The dynamic between you two, living on opposite sides of the world in Portland and Leeds, is fascinating. How did this transcontinental collaboration come about, and how has the distance influenced the creative process of SINES?
K: I barely even notice the distance. The way that our process works, we could be on different planets and still work together. We met on an online platform to connect producers with vocalists—he sent me a track and I wrote a topline and lyrics over it. This largely reflects our process of working ever since!
J: I agree with Kitty, although I *do* think that our current method is wonderful, I would absolutely LOVE to be in the studio at the same time and embrace the spontaneity that can happen in the studio.
The album is from the perspective of a wayward space explorer returning to Earth in 2023, inspired by Philip K. Dick’s ideas. How did this concept come to fruition
Jason came up with this concept after we had written a few of the tracks and I thought it was genius! It was great to write the rest of the album with some sort of focus point.
Kitty, you mention how the album’s allegory of a spaceman returning to Earth reflects on your experience with autism in the neurotypical world. Can you expand on how this concept is woven into the music?
I think the fact that the music is entirely created using synthesizers strengthens the analogy of the systematic approach an autistic person must take in a neurotypical world. Lyrically, Millenia is the most on-the-nose about what it feels like to live with autism.
What’s your favorite venue to perform at?
J: Neither of us are ‘performers’ in the strictest sense of the word. I’m not sure that you will ever see SINES live unless we can do something more like a West End play with costumes and projections and whatnot but we’re not there yet. That being said, as a DJ I love to play to an audience.
Do you have a specific process or ritual when creating new music?
J: I write nearly every day. It’s just part of my routine. I go down to the studio, fire up the machines and let it happen.
As I mentioned, typically Jason will send over a track and I will write a topline with lyrics and then the track will be expanded and developed with what I come up with. Sometimes, I will send full songs for him to produce or remix. I don’t think either process is necessarily superior to the other, but they often produce quite different results.
Any favorite artists or albums you’re listening to at the moment?
K: Kylie Minogue’s new album is banging!!! And I’m so excited for Ariana Grande’s 7th album!
J: I’m listening to a lot of disco at Scandinavian electropop at the moment.
If you could collaborate with any artist, alive or dead, who would it be?
K: I have been an Ariana stan since I was 12 years old, so I’d have to say Ariana
J: I’d say that my collaborators list is more producers, like Rex The Dog or Richard X but I’d LOVE to work with Goldfrapp or Tove Lo though.
What do you find is the most satisfying part of being an artist?
K: I love not having to face the limitation of the English language when I want to express myself. I don’t really care about being an artist per se, I just love that I can create art.
J: Being an artist is necessary to my existence as a human. I don’t know any other way to be.
What is the biggest challenge you find in today’s music industry?
K: Being able to make and upload music has become so accessible, which is fantastic in a way, but the competition is so much greater and so being heard/promoting your music is a much bigger challenge than it used to be.
What’s upcoming for the project?
We have another album in the works! Hopefully it will be released sometime this year.
