PRIMA QUEEN: “MUSIC WAS JUST PART OF LIFE; IT WASN’T A CHOICE”
Prima Queen are a cosmically aligned pair, making bittersweet and ethereal music that culminates in their debut EP, Not The Baby. VOCAL GIRLS writer Sally Clegg chatted to Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden ahead of the release, talking through their origins, their unparalleled connection, and exploring personal change with their latest music.
Photo credit: Lydia Robinson
The star-crossed pair at the heart of Prima Queen came together from either side of the Atlantic as though tied by some invisible string, forging a near-instant connection that has been unbroken ever since. Hailing from Chicago, Kristin McFadden was first connected with London-based songwriter Louise Macphail by a twist of fate, or rather, by a cancelled semester abroad. Fondly recalling the earliest days of their friendship, Louise laughs "you were dating my housemate; you’d come over, and I’d just think ‘I wish I could hang out with her’".
By chance or destiny, some force brought them to music and to each other, and the Prima Queen we see before us today are emphatic about the weight of their bond in their writing. "The core of our songwriting is our friendship," Louise muses, "we know every intimate detail of each other's lives, know one another sometimes even better than ourselves". Kristin agrees, confirming that "[she] couldn’t do it with anyone else".
The friendship and intimacy that this pair share is conducive to a refreshing honesty in their songwriting, evident more than ever in the opening track of their debut EP, ‘Back Row’, which explores the difficult experience of breaking someone else’s heart. Kristin explains that "it’s about feeling muddled up when you really love someone, but you know it’s not right to be together.” Sonically, the track is multifaceted, the soaring horns that pepper its length contradicting the emotive depths of the lyrics. This juxtaposition is something that Prima Queen like to explore in songwriting; Louise believes that "the best kinds of songs can explore heartbreaking themes, but you can breathe a more energetic life into them.”
Not The Baby’s artwork carries over the Renaissance inspired imagery seen in their ethereal 'Back Row' video, and was inspired by a book of astrological paintings found on the side of the road in East London. Traversing themes of "personal change and changing relationships" across the EP’s four-track span, Prima Queen aim to "knock you down, make you cry, and then pick you right back up again". The second track, ‘Crow’, was written about a house full of friends going through hard times together, while ‘Dylan’ speaks to the frustration felt when a loved one is making bad choices. Closing track ‘Hydroplane’ is Kristin’s tribute to her sister, and to the feeling of growing up and not being where (or who) you once were.
Photo credit: Lydia Robinson
The pair joyfully talk back and forth about the old days and conclude that they must tell me the ‘story about the bed'. Kristin takes the lead: "Louise invited me out, and I stayed in her room, where she and her friend from home slept in the bed; I had the floor". The way each talks of the other cements my impression of the un-dwindling spark that exists between the two, as Kristin continues: "I remember looking up at the bed and thinking ‘I want to be the friend that gets the bed, the main friend’". Louise chips in, joking "well, you’ve made it now, we have to share a bed all the time.”
As our chat continues and we encounter the inevitable connection issues, we get back on track over the phone and delve into how the two individuals first started making music. Louise, aged 7, begged to join guitar lessons to fit in with the "cool kids" at her new school, and had her musical dreams solidified at a Taylor Swift concert in her teens. Across the Atlantic, Kristin was engulfed by music as part of a “casual family band” fronted by her father, attending monthly parties where kids and parents alike would come together to play covers of classics from the 60s and 70s. "It felt like music was just a part of life; it wasn’t a choice”, she explains.
Talking more about inspiration and gushing about the latest Boygenius album, Louise reflects on their position as a band with multiple lead singers: "I think it’s kind of rare, and sometimes people don’t realise until they come and see us". Beyond this surprise for unfamiliar fans, Prima Queen show aims for resonance and connection. Kristin says "it’s great we get the energy from the audience, but it’s really meaningful when they take something away from a song and are moved by it". Louise even recalls an occasion on which a girl connected more than most with their set, laughing that "she came over and told us that she loved the first few songs so much that she had to leave and call her ex-boyfriend and ask him to get back together!".
While it remains to be seen if these two cupids will draw their bows again, Prima Queen have plenty of chances, with a headline tour in May and slots at festivals including Live at Leeds, Truck Festival, and Tramlines. As we draw our call to a close, an obvious conclusion is that Prima Queen possess stirring talent, expressed through rousing and joyful songs. However, I’d argue that their mightiest strength is the powerful warmth that radiates to all who bear witness, drawn from their strongest of female friendships, as well as a thriving creative connection.
Listen to Prima Queen’s debut EP ‘Not the Baby’ here.
