Pandr Eyez

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Just when we thought pop music had got dull, 2012 came along and offered us an palatable buffet of all the things the genre had to offer, and then some. One group fulfilling our pop hunger is Pandr Eyez. A singer-producer duo based in London, the music they make is just what the stomach grumbles ordered: slick production, classic R&B vocals and a knack for creating that catchy hook. They make the kind of music that calls as much for wild, sweat-gland stimulating gyrations as it does nonchalant humming and steady head-bopping.

But despite their recent successes, there seems to be more at stake – at least in the fictional world anyway. Our interview with Tom and Ferren unexpectedly took comic book trajectory. Imagine if the pop world was Gotham City; we asked the pair about their stance on music education for ageing population, who they’d name as the artistic equivalent to Batman and if there was a chance they’d abandon music vigilantism in the quest for big, bad chart domination. They gave us some responses that bode well, morally and musically, for the wider world.

For those who don’t know, who are Pandr Eyez and how would you describe your sound to say, someone’s cool-but-not-so-in-the-loop grandma?

First we would thank this cool grandma for her willingness to learn about our music. We guess you could probably categorise us as pop. One might even say (to an out-of-the-loop grandmother) it’s experimental pop…

You released a great EP last year Eyes on You. Now a year later, with fresh buzz, how do you feel about that EP today?

Thanks! We still feel really good about the Eyes on You EP. It was the right body of work to introduce ourselves and show where we were musically at that time.

…and will your next release continue in the same trajectory?

In terms of the next release, we just want to make whatever we’re feeling at a given time, so there isn’t necessarily a set trajectory apart from trying to let our sound evolve.

Speaking of buzz, you’re bound to get some comparisons with a certain other boy-girl electro- R&B duo – AlunaGeorge. How do you feel about this? To those who may lumber you in the same group for perhaps shallow reasons, how would say you substantially differ from those guys?

We’re musically and stylistically quite different bands. Their style of singing, production, visuals, etc. is just different from what we do. People are always going to make comparisons in music, but our similarities with them are mostly superficial.

Your latest single ‘Again and Again’, sounds very much inspired by the 80s – from the shimmery synths and hip-hop samples. Is this a decade that influences you greatly?

Maybe so, now that you mention it! A lot of great music happened in the 80s and we both admire quite a few artists from that time. Golden-age hip hop has factored in as an influence in a couple of our songs, for sure. But we draw upon lots of different influences for different tracks so there isn’t necessarily any one era that inspires us most.

Ferren, who would you say is your number one vocal influence and similarly Tom’s producer-hero?

Ferren: That’s really difficult because there are SO many singers I love – Sade, Aaliyah, Robyn, etc… I guess if I had to pick one, I always felt like I naturally have similar power and range to Aaliyah. One thing I had to learn was how to find my own voice and not be too influenced by other singers. When you sing other people’s songs, you tend to sing like them – writing your own music helps a lot with that.

Tom: I don’t really have a single producer hero. It’s more like a team of producer-heroes like the Super Friends or maybe the kids from Captain Planet. They would include people like Timbaland, El-P, Giorgio Moroder and Kanye West all in a room together or stopping pollution with their rings. I hope they all get along with one another.

Aside from other music, what things indirectly influence your craft?

We’re both into art and design. We have similar taste in that we like bold and bright things. Like hot pink shoes and wearing 50 gold chains, or something. That definitely comes through in our music at times.

Though clever, your music sounds really accessible. Do you have any plans for chart domination!?

That’s really good to hear, thanks! Right now we’re focused on making the best songs we can, whatever that ends up being. Sometimes we think our songs are a little out there, so we’re definitely not actively planning chart domination. We sure as hell wouldn’t turn it down, though!

How would you like to represent Pandr Eyez from an image standpoint – in terms of music videos, album art and the like?

Bold, bright, fun. We love colour and patterns. We just want to keep it interesting!

You’ve been on the road and still have some shows coming up. Describe to us a classic Pandr Eyez set?

We like to tweak the live versions of our songs a little so they’re not just the same as the recorded versions. Then there’s a cover version or two to (hopefully!) get the crowd singing along. Often Ferren likes to sip wine. These are key elements to a classic
Pandr Eyez set.

What are your current plans for a full-length album?

It’s going to happen, and it’s likely to be our next step. We’re focused on our singles right now, but we’re always writing new material and will likely direct our attention to that in the New Year.

Finally, can you describe Pandr Eyez in 5 words or less please!

That shit cray.

Make sure to catch Pandr Eyez at the following live dates:

31 Oct – The Victoria Dalston, London
28 Nov – Shacklewell Arms, London