Words by Java Katzur and Liam Stretch

Nat pictured on the left and Minnie on the right.

Despite being the same year at high school and having similar friends, Minnie and Nat never actually met until one night at a mutual friend's birthday party. Angus Murray’s shindig to be exact – now the drummer for 'There's A Tuesday' – is to thank for the two of them meeting. They sat on the sofa and talked about music for hours, then decided to jam together the following week.

"I remember bussing out to Sumner Beach regretting my decision once having the realisation that it could actually be quite awkward to be alone singing songs with a girl I barely knew. When I got there, I was shocked to see how similar our minds were. We ended up staying on the beach for about four hours writing our first original together and laughing," Nat says.

From then on, they've been the best of mates.

Both Nat and Minnie started playing instruments at a young age. Their parents encouraged their love for both playing and listening to music. "I played the violin for a bit which was an incredibly awful experience for anyone listening, and I believe Nat may have had a slightly more successful time on the clarinet where she sat a few grades. We eventually both found a love for playing the guitar and singing along with it, and that has stuck," Min says.

Minnie grew up in a very musical family; her mum has sung in choirs and solo as well as playing the guitar and piano. And her dad plays the bass and dabbles in some vocals as well. Her siblings are also all musical is some way, brother Walt is the lead singer for a Christchurch-based band, The Butlers. "Walt has been a big inspiration to me and has helped me out a lot over the years, teaching me things on guitar and many other handy tips to know. As a family, we've always loved music, whether that has been through listening or playing, and I think that has definitely had a big influence on my musical sound!" Min says.

Inspired by artists such as Julia Jacklin, and Tiny Ruins, Nat and Minnie say they feel lucky there are so many songstresses making beautiful and honest music for them to feel inspired.

"Women like Julia, we think, are talking about the right things and creating music that is relevant, real and important in the strange times in which we live. The current emergence of indie feminist-driven music is so inspiring to us, and we are so honoured to be led by women who have paved the way for young, passionate musicians like ourselves. It really makes us want to keep writing and learning," Min says. The pair write and create the music individually. Minnie wrote 'Pinata Head', and Nat wrote 'Sound Of The Stars'. But they work together bringing musical ideas, harmonies, and lyrics to each other's songs; they eventually became shared compositions.

"After we met a few years ago, we quickly found that our styles were extremely similar. We did Rockquest, which was one of the things that really got us into music, it was so much fun. During the process, we learnt even more about each other's writing process and what music means to us," Min says.

Their latest single 'Sound Of The Stars' came out on March 27 and has had an overwhelmingly positive response. The original idea came from Nat's admiration for the cosmos; she is captivated by the stars, the moon, and everything in between.

"Some of my first memories are of me sitting on my dad's shoulders on our front lawn looking up at the stars in awe. Because of this, I wanted to write a song about stars! This was my original idea, but it slowly came a bit more than that," Nat says.

The song is now much more than this; it centres around the theme of appreciating those people who you can sit in silence with without it being awkward and spending less time with those who you can’t do this with. For Nat and Minnie, it's about taking the time to realise the good in the world. "It highlights the importance of healthy relationships and great people who help to create an overwhelming sense of happiness," Nat says.

Nat purchased a new guitar pedal the day before they started writing the song. This aided the 'sparkly' melody that 'Sound Of The Stars' contains. They worked together with producer Ryan Fisherman on the track 'Sound Of The Stars'; the process was very laid back for the pair. "After recording the song like how we usually perform it, Ryan then helped us to put in all these little fun things such as extra vocal parts that really added to the song – and cool wee atmospheric sounds. He was so patient with Minnie's and my silliness," Nat says.

They are gaining inspiration from a lot of things, two of which being people and experiences. The pair try not to take themselves seriously. They want to spread important messages in a less serious way. "Our song 'Pinata Head' demonstrates that perfectly. Really the song is about overthinking and allowing yourself to believe that you know what others are thinking, but here we are, using the theme of a birthday party," Nat says.

Nat and Minnie have opened for some talented musicians such as The Butlers, Yumi Zouma, and Bronte Eve. Currently isolating separately in their homes in Christchurch, it's probably a given that these two are brooding over some lyrics. The future is bold and bright for this dynamic duo.

Best friends in life and music