HEAD BALLET
Following the release of their latest track Swimming Pool, London-based Manchester-conceived musical duo HEAD BALLET - Danny Casio and Kiera Court - tell us about getting their start during the pandemic, the origins of their name and the eclectic variety of music they’re currently listening to.
How did you meet?
Kiera: We met through friends - we started writing together and it just sort of clicked!
Danny: Yeah, we met through a friend around the time the pandemic was kicking off. I was living in Manchester at the time, and invited Kiera to move in with me so we could start this band and just go for it. Our whole relationship has been formed from this project, really. It was a unique way to start a band, being locked in together every day!
Were you both working as musicians prior to meeting?
Danny: My day-to-day job is producing for other artists. I knew Kiera had been posting some things online, which was why I wanted to work with her - her voice is amazing, obviously!
Did you come out of the pandemic with a body of work ready to go?
Kiera: Yeah, because there was so much time we were lucky to be able to experiment with sounds and see what worked and what didn’t personally for us - there was a lot of freedom that we were quite fortunate to have in the most unfortunate circumstances.
What does your name mean, and who chose it?
Danny: It comes from a song by Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, called Music For The Head Ballet. We’ve got a friend called Rick, and he kind of had that name in his back pocket-
Kiera: For a rainy day or a pandemic!
Danny: Exactly! So when we were discussing starting this project he said “I’ve always thought this would be a great name for a band”, so we were like “Oh, we’ll take that, thank you!”. It just immediately clicked with both of us.
Kiera: We both felt it kind of describes how music goes on in your brain a bit.
Do you have set roles in the band at all?
Danny: The making of the music is a very mutual experience. I’d say nine times out of ten Kiera comes up with a great concept that’s very grounded in her life, and normally I’ll be heavily involved in the production side. But it does intertwine and mingle quite a bit, and I don’t think either of us is precious about our roles.
Kiera: There are no hard limits on how we go about writing - each song is always very different anyway, how it comes about.
Are you still based in Manchester?
Danny: No, we’re in London now. I’m originally from Chorley in Lancashire.
Kiera: And I’m from Chelmsford in Essex.
How long have you been in London?
Kiera: Me, personally, I’ve been in London for about seven years, probably longer-
Danny: With the brief hiatus in Manchester. I moved down as soon as I could - I’ve been here a couple of years, but yeah, I was based in Manchester largely.
When did both of you realise you wanted to be musicians?
Kiera: I know I always liked music, and when I was a kid I wanted to learn how to play guitar because I was really into bands like Green Day and wanted to play their songs. And I always liked writing, but it never really occurred to me that I could write a song until I actually tried! It sort of just spiralled from that, as a thing that I would do frequently because I enjoyed it.
Danny: It’s a similar thing for me. Music was the only thing that stuck with me as a child - I tried a lot of different things before picking up a guitar. In secondary school I was in a few bands and was writing songs, and from there I became interested in the arrangement and production aspects of it. We’d go to these local studios and I’d be stood behind the producer watching what he was doing, absolutely fascinated. I knew after that it was where I wanted to take my life. I can’t believe how focused I was actually, I don’t feel as focused now!
What are you both listening to at the moment?
Danny: Kiera, do you want to answer that while I scan my Spotify?
Kiera: Off the top of my head I like Japanese Breakfast, St Vincent - alternative female vocals with interesting music behind, I guess is where I draw inspiration from and gravitate to. La Femme, as well, which is quite psychedelic French music, quite fun!
Danny: I actually really like this artist called Rodriguez who died recently - he had no idea he was absolutely massive in South Africa! I’ve been basically paying tribute to him and listening to a lot of his music. We love Talking Heads, The Beatles… I’m also listening a lot to the new Olivia Rodrigo song - it’s weird because it sounds a lot like Wet Leg, in my opinion. She’s this huge popstar making, like, weird alternative music, and I think that’s such a cool way to push pop.
What do you have planned for the rest of the year?
Kiera: We’re just working on new stuff, we have a lot of new music that we’re really excited about. We don’t have any live dates yet, but that will change.
Danny: I can’t wait to play all these new songs live. I’m quite happy to be rolling out this new batch of songs and see what people think, then get people in live.
Will these be an EP at the end?
Danny: I think so.
Kiera: Yes, it may turn out that way!
Danny: We’re going to give each of the songs their own little moment in the spotlight.
Words: Scott Bates