00:00 Maximo TV is in Halifax, Canada for the Juno Awards and I'm Pamela Fagano joined by Mercedes
00:10 and Phoenix from the band Soft Cult.
00:13 Now you were nominated for Alternative Album of the Year.
00:17 Tell us what does this nomination mean to you?
00:21 It's really exciting.
00:23 You're a DIY band and to be nominated at the Junos with all these bigger artists, you know,
00:32 with labels backing them and stuff, it's just a real honor to be recognized on the same
00:37 platform.
00:38 So, yeah, it's fun to be here in Halifax too.
00:42 When you say DIY, like I heard that you film your videos, you do all your things.
00:47 That's so incredible, such talent.
00:50 Tell us what does the nomination mean to you?
00:53 Yeah, I'd say probably the same thing.
00:55 It's really cool because, yeah, like Mercedes does shoot all her own music videos.
00:59 I produce the music and record it.
01:01 And yeah, it's kind of just like validating to feel like, oh, yeah, it's on the same level
01:05 as, you know, these artists that are really established and like, yeah, just really grateful
01:09 for the opportunity.
01:10 Absolutely.
01:11 And you're twins, right?
01:12 I love it.
01:13 It's so super.
01:14 I wish I had a twin.
01:15 My sister, I love her, though.
01:16 Shout out to Marilyn.
01:17 But basically, I wanted to know now, this is actually such a big year for you already.
01:23 You just came back from Australia, right, from touring.
01:26 Now your new EP, Heaven, is coming out May 24th.
01:30 So stay tuned for that.
01:32 And your new song, Spiraling Out, just came out.
01:36 Tell us, why do you love making music?
01:39 Wow, that's such a good question.
01:41 I mean, I think music is really powerful.
01:48 It's like a great equalizer.
01:50 It transcends gender, class.
01:56 It transcends race.
01:58 It's like a beautiful thing.
02:00 It's a way of communicating.
02:01 It's a way of expressing your feelings.
02:04 And for us, you know, we're a very social and political band.
02:07 So we try to have a message with our music.
02:11 So it's fulfilling in a lot of ways.
02:13 And I honestly don't know what I would do without it.
02:18 I feel very lucky to be able to create it, you know?
02:21 Absolutely.
02:22 Absolutely.
02:23 So tell us why.
02:24 Yeah, I think, like, same thing, really.
02:26 It's just been a part of my life and both our lives for so long.
02:30 And it's one of those things where in life, like, so much can change.
02:33 But that's kind of the one thing I know will always be there.
02:36 And you know, wherever I end up, whatever's going on, I know I'll be a musician.
02:40 And that's just, you know, it's definitely comforting because I know a lot of people
02:44 our age in life, they're still kind of searching for themselves and not sure.
02:48 And that's okay, too.
02:49 But yeah, it's just like, it's something that I feel really glad is like part of my life,
02:53 for sure.
02:54 Absolutely.
02:55 I love your energies.
02:56 And now let's talk more about spiraling out.
02:59 Okay, so I saw that it's a message that you wanted to send to people who have anxiety.
03:05 I have anxiety.
03:07 And just, it's a message to say that you're not alone, you know, and so tell us what inspired
03:12 you both to put this song out there.
03:15 I think it's like a bigger conversation, you know, a lot of people who do have struggles
03:21 with mental health, whether it's depression, anxiety, or any other sort of struggle.
03:27 It's only a struggle when you're not able to share it.
03:32 And it just adds to the burden of it and feeling ashamed of it or feeling like you have to
03:37 hide it or just ignore it and push through.
03:41 We all know that it's that's very counterproductive, right?
03:44 So being able to talk about it openly, and I think, you know, a lot of people do struggle
03:50 with anxiety, whether it's, you know, you're diagnosed with having an anxiety disorder,
03:54 or you just get anxious sometimes, and it's okay.
03:58 And if we all just admitted it and talked about it, and sort of shared that burden,
04:03 it would be a lot lighter.
04:05 So writing a song expressing how we feel is sort of an open handed invitation to be like,
04:12 you know, if you feel that way, too, it's okay.
04:14 Like, we understand.
04:15 You're gonna make me cry.
04:18 Thank you.
04:19 Thank you so much for that.
04:21 And now, you know, if my sister, my sister, she's okay singing, but if I could sing, I
04:28 wish we were in a band together.
04:30 So tell us what is your favorite part about touring together doing this together?
04:35 Well, yeah, I mean, like, we've always kind of been each other's best friends.
04:39 We're twins.
04:40 So yeah, we grew up always kind of liking the same things together.
04:43 And I think it's really special to have that bond to get to make music together.
04:48 A lot of the ways that we write, I think we compliment each other.
04:52 And yeah, touring together is really special, too.
04:55 And it kind of helps us feel less homesick because we just have each other there.
04:58 And like, whatever the situation, it's just, yeah, it's like less hard because we have
05:03 each other, I think.
05:04 But yeah, there's that like twin separation anxiety.
05:07 I don't know how we would deal with it if we weren't in a band together, honestly.
05:11 So well, thank you for being in a band together and bringing your music to us after.
05:17 So we really appreciate that.
05:18 We appreciate you.
05:20 And seriously, I love you both.
05:21 Can I have a hug?
05:22 I love you.
05:23 Oh my gosh, you're so cool.
05:24 You're so cool.
05:24 Oh my god, you're so cool.
05:26 (whooshing)
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