolla really break out recently, and before him it was guys like RÜFÜS DU SOL, Tame Impala, Flume & Fisher that flew the flag for Australian music. If I was a betting man, Lastlings are running pretty hot at the moment, put the house on them!
What’s next for you both?
LASTLINGS: We have our next single coming out real soon and our debut album at the end of the year. Hopefully we will be playing some shows soon too. Fingers crossed.
TORREN: I’ve got a few big things I’m working on, including a collaboration with Mat.Joe coming on Defected Records, as well as a very special feature vocal for “More Life.” Plenty of new music, and fingers crossed, some shows!
