Sussex duo Outline offer debut EP

Brighton-based duo Outline are promoting their debut EP with a video now out for the lead single Citrus.
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Outline

Stan and Macy first collaborated when they were 12, formed their partnership two years later and have been writing, performing, producing and recording original songs ever since.

“We met at primary school and then we sat next to each other in year seven,” Macy says.

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“We got talking and we both knew that we had an interest in music and working in music.

“Stan had been producing and writing stuff from when he was about nine.

“We were about 11 or 12 when we started becoming friends properly, and I was doing some writing and singing with my dad. And then we became closer friends. At one point Stan asked me if I wanted to collaborate on a Taylor Swift cover that he was doing. We did that and then we did some original stuff together. We were both playing leads in our school play when we were 13 and we got to work together and do some harmonising.”

At the age of 14, they became Outline: “Ever since we have been writing and gigging whenever we can.

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“Initially with the name Outline we were thinking of working with a lot of silhouettes and shadows and playing with the idea of identity, but we realised that we wanted to show our faces!

“It would have been an interesting concept, but it didn’t really work.”

But the chemistry between them works: “I would say it is a mixture of differences and similarities.

“There are lots of things about me and him that are quite similar. We are both quite sensitive people. We think a lot about our emotions. We are also both curious people that get inspired by the things around us. And we both have a similar sense of humour which is a huge part of our friendship.

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“But it is our differences and similarities which help. We are both on the same page when we are working on a song. And it is really beneficial to be working with a great singer and songwriter who is also a great producer. That’s really cool.”

As for the debut EP, as Stan says, technically it has been formed over the past couple of years: “We have been writing songs and producing songs, and we wanted to take our time to produce something that represents our sound and the things we want to explore. The songs cover the breadth of our sound.

“We like to label it alternative pop. The melodies and the lyrics are quite poppy, but calling it alternative pop allows us to step outside our comfort zone. We quite like to explore dark atmospheric moods as well as some of the lighter moods.”

They are both currently on a gap year. Macy is applying to drama schools while Stan is hoping to study neuroscience at the University of Manchester.

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Last year was supposed to be their last year of school, but sadly the pandemic put paid to that: “We didn’t get to finish it but we Facetimed every day to work on the songs we were doing.”

And they are keen to keep the duo going once they go their separate ways.

“I am going to set up a studio at uni,” Stan says, “and we are going to try to keep going. I will have a lot of work, but we are both passionate about what we do.

“We are both very motivated by it and we really have faith in what we do.”

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