What are your names?
Harry and Rick
What is the bands name?
high jump
How did you come up with the bands name?
We liked the idea of having a relatively abstract or interpretative band name – High Jump felt evocative and spoke to the energy and motion we wanted the music to convey. It also went down well among friends, which helped.
What is your genre of music?
We think it lands somewhere along the Dream/Psych-Pop spectrum
Give us a little bio about you.
We’re a production duo from London, UK – we’ve been friends since we were much younger (and in rival school bands…) and finally starting making tunes together earlier this year.
Who are your influences?
Our influences are mainly guitar-driven acts who are able to combine this with sleek modern production – for example the likes of Blood Orange, Washed Out and Jai Paul. We often start the writing process at the guitar or piano, and those ideas are interpreted into full songs in the studio based on what we’re listening to – it all filters through, from Sade to Bruce Hornsby depending on the week.
Are you signed?
incoming
You are set to release your new single ‘CLIIAL’, tell us more about the single and the meaning behind the song.
CLIIAL was one of the first tracks that Harry wrote for the high jump project, and it started life as a pristine, guitar-led tune. CLIIAL stands for ‘Can’t Lose It In A Lifetime’, and lyrically the song found inspiration in the Robin Williams quote: “You’re only given a little spark of madness you mustn’t lose it”. This felt like an appropriate mantra at a time when it’s easy or even tempting to let edges smooth.Musically, we knew that we had set the foundations of a really exciting vibe as soon as Rick reworked the groove and vocal arrangement at the heart of the song, during a jam session over the summer.
Describe the track in two words.
Moody roller
What was the writing and recording process like?
Although the song was initially guitar-based, we produced the beat under influence from electronic contemporaries like the Paul brothers and Caroline Polachek, and enjoyed balancing these two worlds within a finished track that feels intriguing without losing any of the kinetics that define our sound.
Who did you work with on the single?
We had some brilliant collaborators on this: Bobby Holland provided the bass line at the heart of the track, Alex Dunbar and Rob Black provided the backing vocals in the Middle 8, and it was mixed brilliantly by Max Cooke at Snap! Studios.
Will we see an EP or album and if so what can we expect from the creative process?
We’re gearing up towards an EP next summer(ish)!
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Instagram
