Twin sisters Anna and Sonia Kuprienko, better known as Bloom Twins, have had an incredible 2015, and look to have an even more impressive 12 months next year. The band are often described as Dark-Pop, but clearly provide something more than that. With rich vocals soaring above dark electronic music, their next single (to be released in February) could easily become one of the biggest songs of the year. We caught up with them to talk about their tour supporting Duran Duran, their plans for next year, and their career in Fashion.
Impact: This is a big arena tour, supporting Duran Duran, With Seal as the other support act, how did that come about?
Sonia: Well, it’s a long story but: we did a magazine shoot with Nick Rhodes, he was taking pictures, and then he was invited to a Christmas party where my sis and I were performing. He liked us and said he wanted to create a couple of tracks with us, we ended up creating eight songs with him. Then he asked if we would like to do a tour, and of course we would like to tour with them.
I: You mentioned about writing eight new songs there, is that for an upcoming album?
Anna: Yeah we plan to release our first single in February, soon after that we’ll release an E.P. and then an album.
I: This is the penultimate night of the tour, how’s it been so far?
S: Really easy, we did not expect it because it’s our first big tour. We thought we would be really scared but we were not. The first one, in Manchester, held 21,000 people. We thought ‘Oh my god, I’m going to freak out’, but once we were on stage we didn’t freak out, I enjoyed it. [To Anna] and you did too.
A: Yeah, I really did.
I: What can everyone expect from your show tonight?
A: All of them will be new tracks
S: Just new tracks
I: So we won’t hear ‘Blue’ or ‘Farenheit’ tonight then?
A: No, people can listen to those tracks on the internet, so we want to give them something different.
I: Has it been new songs for the whole tour?
A: Yeah just new songs
S: It’s been quite exciting because you see the reaction from the people and that’s the main thing right? We share the new songs and if people love it, then it’s like ‘I’m doing something right’, which is always good.
“We want to give them something different”
I: You mentioned earlier about doing a photo shoot with Nick Rhodes, you’ve done a lot of modelling as well…
A: Yeah, Fashion and Music go hand in hand, I like that fashion can tell a story alongside music. We get to work with cool people like Sonia by Sonia Rykiel. It’s all art and we love art.
S: It’s cool being able to pick outfits to suit a certain stage as well
I: You talk about them going hand in hand, did you get into them at the same time? Was there one that inspired the other?
A: Yeah, before the tour we did a great job with Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, and she gave us some clothes to wear onstage. We fell in love with those clothes, I don’t want to leave them, but we’ll see haha
S: Also, when we first moved to London we were doing fashion and music at the same time
I: If you had to choose one or the other which would it be?
Both without hesitation: Music
I: You guys are twins, and work with each other in music and fashion, does that make things difficult if you ever disagree, or is it helpful to be working with someone so close to you?
S: I would say that it is definitely more helpful. Of course we can get tired of each other and that’s fine, that’s healthy. You’re spending every single day with your sis, so sometimes you think ‘OH MY GOD I have to be on my own’ and even when you’re on your own you can’t be actually on your own, it feels like something is wrong, something is missing. The good thing is we don’t have to talk about things we just create and sing all the time. I can feel when she’s going to screw things up, so I know what to do about it, and vice versa.
I: How has the creative process been with these eight new tracks?
S: It’s not always easy but you know. He would have lots of keyboards and he would say ‘pick one’. I would pick one and she would pick one and we just start creating. Nick would be like ‘I like this, I do not like that, but keep on going’. Sometimes he does not like anything, and then he’ll be like ‘That’s the one’.
A: It’s never easy to create something good, because you’re trying to do your best. It can’t just be done in five minutes, Nick will say that he wants to change something, and then I do not like something or she does not like something. We have to find something that we all agree to.
S: One day one song, is how he does it
I: So you have to produce a new song every day in that period?
S: Sometimes people do a song in two or three days, but with him you go into his studio, you work on the song and you finish it before you leave
A: I always like the phrase he uses: ‘When I go to the studio I have nothing, when I leave I have a song’.
I: You guys play quite a few different instruments, will it be mostly keyboards with the live set up?
S: It’s two keyboards and Electronic pads, like drums. Then real drums, two voices and harmonica and flute, but nothing else
A: No harmonica tonight
S: Just the flute then, sorry
I: You say that as if it isn’t much
S: Yeah, it’s not a five piece band, it’s just the three of us, and so it’ll do.
A: We don’t need more
I: If you could describe Bloom Twins to someone completely new in three words what would it be?
S: Black and White
A: He said three words
S: Yes, Black And White
The room erupts with laughter
A: haha, umm Blooms Twins…
S: Bloom And Twins?
A: That’s difficult, Rock and roll?
S: Music and Fashion?
A: Yeah, Yin and Yang, Black and White
I: What can we expect after this tour from Bloom Twins?
S: A lot of cool projects are coming out, we just aren’t allowed to talk about them just yet, but it’s exciting. It’s sad because the tour is finishing, I was thinking earlier about how I’ll have to go back to my flat soon and it will be boring.
A: No it won’t
S: Yeah, it will still be busy and good, it’s amazing you know, we’re only kids and we’re getting to do this so early in our lives.
I: You guys are nineteen aren’t you?
S: Yes
I: I am too, but I’m definitely not supporting Duran Duran… Thank you for your time, good luck with the show tonight!
Blooms Twins were speaking to Liam Fleming
Image: Chuff Media
