Tell us about your music. How did you develop your sound?

We usually develop our sound by rummaging through mountains of discarded ideas that we have recorded, grabbing something and building a track on top of it. It's a really rewarding way to write as it feels like remixing. Plus, by recycling audio it has to reduce our carbon footprint or something. Is that how it works? We love the feeling of finishing a song when it feels a little unrecognisable, like we didn't write it. But we did, we promise.

What’s your greatest source of inspiration for making music? 

Luke: This is going to sound like I'm an asshole but honestly I'm inspired by anything that paints a picture – films, music, stories of any kind (dogs too!). I get super excited when something moves and surprises me, especially dogs. When I was around 13 years old I started learning guitar, listening to punk and watching Stanley Kubrick movies. From there I started to write music. Years later I listened to J-Dilla's 'Doughnuts' and around the same time, Animal Collective's 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' and got obsessed with some other film directors and composers. The cycle continues.

Mel: I'm the same as Luke (but with a touch more Beach House). For me, it's also a solitary environment of books and chips. 

What can punters expect from a Holiday Party live show?

Luke: Panic! No, not really (probably). Because we write mostly at our respective homes and on computers, we have been working hard to make the live show something we can 'play'. So it's all stand-alone samplers, keys and real instruments on stage. No computers anywhere. Not because we are against them but because I have a phobia of using a computer in front of a crowd in case something goes wrong. Scott Bromiley (who co-wrote 'I'm Still Here' with us) and the incredible Pete Bernoth are helping us play these songs on stage and it's really fun. The songs sound different every time we play them and in a good way, hopefully.

Mel: The live set features three bearded angels on a sample rig, a spot of dancing and hopefully a lot of good times. BIGSOUND will be our 2nd and 3rd EVER shows, so it'll all be very new for us.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?

Luke: I've had the privilege of working with Robert Forster for a while now and he is full of amazing advice on any given day. It's all incredible. It's hard to choose a quote from him, but a big one that stuck with me was when he said that a vocal take is about 70% of a song which is so true. It's super easy to get caught up on what tambourine goes where and how many double-tracked guitars should go in a chorus but it all kinda means nothing if the vocal isn't working. I'm sure there are even better ones than that. I'll write back when I remember.

Mel: I can't remember who said this to me, but it was great advice. It was essentially, "don't be held hostage by what other people think, concentrate on making music that you want to hear and want to play". Also, anything that Patti Smith says, goes! 

What Australian track would you play to cheer up someone who was crying?

Mel: Depending on the situation: 'Sophisticated Lover' by Donne Benét (with film clip), 'Anxiety' by Eddy Current Suppression Ring, 'Miracle' by Kimbra, 'Friday on My Mind' by Easybeats.

Luke: What Mel said, but also 'Enter Space Capsule' by Gerling.

What Australian track would you play to someone to make them cry?

Mel: 'The boy's story of his faithful family dog' by Grand Salvo.  

Luke: 'Clouds' by The Go-Betweens.  

You’re the DJ at a party. The dance floor is pumping. What Australian track do you put on next?

Mel: 'Hallucinate' by GL.

Luke: 'Yuwa' by Fishing.

What was the last local gig you went to? How was it?

Luke: I guess it was our first gig at the Foundry. We played with GL, Hatchie and Party Dozen. We were on first. Everyone was amazing. Oh wait, I saw No Zu a couple of nights ago. Gawd damn... that was really good too.

Mel: Ditto! Party Dozen shouting into a saxophone was a particular highlight. 

Tell us about the bands or people in the Brisbane music community that inspire you.

Pool Shop, Major Leagues, Robert Forster, The Go-Betweens, FOREVR, Ultra Material, Emerson Snowe. Pool Shop's new single 'Can You Dream' is a Brisbane shoegaze-pop masterpiece. 

What are your plans for 2017?

Releasing more songs, playing some interstate shows and working on our first album.