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Getting To Know: hiccup



Get ready to dive into the world of hiccup, the dynamic duo gearing up to release their highly anticipated new single, "HEADACHE." Already creating buzz with support from BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, and BBC Radio Leicester, the track has been hailed by Dean Jackson as "a radio rock hit in the making." Formed by Jessica McGowan and Lewis Danes in late 2023, hiccup has relocated to London from their hometowns of Leicester and Kent. Their music offers a raw and honest social commentary on the challenges faced by a generation grappling with Brexit, the cost of living crisis, and the aftermath of a global pandemic. Through their powerful sound and poignant lyrics, hiccup captures the struggle of navigating adulthood while staying true to ambitions, nurturing friendships, and paying bills on time.


1. Your upcoming single "HEADACHE" has already been described as a 'radio rock hit in the making' by Dean Jackson from BBC. What was the inspiration behind this track, and how did you approach its production to achieve such high energy? 


HEADACHE was a bit of a unique writing experience for us. Usually we approach new songs together and work on the music and lyrics simultaneously from start to finish, but this wasn’t the case with HEADACHE. Jess had written a four line ditty in her notes and Lewis had been working on a bare bones chord progression for a couple of hours before they came together. Jess entered the room and Lewis literally shouted “SING SOMETHING OVER THIS” and the lyrics Jess had in her notes fit perfectly with the music and so the chorus was created first, which was new territory for us. We knew immediately that this was going to be an anthemic pop-rock tune and that we wanted there to be elements of the song where an audience could get involved, hence the “ohs”’ in the second half of the chorus. Production wise we wanted to make sure the song was stylistically dynamic and that it didn’t stay in one dimension for too long. That’s why the flow between the verses, choruses and bridge are always developing and evolving throughout the song, hitting different genres but always looping back to that classic pop-rock chorus. It’s super fun to play live! 


2. hiccup’s music offers social commentary on the challenges of navigating adulthood in a post-BREXIT world, amid a cost of living crisis and a global pandemic. How do you balance these serious themes with the humor and positivity that characterize your songs? 


We’ve never sat down and discussed writing about these themes head on. Our songs are all very instinctual and reactionary to how we are currently feeling in the moment and those feelings are obviously impacted by our environment. The main thing we always want our music to be is relatable and we think the best way to achieve this is to be honest but not pushy. We want our listeners to feel that our music is a safe space, that we’re a friend that understands what they’re going through, so we approach serious themes with humour and sarcasm beacause that’s who we are! We hope that having this approach gives the listener the room they need to interpret it in their own way and make our music theirs. 



3. You both relocated from Leicester and Kent to London and have described your journey of packing your life into a van to pursue your music career. How has this move influenced your music and the way you work together as a duo? 


Our other love, aside from music, is travelling, so moving into a van that will double as a tour bus and a mobile recording studio is a no-brainer. The main thing we love about being a duo is that we are completely self sufficient - we have all the resources we need to write, release and perform and having the van gives us the freedom needed to jump at opportunies as they arise. However, in true LIFE UPDATE style, “it’s not [quite] going to plan”. We’re still waiting to make the permanent move into our van, but we won’t bore you with the details! In the meantime, we’ve been sure to go on as many trips as we can and really find that putting ourselves in new surroundings helps keep us inspired - we also have the best conversations and musical ideas on long road trips so we’ve been quite strict on making sure we still travel whilst waiting for the van!



4. Your sound has been compared to the EDM vibes of Enter Shikari, the vocal flow of Waterparks, and the attitude of PVRIS. Can you discuss how these influences shape your music and what unique elements you bring to this blend? 

We really enjoy finding and experiencing new music which is why our main influences are all bands or artists that have a really eclectic collection of work - this is something that’s 100% rubbed off on us, we love playing with genres and ideas that wouldn’t stereotypically go together! There’s something really driving about music that takes unexpected u-turns and we get such a buzz in feeling that we’re challenging and suprising the listener. In terms of what we bring to the table, we’re new, we don’t have anything to lose and we really think this gives us a carefree edge. We’re definitely writing music with no restraints and no expectations. Having fun, pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone and throwing some curevballs in the mix is definietly at the heart of everything we do as a band and that can be heard in our music for sure. 


5. With the release of "HEADACHE" on June 7th, accompanied by a fun DIY music video, what can fans expect from this new single and its video, and how does it differ from your previous releases? 


Our debut single LIFE UPDATE came from a place of frustration, boredom and the realisation that we were not where we thought we would be. It’s a song laced with sarcasm and the musical choices we made really highlight that. Writing LIFE UPDATE was healing for us and was the song that unlocked the door to our musical identity. HEADACHE however, came from a place of positivity, fun and experimentation, a place that wouldn’t exist without LIFE UPDATE. We gleefully played with various styles, throwing trap beats into verses and not holding back on having a big pop-rock chorus! Expect to be surprised with this track and we’re sorry, not sorry, that it’ll be stuck in your head for days! The video was really fun to make, we did everything, from setting up the room, to filming and editing, ourselves. It’s a good visual representation of how this song makes us feel and gives viewers a really clear idea of who we are and what we’re like - we can’t wait to hear what people think!


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