Artist Interview : Twayn

 

Twayn (Twins Hannah and Grace) are a young duo known for their incredible live performances 

who—In my honest opinion— are totally set to take the world by storm! We sat down to discuss family, performing live, their music making process, and more! 

Q: As twins, how does your unique bond shape the energy and chemistry of your live performances?

A: We’ve been through a lot together and every step of this music journey has been done together too, so it is very special indeed. We often say that we couldn’t do this as solo artists as we get a lot out of working together, being able to share the highs and lows and all of the challenges.

Q: Can you tell us about the concept and inspiration behind “Twayn Live!?” How does it differ from your previous releases?

A: Firstly, we did this off the back of a fantastic and very enjoyable festival season in 2024, playing with the band, and it was something we really wanted to keep a record of. Since we loved it so much, we thought that fans would appreciate it too. Some of our favourite albums have such a live-feel, so we were inspired to immortalise our own live set in the same way. We got the band together and hopped back into the studio and we had a blast. You can see some of the fun we had as we recorded it and have put it on our YouTube channel (The Making Of Twayn LIVE!)

Q: What’s the most rewarding part of 

performing live together as twins, and what challenges come with it?

A: Performing live is a very large part of what we’re about as musicians. Apart from family and our producer, we really don’t get feedback from anyone in real-time until we play live, so it’s always great seeing reactions to our music in person. In terms of performing as twins, it’s obviously a lot of fun, but being twins is useful too! There were a few funny moments in festival season last year where we forgot the lyrics or we had some technical difficulties, but our twin telepathy helped us get through it on stage so that (we hope) not too many people noticed. We're so aware of each other and our mannerisms, so we usually don’t need to say what we’re thinking, we just know.  

Q: You have a distinctive sound that blends genres. How do you approach bringing that to life on stage?

A: It’s great that you picked up on that. Performing live does bring challenges as we don’t always have our full band along to perform with us, but that just gives us the opportunity to give a pared back version sometimes and we think that the audience appreciates us giving them something a bit unique in that respect. For some of our upcoming music, we are looking at using backing tracks to give that bigger sound when it’s needed, but we much prefer ‘live’ meaning ‘live’ whenever possible. Our harmonies and vocal layers are what connects the different genres of our music, and that’s always at the forefront of our set, whether it’s a fuller sound with the whole band, or just the two of us.

Q: Are there any memorable gigs or live shows that stand out to you, and why?

A: So, two really stand out for us. In 2022, we had the opportunity to fly to Nashville and perform at the iconic Exit/In (where legends like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Etta James, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson have performed). It’s been a central part of the Nashville music scene for over 50 years, and we were lucky enough to get to perform there when we were finalists in the Liverpool International Songwriting Competition (Road to Nashville) in 2022. We came 2nd out of over 22,000 entries and took a week out of school to compete. It gave us our first real taste of what the industry is about, and we loved it! The City was alive with the sound of music everywhere, and hanging out with the other musicians made us feel that we had really met our people; it was the best feeling in the world.

The other gig we would highlight, was getting to support Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in our hometown last December. We had been trying to support him for ages and when we finally heard that we had been chosen, we were on such a high. We love Newcastle’s City Hall and visiting it has been a big part of our lives. It is such a lovely venue and is run by a great team. To leap from smaller shows to a venue of over 2,000 was a major step up for us. On the night, the audience was great and really very supportive of our music, for which we were very grateful. 

Q: How do you each prepare for a performance? Do you have any pre-show rituals as twins?

A: There’s no real short cut and we certainly rehearse, rehearse, rehearse and take time to warm up our vocals, using a vocal steamer when needed. Winter gigs are always a bit more stressful as we try to swerve any of the bugs that are going around. In terms of rituals, we do have a pre-show handshake that we do before going on stage. It gives us a chance to take a breath, make eye contact and get into the moment.

Q: Your live sets are known for being full of energy and connection. How do you maintain that dynamic on stage?

A: Not sure we have a secret to this one! We are just us so perhaps we’d say we just stay authentic to who we are - we are full-energy people so we’re glad it’s coming across that way.

Q: Looking back at your discography, how do you see your sound evolving with each release?

A:You might have seen on our social media that we’ve just had a week back in the studio and the biggest compliment is when Josh (our producer) reacts to the new tracks we take in to him as demos. We value his opinion a lot and, when he talks about how much our music has evolved in the years we have known him, we are very flattered and encouraged. We aren’t sure that we have a specific new direction, although we do feel we’re leaning more into upbeat pop and even pop/rock as of late, but then we also just recorded a track which Josh refers to as ‘classic Twayn’ which is more stripped back, with just vocal and piano. Whatever we record, you can be sure that harmonies remain central to all that we do.

Q: Do you feel your twin dynamic helps you push each other creatively, especially when working on new music?

A: There’s certainly an element of being able to be very honest with each other which would be much more tricky if we weren’t family. Sometimes, we don’t even need to say anything as a look or an eye raise can be enough to send that message over. Hannah acts as the editor to a lot of the new writing, and she is always very honest about what should and shouldn’t be kept - but it keeps the music evolving and we’re always pushing each other to be better musicians.

 Q: When creating new material, do you draw inspiration from your live shows and the energy of your audience?

A: For last summer’s festival seasons (2024), we did write material especially to get the audience bopping along. More generally, we make a point of tuning in to what we got good feedback on, for example, "Boarding Pass" does always seem to go down very well. We think it’s because most people can relate to the lyrics, and it really shows off our vocals, which is a massive part of our live set and our brand as twins. More broadly, though, we just write what comes naturally, and if the fans like it, that’s great, but we don’t write specifically to please any audience. That would be a very slippery slope! 

Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your experiences performing live so far?

A: Hmm, probably that preparation is everything as sometimes changeovers can be very short indeed, particularly if the act before has run over, so you need to help each other and know where you keep everything that you might need. Along with that, I’d say that things will inevitably go wrong in that environment, and that’s where you learn your craft as a performer as you overcome things however you can. With each live performance, it makes you a bit calmer for the next time.  

Q: How does it feel to see your songs come to life in front of an audience, especially as twins sharing that moment together?

A: It is THE BEST feeling in the world. Thinking back to the gig at the City Hall, we got everyone to put their torches on and that’s when we got the first sense of just how many people were in the room. We didn’t realise it would be like that but, up until then, the room just felt a sea of darkness, so when they put torches on and we saw 2,000 twinkling lights, we understood the significance of the venue and the step up to performing in front of this many in the audience. It made us both very emotional on stage and we shared a look of pride at the time.

Q: What’s next for you in terms of releases? Can fans expect more singles, an EP, or perhaps an album?

A: Not quite sure what we can say here, but we’ve been back in the studio so you can be sure that there are things coming and we’re always working on new music! We’re certainly very excited for the rest of 2025, that’s for sure. We have a new single coming out this month that we’ve started to tease on social media so we’re very hyped to debut the track in festival season this year.

Q: You’ve mentioned that your music is a reflection of both of you. How do you ensure that your live shows also feel authentic and true to who you are?

A: You’re right, our music is very personal to us. We spend so much time making the writing, production, and release plans the best standard possible, so our live performances are no different. We make sure to introduce each song to give the audience an idea of what to expect and how we were feeling when we were writing it. We also try to make our live sets flow, with a mixture of our upbeat and slower material, but it’s definitely something that we’re learning along the way.

Q: Finally, what do you hope audiences feel or take away after experiencing your music, both live and on record?

A: Well, we hope they feel seen and represented in some way; that’s why we write, to make others feel less alone. Our music is so eclectic, from tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic funk, to emotional ballads, so there really is something for everyone.  

 

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Disclaimer: All links and photos are property of Twayn and their team and used under permission! This interview is property oc TunezandTrendz  and may not be distributed for money or used without permission of Tori!