Moist Leg, the British indie rock group helmed by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, are having fun with the quiet earlier than the storm—4 consecutive nights of reveals throughout New York Metropolis—in entrance of the fireside of their Williamsburg lodge. Final evening, they attended an LCD Soundsystem live performance collectively, however on this December morning they’ve traded their guitars for yarn as Teasdale knits and Chambers crochets, each newly acquired abilities. “It’s actually meditative,” says Chambers. “Nicely, will probably be after I know what I’m doing.”
The quaint scene is kind of a departure from their hectic 12 months. Simply final week, Moist Leg picked up 4 Brit Award nominations (tied with Harry Types) along with the 5 Grammy nominations, together with finest new artist and finest various album, already beneath their belt. They opened for Florence and the Machine, and wrapped their very own North American and European excursions in help of their Mercury Prize–nominated self-titled debut, launched in April. Rolling Stone even referred to as them “The Buzziest New Band of the 12 months,” and it’s simple to see why. Deep within the resurgence of sad-girl pop and an inflow of post-pandemic albums written about our collective doom, Teasdale and Chambers provide good old school enjoyable. Their first single, “Chaise Lounge,” is, merely put, very foolish. The hypnotic repetition of lyrics like “I acquired the massive D” and a Imply Ladies reference (“Is your muffin buttered? / Would you want us to assign somebody to butter your muffin?”) let you know all it’s essential find out about their humorousness. “We made these songs for ourselves,” says Teasdale. “It’s simply us indulging in our inside jokes,” Chambers says of their songwriting course of. Which now, with songs so catchy, they’ve allow us to all in on.
Final Might, Harry Types, who will compete towards them for album of the 12 months on the Brit Awards, lined their cheeky single, “Moist Dream,” on the BBC Radio 1 Stay Lounge. Now, on the finish of this month, Moist Leg will open for Types for 3 nights in Los Angeles earlier than becoming a member of him on the European and Australian legs of his ongoing Love on Tour. After I point out touring with Types, Chambers and Teasdale get a bit squirmy. “It’s simply such a humorous sentence,” Chambers says with an air of disbelief. “I’m a bit nervous as a result of they’re fairly huge venues—scary.” Teasdale chimes in with a couple of reassuring phrases: “That’s subsequent 12 months and now could be now,” she says in a relaxed tone. Although they’ll be spending a lot of the 12 months with one of many world’s most well-known pop stars, they’re but to satisfy him. “He’s very busy,” Chambers politely remarks.
Sitting throughout from Teasdale, 29, and Chambers, 28, it’s not laborious to inform they’re finest mates. “Music is such a susceptible place to place your self in,” says Chambers. “So to attempt to do it with somebody that isn’t your form of particular person. It’s in all probability not going to go very nicely.” Teasdale provides, “It gained’t be enjoyable.” Their personalities complement one another in a method that solely these of finest mates turned collaborators can, a lot in order that they discover themselves ending one another’s sentences all through our dialog. Chambers is ethereal, talking quietly, with tousled blonde hair, carrying a dainty lace shirt, her knuckles lined in jewellery she made herself (“Hester is an elf in a jewellery workshop,” says Teasdale). Teasdale is equally as poised, with contrasting lengthy brown hair and a glowing smile, however with an edge that balances the 2 out, carrying a distressed Buffy the Vampire Slayer shirt and mismatched socks. The pair are kind of like Enid and Wednesday Addams, in the event that they grew up within the UK.
They first met as youngsters finding out music at Isle of Wight Faculty. “I simply thought you had been so cool,” Chambers says to Teasdale. “And I used to be similar to not cool.” However Teasdale interjects, “That’s simply not the truth in any respect.” After faculty, Teasdale was taking part in small gigs as a solo act and got here offstage “hysterically crying” one evening. “I feel that’s after I realized I didn’t need to do it alone,” says Teasdale. “I used to be like, ‘Hester, I’m actually scared, please gained’t you come and do these reveals with me?’” Chambers admits that it was “actually cool and actually terrifying” when she requested her. They continued taking part in gigs and small festivals, principally as a way to get in free of charge, they admit. Ultimately they formally determined to turn out to be a band. “The foundations had been there ain’t no guidelines,” says Chambers with a smile. “One other rule was ‘so long as it’s enjoyable.’ And in addition ‘don’t be scared,’” says Teasdale. “Really feel the concern and do it anyway.”
