Del Osei-Owusu sits down with artists on the FOTN radar and gets them to tell their origin story over a cup of tea and biscuits. This week it’s the turn of FOXFORD and they brought viscounts as per their Irish grandparents.

Hello Michael and Liam, how are you?

Tremendous, gigging as much as we can. Trying to give people a good time when we do.

Congratulations on the release of “Tennessee Whiskey.” How does it feel?

It’s great to record something together, we’ve been planning it for years and it feels good to get something like this out there.

It’s a cover of a song by Chris Stapleton. What made you choose it?

A friend shared the song with me, I love the vocal and so added it into the set — it always seems to land well with the folk we play to. When we play it there’s a really good vibe. I think it’s a song full of longing but hope too. This fits with the stuff Mike has always written, so it slots in nicely we feel. I love Liam’s vocal on this — he delivers it so well — and I enjoy playing the organ parts.

It’s from your EP Heaven Here. What’s your favourite track from it?

For me, it’s the title track. One of Mike’s first compositions, so that makes it a bit special. It’s the first time we’ve collaborated on an original arrangement, so that feels special too. We’re really pleased with how the recording came out, and getting the song right has been a long time coming. It’s great for my brother to get some recognition as a songwriter — he writes beautiful, vulnerable songs and I love that.

What’s your favourite memory of recording it?

The whole session was great, really good vibes in the studio, which isn’t always the case. The guys at Hope Mill in Manchester were perfect for us and created a great relaxed atmosphere. We were really pleased with the productivity of the session, and we can listen back to it feeling proud and happy with what we put together.

You are brothers from South Manchester. How did it all begin for you?

Dunno what to say here… we’ve always played music separately in other bands or solo, but in recent years we got it together as a duo and it feels amazing. I play drums in another band currently and have played drums mainly for years — singing and playing guitar like this is a bit of a new thing. We’ve often been asked to sing at family occasions, mainly weddings etc.

What did you listen to growing up?

Everyone: Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Oasis, Stone Roses, Elliott Smith, Acid House, all the Motown and Stax artists, Smog, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, LCD Soundsystem… loads and loads more. We try to discover new music all the time.

Michael, you’re a Beatles fan. What’s your favourite Beatles song, and why is Paul the greatest Beatle?

Oooh, great question. It’s got to be A Day in the Life for me, I absolutely love that song and the Beatles in general. Loved the recent 8-hour Get Back documentary too — which wasn’t long enough for me! That really showed Paul in a much better light for me too, and I really appreciated how creative and incredibly talented he is. It was amazing watching them write the songs live — something you never get to see any songwriter do really, never mind the Beatles!

Liam, you have a love for soul, especially Otis Redding. If you could see any of the classic soul legends live, who would it be?

Gotta be Marvin Gaye. What’s Going On is one of the greatest albums ever made. Always had a special place for Otis though…

How does a typical writing session begin for you?

Michael writes the song, then we see if I can flesh it out! Liam brings it to life and has come up with some great parts on various instruments. It’s a collaborative process.

I write on my guitar mainly, although I’ve been getting more into the piano, which has changed my approach and the feel of the music.

What do you do to resolve writer’s block?

Ask my brother to go for a pint to fix his writer’s block…

I find there’s no cure — it either happens or it doesn’t. I do try and focus on how I’m feeling though, and express that in my lyrics.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Liam: I’m listening to a lot of Bon Iver and The War on Drugs — can’t get away from me at the moment.
Michael: I’ve been getting back into Oasis this summer for obvious reasons. Got to admire the joy they’re bringing to people at the moment! I’m also listening to jungle a lot I love their music especially Lydia Kitto’s vocals.

What’s next for you?

Gigs, gigs and more gigs. We want to figure out a way to tour and spend more time in Ireland in particular. We’ve been lucky enough to get a residency in Greystones near Dublin, so we’ll be doing that again in the new year. Maybe another EP — we just want to keep busy and enjoy it, because it makes us so happy.