Start Listening To: Cusk

The bourgeoning London duo talk insulting complements, unexpected influences, and songwriting philosophies following the release of their debut EP, Cusk.

In their debut self-titled EP, Cusk always sound like they’re fighting an invisible opponent whose greatest insult is not even trying; sometimes the opponent is left shadowboxed and at others sparsely triumphant, but a hellbent artifact of Cusk’s attempt to win is always left behind. And even then, their partnered resolve sounds like they’re more so trying to outlast the surge for the length of the song rather than wrangle it into quietude forever - and at least make something gorgeous out of it in the process.

Lead single ‘Blue Tac Piano’, for instance, is perhaps the dearest anomaly on the tracklist and moment of ‘triumphant loss’. The dimorphous folk-rock ballad strains forward with a slow-trolling caution, steeling itself to kindle through greying memories of a confusing past partner; and even once she commits herself, the acoustic-vocals register remain sparse and throaty as the top-end spasms with a vortexed thrill of Evie’s piano and sheep’s-cry violin. ‘Pay me in art I said/Because you can’t pay me in sex/And you can’t pay me in time/And you only wasted mine’, Esme pushes out in her milky, bruised voice - still fighting on her own side, but ultimately agitating her mangled memories toward a crux with ‘If you love me/Please/Please’ and giving up far more readily than she started.

Still, for all of its long-suffering ferocity - sometimes so blinding it sounds like they’re wincing against a blinding upper-brow headache - there is something respectably stubborn and long-living about ‘Blue Tac Piano’ and the rest of the tracks that follow. Below, Esme and Evie tell Still Listening about putting out their first EP after playing at The Windmill since 2024, how each individual’s music taste pours into their work, and more.

Your work feels unusually morose and delicate at the same time; how do you achieve these gloomy textures without them entirely dominating the music? Does the balance arise naturally, or is it something you intentionally keep in mind while producing/polishing?

It feels natural, the record captures a certain mood but we sometimes like to change that mood when we play live. Writing and playing with violin gives us the chance to explore softer sounds, both our voices are quite different too and gives so much more to play with.

What is the most obvious way that your personal styles/creative preferences differ from each other, and how do you more so embrace that difference - or at least reconcile it?

We both have eclectic music tastes and we’re constantly introducing new things to one another, we’re always so excited to try out the other’s ideas too. Brings another element to the music that we couldn’t do on our own.

What is the most insulting compliment somebody could give your music?

When someone says that you have a nice voice.

What is a genre that you draw from that might not directly show in your music/be instantly legible to the average listener?

Esme listened to a lot of blues as a teenager, maybe that has got in there. Evie plays a lot of trad / folk and that tends to inform the way she writes melodic lines, that then inspires some of Esme’s vocal lines.

What is a style, sound, or structure that you want to try out, but are perhaps a bit intimidated by - if there are any? (’None’ is an appropriate answer here.)

Evie really wants to get a techno track in there some day..

What is a sonic ideal that you feel you’re still pursuing/don’t feel as though you’ve fully reached yet?

We tend not to think too much on what we’re lacking. We’d love to get more of a live sound on the next record, and make it all in one go.

Do you hold any of your influences in such high regard that you have to be careful not to over-emulate them?

Definitely not, we’re super proud to be so inspired by so many people.

What singular aspect of your music do you think sets you apart most from other rock-oriented bands currently in the UK?

We’re ok not being set apart, we want to be up there alongside some of our favourite rock bands.

photography by: Sophie vroom