In the ever-evolving electronic music industry, young Melbourne duo Willow Beats has commanded a lot of unexpected attention with their other-worldly tunes. The uncle-niece partnership of Narayana Johnson and Kalyani Mumtaz, have risen pretty quickly from making bedroom beats to launching their EP and playing festival sets. Khairun Hamid caught up with Narayana who gave some insights into their journey so far, pirate jigs and sampling sounds.

How did you guys get started in music?

Kalyani and I grew up in a very musical family. We’ve been playing musical instruments and jamming since we can remember. Willow Beats was born roughly a year and half ago when I started getting into producing electronic music.  I’d just bought a microphone and was sampling Kalyani’s improvisational vocals, and somehow, it worked. We were both really happy with how it turned out and loved the process so we kept making beats. It was always for us but we’d upload it on the interweb and were getting great responses.

You’ve described your sound as being inspired by creeks and rivers, crisp mornings and Tim Burton. Tell us more about that.

We grew up in the Tweed Valley. It’s this valley created from the remains of an ancient volcano. The flora and fauna are unique to the valley and it’s stunning.  Our childhoods were filled with swimming in creeks, waterfalls, and camping in the forest. I think this comes through in our music. We try to make mystical music from another world.

Which artists influence you the most?

Mount Kimbie, The Knife, Rusko,  Fly Lo.

What is it like working together? Have you guys always had a close relationship?

Yeah, my family was travelling America when Kalyani was born. Because we were constantly on the go, Kalyani was my only friend. We’ve got a super close bond and it definitely comes through in our music. We both have the same musical brain.

You launched your EP at a pretty packed SUBTLE party recently, how was that?

It was amazing. People were singing along to our songs and getting excited when certain songs came on. It was then we realized, “Wow, people actually listen to our music!” Very surreal.

What has the response and support been like since the launch?

It’s been incredible! We had no idea that our EP would go so far. Triple J has been giving us a lot of love. We’re currently the Unearthed artist of the week which is unreal.

What is your favourite track to perform and why?

We have an unreleased track we just call The Pirate Song. We both sing in it and we get to jig around in a pirate fashion. Sometimes we get so into it that we actually think we’re pirates.

What do you think about the quality/vibe of electronic music today? How does that influence the kind of music you make?

I think electronic music is the most vibrant it’s ever been. It doesn’t just have to be dance music anymore. Artists are breaking all the rules! There’s a lot of really beautiful introspective music coming out of Melbourne at the moment and it definitely influences our sound. Guys like Thrupence, Yosemite, squarehead and Electric Sea Spider are making some pretty incredible beats and I reckon they stand on their feet against the UK and America.

You’re receiving major props overall for this EP, in a genre where many get it wrong. How does that make you feel?

It feels amazing. I’m glad that our music stands out in the massive jungle of producers.

What has been the highlight of your musical journey so far?

Willow Beats began as a passion and a hobby. We never dreamed that people outside our circle of friends would hear and enjoy our music. Realising that they weren’t the only ones who enjoyed our tunes was a revelation.

You’re working on your next EP, what can we expect from this record?

We’re super excited about this next EP. It’s definitely a step up in our production and song writing. You can expect more organic sounds. We’ve been sampling anything that makes a nice noise (splashing in the bath, birds, hitting things!). We’ve also been experimenting with new tempos and feels.

What else do you have up your sleeve in the near future?

We’re going on an east coast tour mid October and even planning a trip to NZ come the end of this year!

Keep up with the duo’s upcoming shows and news on Facebook. Willow Beats’ self-titled EP is now available to download for free here.