Neu Get To Know… Dolder
The North East twins crafting big-hearted tunes.
Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.
No, you’re not seeing double (well, sort of…): meet twin sister duo Dolder. In the just under 12 months since their debut release, the Newcastle-based pair have packed out festival rooms, played their first tour across the UK, and are now gearing up for the release of their second EP, ‘This Is How You See Me Now’. From the quiet heartache of ‘Sleeping Dogs’ to the self-destructive fantasy of ‘Bone Structure’, Dolder’s blend of folk-leaning lyricism and intricate pop melodies creates a soft familiarity to their songwriting – one that, clearly, is already striking a universal chord.
Ahead of the imminent arrival of ‘This Is How You See Me Now’, we caught up with Dani and Zara to talk Take That, mind-reading, CMAT and more…
Describe your music to us in the form of a dating app bio.
Overly sensitive, overly dramatic, always over sharing - but a good time!!
What was the first gig(s) you both ever went to?
The first gig we ever went to was Take That at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland when we were eight years old, back in 2011. Us and our little sister were in love with Take That after our mum went to see The Circus tour in 2009 and brought us the DVD home from the show. Our uncle bought the whole family tickets for Christmas - we were all beside ourselves and spent the gig in our matching ‘I <3 Take That’ hoodies. We were Mark and Jason girls and our sister was OBSESSED with Howard; mum has Gary. No one was fighting over who loved who more. Perfect!
You’re based up in Newcastle, which has had a bit of a musical spotlight on it recently thanks to the Mercury Prize. What’s the local scene like?
There’s a really strong scene in Newcastle and so much talent around! It’s great to be considered a part of it. We loved doing open mics in town - it was a great way to meet new and exciting musicians.
“Twin telepathy is absolutely a real thing — we have the same thoughts ALL the time and are always finishing each other’s sentences or just saying them simultaneously!”
We’ve all heard the tales of identical twins having a psychic connection, but how do you think your twinship affects or informs your musical output? Do you find it easier, or more challenging, to resolve any creative differences that might crop up?
Twin telepathy is absolutely a real thing - we have the same thoughts ALL the time and are always finishing each other’s sentences or just saying them simultaneously! Having this gift in a creative space comes with its pros and cons: a lot of the time we will often have the same ideas, and would prefer to have a third brain in the room to bounce off; or, we love it - we’ve had a lot of the same human experiences growing up, making the writing far easier. We are also the most comfortable with each other so no matter what room we’re in or who we’re writing with, we will always have the safety of each other.
Your upcoming EP, ‘This Is How You See Me Now’, was recorded with producer Oli Deakin. In what ways did you want to evolve your sound from your debut project, and why did he feel like the right person for the job?
For this EP we really wanted our sound to represent the emotion carried by these songs. We used live drums and more electric guitars which added those missing pieces that weren’t present in our debut EP. Oli was amazing throughout this whole process, a pure genius. He highlighted our own musicality and added his own flair to the project which was so integral. Not to mention the fact that we are obsessed with CMAT and the work he’s done with her, so we knew before getting into the room together that it was going to be a great fit!!
What are your party tricks?
Twin telepathy, and playing Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano.
Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you making?
We like to take pride in the fact that we think we make the BEST scrambled eggs in the world, so we’d likely have breakfast for dinner and go for some classic eggs on bagels, followed by a Dolder delicacy - Chocolate Biscuit Cake. Honestly, it is the greatest creation known to man; if you know you know. It’s kind of like tiffin, but it’s incomparable to anything you’ve ever had.
‘This Is How You See Me Now’ is out on 3rd July via EMI.
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