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Jess Belgrave, singer/songwriter from Temptress, an Alternative-pop/R&B duo from South London, has recently modeled key pieces from our summer collection.
Collaborating with musicians such as Jess has been a great opportunity for us to work with other creatives. Dream But Do Not Sleep is all about having a good time with good friends listening to great music. We sat down Jess so she could tell us more about Temptress and how it all started.
How and when did Temptress come together?
Vlad and I met at Goldsmiths when we were both playing a show in different bands and liked what each other were doing so decided to try making a track- which was our first single 'lies'.
What or Who has influenced you to write the music you make?
We both come from a production background making electronic music in different forms so have been influenced by a lot of hip hop from Madvillain to Fly Lo to Burial. Vocally we're influenced by a lot of R&B, pop and soul stuff like Aaliyah, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin and Usher.
What is your favourite part of the process when writing and recording?
Our favourite part of the recording process has got to be when your slaving over something and it's not sounding right, keep hammering away at every detail and suddenly seemingly out of nowhere you change something small and it just clicks.
As a duo how does the writing process work?
We write in a very production centric way. We're always writing on the computer and usually Vlad will start making a beat, I will lay down a bass line on the Moog or with a soft synth then build p from there. Then we'll listen to the instrumental a few times to work out what memories or vibes it brings up and write the lyrics/top line.
Temptress have a strong visual identity with a neon 80's vibe. Where do you find your
inspiration and what drew you towards this look?
The neon 80's look was part of the theme of our last single Guilty Pleasure, which was all about a kind of Kitsch, hyerreal yet dystopian world- thinking of films like Bladerunner and Diva we felt the 80's vibe really represented the song well and helped fill in the story.
Your most recent release was late last year. Thinking ahead, what is next or Temptress? / When can we
expect the release of your new single 'What I Want'?
'What I Want' should be out soon! We're just finalising the video which we've collaborated with our friend Caitlin McCarthy (@c8erz) who's adding some sweet animation. The videos shot mostly in Barbados and we're really excited about it. Should be a few weeks now.
What has been the biggest highlight for Temptress so far?
Our biggest highlight has got to be our first show at the Pickle Factory. It's a sick venue with amazing sound plus we had really great lighting. We were buzzing to finally play and was so great to have a totally pack out, sold out room.
When you're not sleeping, What are you dreaming of?
Dreaming of making big tunes and playing big shows!
