Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with SIIGHTS

Mia Fitz and Toni Etherson are the dynamic women behind SIIGHTS. The pop duo—who recently dropped their debut EP—are one to watch in 2020, having already received praise from Clash, BBC Radio 1, and Beats 1, in addition to landing spots on various Spotify playlists, including New Music Friday UK, New Pop Revolution, and Chilled Pop Hits. Pop Culturalist recently caught up with them for an in-depth conversation.

PC: How did you both discover your passion for music?
Mia: I was really lucky to be around a lot of music growing up. My dad is a pianist, and he started teaching me some basics when I was about three.

I was always singing and started teaching myself guitar a couple of years later. I couldn’t get enough of it really. I took up bass and drums when I was around eleven, and I also started trying to write my first songs. I really fell in love with the process of writing something and then putting the different instruments around it in the studio to build a song.

Toni: My parents were big music fans. My dad played guitar too, so there was always music around me growing up. My uncle is a songwriter too. From a really young age, my sister and I were always taken to concerts of the acts he was working with. They were always huge pop productions, and I remember from a really young age just always having an awareness of musicians, artists, and songwriters and how there were many different ways someone could work in the industry.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your careers?
Mia: I would say early on my dad certainly was. But musically and lyrically, I’ve definitely been influenced by a lot of artists like Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, Sly & The Family Stone, and Bob Dylan, to name a few. I have quite a lot of folk influences also, like Bert Jansch and Anaïs Mitchell.

Toni: My big sister has always had a real belief in me. Similar to Mia, I’d say the music I got into growing up then spurred on my passion to create and learn along the way. When I started playing guitar, I developed a real love for bands like Fleetwood Mac and Arctic Monkeys. Alex Turner and Stevie Nicks as lyricists also gave me a lot of inspiration. To this day, I’m in awe of some of the records they’ve created.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success as a duo. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Mia: Thank you. I think having Elton John support one of our tracks on his show Rocket Hour was amazing, as he handpicks the music for it himself, so that was definitely one.

Toni: Selling out our first ever headline show in King Tut’s [Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow] was pretty amazing too.

PC: What’s one thing that fans would be surprised to learn about your fellow bandmate?
Mia: On a serious note, I think people would be surprised to know how creative Toni is and how amazing she is at creating artwork/visuals. On a less serious note, I think they would be surprised by how much chocolate she is able to consume in one sitting. [laughs]

Toni: Okay, I’m going to copy Mia here and do two! On a serious note, Mia is one of the most humble/extremely gifted people I’ve ever met. Most people probably know she’s an amazing songwriter, but she’s also an amazing multi-instrumentalist and producer and has produced a bunch of killer tracks for other artists in different styles too. On a not so serious note, Mia is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and she literally has me in stitches laughing pretty much all day every day.

PC: You have a new single out now. Tell us about “Blue Skies” and the inspiration behind the track.
SIIGHTS: We wrote “Blue Skies” about losing a close friend. It was a hard song to write as the lyrics are very raw.

It’s something that never really leaves you. We wanted it to have a message of hope to remember them in a positive way.

PC: You released a music video for the single as well. Tell us about it.
SIIGHTS: We teamed up with an amazing Finnish director for it named Vanessa Vandy. We really wanted it to be a visual that complemented the song and the message in a creative way. We were so happy with how it turned out!

PC: As we look ahead to the rest of 2020, what does the year hold for you?
SIIGHTS: Well, some of our plans have changed, given everything that’s happening at the moment! It’s such a crazy time, but we have lots of new music on the way.

I think that’s the great thing about music during a time like this and social media: it’s the one thing that can help unite people, and it can be consumed safely.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Mia: Maybe a band called the olllam. They’re such a great band—Jo Dart from Vulfpeck plays with them also.

Toni: Probably Frank Ocean. I have “Cayendo” on repeat at the moment.

PC: First album you bought?
Mia: Michael Jackson’s Thriller

Toni: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours

PC: First concert you attended?
Mia: I think it was an Oasis concert. [laughs] It was with my mum, and I was so small at the time.

Toni: I think it was probably a pop band or something that my uncle took me to.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Mia: I would say Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life. I was just blown away by his musicianship. I also really loved Zero 7’s Simple Things.

Toni: Brandy—Never Say Never. My dad would play this all the time when I was a kid, and it’s through singing along to this I discovered my singing voice.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Mia: I think Madison Square Garden or Croke Park would be amazing. I’ve performed at Red Rocks before, and that is a venue I would love to play again.

Toni: I’d love to play the Hydro in Glasgow for a hometown show. That would be a dream and Red Rocks in Colorado too.

To keep up with SIIGHTS, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up or stream their debut EP today.