Prefixation

On the brink of their first visit to Australia for St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Lizzy Plapinger – one half of electronic-R&B duo MS MR – is “drowning in clothes” as she packs her bags for the trip. With the heatwave at the back her mind, she calls from New York as she tries to figure which clothes to bring.

Plapinger, who is also the co-founder of Neon Gold Records – a New York City/London-based boutique record label founded in 2008 with business partner Derek Davies, which is also home to Gotye, Marina & The Diamonds, The Naked & Famous and more – mentioned that there was no way she would have released MS MR material via the label.

“It was definitely a discussion. But honestly, you know, it would've been a bit cheeky to release my own material on Neon Gold. But you know, I sort of needed to feel like I had earned it independently as of everything else that I had created.

“And so, I wanted it [MS MR] to have its own sort of identity. I think it was really important for me just to genuinely appreciate and recognise the other artists [on the roster], otherwise it would have been seen as a vanity pleasure because I'll be treating it much less seriously, and [it would] also become much more about me. And I think what Max [Hershenow, other half of MS MR] and I really want to make clear is that we're a duo. This isn't my band, this isn't all about me, it's the two of us. And so doing it separately from Neon Gold, I think was really important. “

The business background proved beneficial for Plapinger, as the duo created music for two years, allowing that to simmer before unleashing themselves into the public sphere. They meticulously scoped out the best ways to market themselves as a new band. Looking back at how her place in the industry started, she goes on to note the importance of the knowledge she acquired during her journey.

“I love music so much and it's always been the most important piece of my life. Like, you know, at a young age [I was] going to record stores all the time and sneaking into gigs when I was too young to be able to go. I worked at so many different labels and interned at PR companies, and I feel like I've absorbed so much information on business and the industry side of things, which is really vital.

“But I wanted the opportunity to turn that off for just a second and just do the creative. I [now] have a different level of confidence; it means that Max and I have been able to dictate and have power over every choice that we've made 'til this point – in the way that most artists don't – because I've had the experience of going through this process a few times with different acts.”

And so success started trickling in for MS MR. Their EP Candy Bar Creep Show features the radio-friendly Hurricane, which reached number one on the Hype M charts and was claimed 'Hottest Record' by the BBC's Zane Lowe. They even got the Jay-Z stamp of approval. “It feels awesome [to be Jay-Z approved]! Mostly because I feel one step closer to Beyoncé,” laughs Plapinger.

The accompanying video for Hurricane featured a collage of vintage pictures created by the duo, and similarities came flying out. Their sound was likened to that of Laneway-buddies Poliça, the video was said to channel the DIY-touch of Lana Del Rey. Not fazed by the comparisons, Plapinger states that it's only natural for new bands to be put into boxes. Their identity, however, plays a huge role in their art. At first, the duo stayed hushed about their personal identities, which carried an even more curious and mysterious aura around the MS MR moniker.

“It's funny, because I honestly don't even completely remember where [the band name] came from. We were trying to think of names for the project, and we wanted it to sound like a duo and we wanted the boy/girl theme, and now when we were talking about anonymity and titles… As soon as I said [MS MR], we were like, 'Hey, that's it'. I love the idea that it's so specific but it also means totally nothing.”

Fascinated with mixed-media and collage, the duo also have a strong Tumblr following, which they have utilised for marketing gain. They have even described their style as “Tumblr glitch-pop”. Their Tumblr page shows a stream of Rocky Horror-like, art-house and cinema-noir photographs.

After likening the images to Rocky Horror Picture Show, Plapinger laughs. “That's exactly what my dad calls it – 'What's this Rocky Horror Picture Show aesthetic you've got going on?' I've definitely always been drawn to cinema and visual aesthetic. It definitely creates an easy vocabulary for us to work with and then piece together and I think that that has sort of been expressed through the way we release our music. We love music from all different genres and time periods, and a lot of the different songs can take on a different personality.”

Performing at St Jerome's Laneway Festival, MS MR already have strong relationships with Australian artists and are looking forward to making more friends while down under. “There's a few Australian bands that have played shows I've put on in the past that I'm hoping to reconnect with. I think it's going to be a really good trip.

“I am so excited about Laneway, it's ridiculous. I'm sure it's going to be like band summer camp in that we all become best friends. I've never seen Poliça, I've never seen Bat For Lashes, I love Yeasayer, I love Pond, I've never seen Pond play. There's this Australian band, is it called… ummm… See-dee-dank-tal? Do you know what I'm talking about?” Sorry, what? “Wait, I had it here, it is Snakadakal.” Ah, yes. “Someone played me a song, I was curious about them, I'm interested to see them. And Chet Faker, who did the [Dark Doo Wop] remix for us; I can't wait to see him. I'm definitely going to be very excited running around the festival trying to see as many people as I can.”

Now that they've burst into the spotlight, Plapinger revealed the album is ready. “It's coming out in May, we're excited to get it out. We've recorded it, we've mastered it, it's ready to go!” And what sort of identity does the album hold for MS MR? “I think what people will be surprised to find is that, again, with this collage aesthetic, each song has this different personality. I don't think there is one song that is wholly representative of who we are.”

“There is a song on the album that is a bit more experimental, there's one that feels more R&B, there's one that feels more indie, there's one that feels more like pure pop music and there's one that has a bit of a country edge.”

MS MR will be playing the following dates:

Friday 1 February - Laneway Festival, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 2 February - Laneway Festival, Sydney NSW
Sunday 3 February - Laneway Festival, Footscray VIC
Monday 4 February - Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst NSW
Thursday 7 February - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC
Friday 8 February - Laneway Festival, Adelaide SA
Saturday 9 February - Laneway Festival, Perth WA