Get To Know: MEZKO

Although our Tenth Birthday celebrations are an opportunity to look back and reflect on our insane past, it's also a chance to look forward to the future of Purple Sneakers and the music we feel will be pioneered across the world very soon.

We have a number of emerging acts on the Tenth Birthday bill, and in the lead-up to the party we're going to get you all acquainted with the new sounds we love. So welcome to our first 'Get To Know' of the series, with Sydney duo, MEZKO.

MEZKO combine elements of dream pop, electronica and shoegaze, creating a melodic, melancholic, spacey soundscape to get wrapped up in. Organic and electronic elements mould together for cohesive and fluid performances. Hence why we're stoked to have them playing at the Lord Gladstone alongside us. Get to know them better below:

Names?

Kat Harley & Laura Bailey: Collectively we play synth, guitar, bass, sing and produce.

Where are you from?

Kat: Queanbeyan

Laura: Fremantle

We found each other in Sydney.

What's your story?

We are two very different, but complementary people who found each other by accident, clicked instantly and now practically share a brain. Our initial bond was over an aspiration to create something that brings the experience of electronic and live gigs together.

This would allow us to enjoy playing the instruments we’d be learning since childhood (guitar/bass), as well as explore our more recent interest in synths and production. At first we thought we needed a band to make it happen but later discovered that with just each other, some synths, guitars and a laptop we were much closer to the original sound we’d imagined. Since then, we've released three singles, made two videos and played live a lot.

How would you describe your music?

Eclectic. We’re beginning to become comfortable with letting go of the idea that we have to stick to one genre and work within it. Having an open mind to the type of song we’re writing allows us to get deeper into creating something different and grow.

We’ve both just gone through one of the biggest transitions in our lives, which as they say it’s huge inspiration and it really is. We’re starting to let our lives affect our music a lot more which is actually speeding up the songwriting process. Everything keeps changing very fast so we have to quickly take advantage of each moment.

What are your influences?

A lot of our influences musically are more or less genre-crossing artists that don’t restrict to themselves to a style but have a really distinctive sound. For example, when Bobby Gillespie does soul, you know its him, its the essence of who they are. This is why we allow ourselves cross-genre freedom because whatever we create it still ends up sounding like us whether we like it or not.

Favourite local act?

Going to have to mention a couple, sorry! Buzz Kull is like our brother band, Marc and us have been on a similar journey, he’s not only been the biggest legend on many occasions, he is exceptionally talented, taught us a bunch and has also provided Kat with healing powers that have helped her recently broken hand. Den are incredible, we would say they’re kind of like Total Control but in our opinion, are better. So good live, such good song writing… Would like to also mention Dreems… he’s just left for Berlin evidently but him and everything that’s going on with Multi Culti is painfully eargasmic.

What did you want to be when you grew up when you were 10?

Kat: 10 was the age I started playing guitar. It saved me from becoming an athlete

Laura: Marine Biologist.

What's your latest release?

We are just about to release something new really soon, we’re moving in a very different direction from our 2015 releases but for now this will have to do.

Catch MEZKO alongside a whole plethora of legends at Vivid Presents: Purple Sneakers Tenth Birthday, at the Lord Gladstone, Saturday June 18th. It's FREE but you must RSVP HERE.

Watch this space for more artists we want you to 'Get To Know'.

Words by Tom Hutchins

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MEZKO ‘STEADY ON’