Neu WOOZE: “Our sound is evolving much like the evolution tree of the Pokémon Bulbasaur”

“I would say our sound is evolving much like the evolution tree of the Pokémon Bulbasaur. At the time of speaking it resembles the next level, Ivysaur, a fair deal. Perhaps one day we shall see Venusaur,” says Theo Spark - one half of British-Korean duo WOOZE - describing the journey that their enigmatic brand of avant-garde pop has been on since the formation of the project in 2017. Just in case his point is unclear, the duo’s other half, Jamie She, hammers it home: “It’s got bigger, bolder, badder.”

If these quirky cartoon analogies act as an attention-grabbing introduction to WOOZE, it’s the duo’s “bombastic and heavy” soundscape that really sets them apart.

Next month they’ll release second EP ‘Get Me To A Nunnery’ - a wild trip through technicolour synths and eclectic alternative pop - which they’ve been teasing with a steady release of singles. The new project is as frenetic and hyperactive as the duo themselves, but shows a distinct development from 2019’s debut EP ‘what’s on your mind?’, equipped with a new dash of maturity to their sound which the pair attribute to their natural progression as artists and people. “We’ve always been into heavier sounds, it’s just that we hadn’t showcased that in our songwriting before. Especially because the songs we released before were some of the first songs we’d ever written, so we were still figuring things out,” says Theo.

Growing with their music yet staying true to their personalities, WOOZE strike a perfect balance between thoughtful pearls of wisdom and an offbeat sense of humour. It’s evident not only in their artistry, but in their sometimes bizarre, yet always amusing, conversational ticks.

In some moments they’ll delve into their creative processes and lyricism with utmost seriousness. “Some of our lyrics are taken from personal experiences and others are plucked out of the air,” says Jamie. “For instance, the track ‘Family Picture’ may seem personal and quaint, but it can also be imagined as a scenario of being trapped in a painting and wanting to be immortalised with someone in it.” At other points, however, they’ll merrily go off on tangents, supplying charming anecdotes of memorable moments such as “once meeting Dame Judi Dench in the toilets of a restaurant”.

Eccentric and enamoring in equal parts, WOOZE have been steadily growing across the London live circuit after meeting and bonding over their passion for creativity at art school. Kindred spirits, the pair have always been inspired by each other and others around them.

And while their debut EP laid solid groundwork, the heavier sound WOOZE are bringing in on their upcoming second is only set to cement that idea.