Two Lions are Chris and Kara Mallory. Recently married, Chris and Kara fell in love to their own soundtrack of acoustic guitar, banjo-mandolin, ukelele and vocal harmony.
Fans of Two Lions have been waiting with bated breath for the launch of their debut EP since taking home the Song of the Year award for Heading Home in the 2014 NCEIA Dolphin Awards.
Chris spoke with Seven about Two Lions.
Tell me what you set out to achieve with your new EP.
Kara and I have been collaborating as songwriters for the past few years. We felt like we had five strong songs and we wanted to create some high-quality recordings of them.
How do you feel about the end result? Where did you record? What sort of feel did you go for?
After doing a lot of research we decided to record with Jordan Power, a prolific and very talented local producer/engineer.
We knew we wanted to have bass and drums and a ‘full sounding, indie folk’ recording, but as typical singer/songwriters we didn’t have much of an idea of how to achieve that. With Jordan’s guidance, we crafted a deceptively simple yet full sound using bass drums, mandolins, ukulele, cello, violin horns and vocal harmony.
We are both incredibly happy with the result and are very excited to finally share the recorded songs with our friends, family and local community.
You are a husband-and-wife duo. Tell me a little about how you two came to be playing and living together. Which came first?
Kara and I started seeing each other soon after we finished studying music at the Gold Coast (I did a Bachelor of Popular Music and Kara did Education with a Music specialisation). I used to gig around a fair bit as a solo musician and after Kara moved in with me, it was very natural for us to start performing together; it was like an extension of our relationship and growing love for each other in a way.
How does this affect the way you make music and the stories that you tell?
After a while, we ended up quitting our jobs and travelling around Australia, playing at music festivals and anywhere that would have us. When you live together in a van for more than a year, you get to know each other pretty well. I feel that that has helped our collaborations to be more honest and open.
Is it possible to be as honest in your songwriting when your partner is part of the process?
We have had a lot of shared experiences in recent years seeing some amazing places with our travels. Because of this we can create two perspectives of the one event and mash them together in a song. That is kind of what happened with Heading Home. Kara and I are both pretty open and honest with each other in our relationship; I guess this makes it easier to collaborate.
How has your musical relationship been strengthened by your personal relationship?
I find the music industry to be challenging and sometimes lonely. It as been very helpful for me over the past few years to have someone who you care for deeply share in a passion for creating music and sharing it with others.
How do you want people to be affected by your music?
We feel that our music is very much centred around our close harmony melodies and the lyrics. We would hope that people enjoy our shared love of singing and writing.
What should we expect for your launch at The Court House?
We have what we hope to be a pretty exciting event lined up that draws on the local musical community.
We have the fabulous and ever-lovable Miss Amber and Stukulele playing; my wife’s all-girl trio Sheoak, and our local choir that we sing with, The Grail Singers. We also have a full band performing with us with talented and seasoned local musicians. We sincerely hope it will be a night to remember.
Saturday at The Court House Hotel,Mullumbimby. Tix: Earlybird $15 (+bf), Door $20. Available from www.kupromotions.com.au/?p=1550. Doors: 7.30 pm
