Piri & Tommy

Last updated

Piri & Tommy
Piri on stage at radio 1 big weekend.jpg
Background information
OriginManchester, England
Genres
Years active2021–present
Labels Polydor
Members
Website piriandtommy.com

Piri & Tommy are an English drum and bass duo, formed in 2021. The group are formed of Sophie "Piri" McBurnie and Tommy Villiers. The pair charted at number 99 on the UK Singles Chart with their single "On & On". [1] They released their debut mixtape froge.mp3 in October 2022. [2]

Contents

History

McBurnie and Villiers first met in 2020 through Instagram when McBurnie found Villiers' account, messaged him, and they later started dating. [3] The two shared a love for dance artists like Disclosure and Kaytranada which led to them making music together. [3] He produced Piri's first two singles "It's a Match" and "Soft Spot", the latter of which received over 18 million streams on Spotify. [4] They later released the singles "Beachin" [5] and "On & On". [6] "Soft Spot", "Beachin", and "On & On" appeared on their debut mixtape froge.mp3, which they released in October 2022. [2] They performed at the 2022 Reading Festival, [7] and were later signed to Polydor Records. [8] In November 2022, Piri & Tommy released a cover version of Charli XCX's song "Unlock It", which became popular on TikTok with an accompanying dance. [9] Piri & Tommy were also announced to be a nominee of BBC Radio 1's Sound of 2023 in December 2022, along with other artists like Dylan, Cat Burns and Flo. [10] In January 2023, McBurnie announced via TikTok that she and Villiers had split up. [11] The split received coverage from Capital Dance, with Piri stating in another video that the two will still make music together. [12]

Musical style and influences

Critics categorised the band's music as drum and bass, [3] [13] pop, [14] and dance. [15]

McBurnie has stated that she grew up with artists such as the Arctic Monkeys however, her current inspiration mainly comes from Disclosure, MJ Cole and PinkPantheress. [16] Villiers lists Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Meters, Ed Rush and Lemon Jelly as some artists he grew up listening to, but says he takes current inspiration from Disclosure and Kaytranada. [16]

Discography

Mixtapes

EPs

Singles

List of singles
TitleYearAlbum
"Soft Spot"2021froge.mp3
"Beachin"2022
"Words"
"On & On"
"Unlock It"Non-album singles
"Updown"2023
"Nice 2 Me"
"Lovergirl"
"Bluetooth"
"Christmas Time"
"99%"2024
"Dog"

Writing and remix credits

SongYearArtistCo-writersAlbumRef.
"Morning Blues"2023EmzoEmilion Buckz, Sophie McBurnie, Tommy VilliersNon-album singles [17]
"Come to My House" (Piri & Tommy remix)2024 Lucy Tun Lucy Tun, Tommy Villiers, Jackson Homer [18]

Related Research Articles

"Unlock It" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring German singer Kim Petras and American rapper Jay Park. It was released on 11 December 2017 as the first promotional single from XCX's fourth mixtape Pop 2 (2017). The track samples A. G. Cook's "Beautiful" and premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show on the day of release. Reviewers praised "Unlock It", especially its lyrics. A mashup of the song with Tinashe's "Superlove" went viral on TikTok in 2021, shortly after which XCX renamed the track "Unlock It (Lock It)" to fan discontent. In 2022, Piri & Tommy released a cover that Vice rated as the 14th best song of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addison Rae</span> American singer, songwriter and actress (born 2000)

Addison Rae Easterling is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Rae rose to fame on TikTok and amassed over 88 million followers, making her the fifth most-followed individual on the platform. She then found success in her music and acting career by starring in major film studio productions and collaborating with significant music producers.

Hyperpop is a loosely defined electronic music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early 2010s. It is characterised by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and typically integrates pop and avant-garde sensibilities while drawing on elements commonly found in electronic, hip hop, and dance music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Ones</span> 2021 single by Charli XCX

"Good Ones" is a song by English singer Charli XCX, released as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Crash (2022). The song was released on 2 September 2021. It is a synthwave, electropop, dance, and synth-pop song that discusses the singer's incapacity to maintain healthy relationships, instead being drawn inexorably back to the dysfunctional and destructive. It received critical acclaim from critics who praised its production and Charli's vocal performance, while also lamenting its short run-time.

<i>Crash</i> (Charli XCX album) 2022 studio album by Charli XCX

Crash is the fifth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 18 March 2022. It was her last album to be released under her record contract with Asylum Records. Charli announced the album title, release date, and artwork on 4 November 2021. Her website was also updated with information about the album's 2022 tour. The album was preceded by the four singles "Good Ones", "New Shapes" featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, "Beg for You" featuring Rina Sawayama, "Baby" and two promotional singles, "Every Rule" and "Used to Know Me", the latter released as the fifth single in April 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beg for You</span> 2022 single by Charli XCX featuring Rina Sawayama

"Beg for You" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring Japanese singer Rina Sawayama. It was released on 27 January 2022 as the third single from XCX's fifth studio album, Crash (2022). The song interpolates Swedish singer September's 2006 single "Cry for You". The song received widepsread acclaim from music critics. It peaked at number 3 in Malta and number 24 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piri</span> English singer (born 1999)

Sophie Leigh McBurnie, known professionally as Piri, is an English musician. Born in Rochdale in Greater Manchester, she is half of the band Piri & Tommy and an original member of the female and genderqueer collective Loud LDN.

"On & On" is a liquid drum and bass song by Piri & Tommy, from their mixtape Froge.mp3. Released on 28 July 2022 on Polydor Records, the track was written after the pair attended that year's Parklife Festival. The song premiered as BBC Radio 1's "Hottest Record"song charted at No. 99 on the UK Singles Chart and received positive reception, with Time Out, The Forty Five, NME, Dancing Bears, and Billboard rating it on their year-end best of lists. A music video was released on 12 October 2022 to promote Froge.mp3.

"Soft Spot" is a liquid drum and bass song, first released independently on 4 June 2021, where it was credited to Piri. After she paid six TikTok creators to promote the song, the song was used in a video of a creator making a Japanese bench, which caused the song to go viral on that platform. Around this time, the track went viral on Spotify after featuring on the platform's "Fresh Finds" playlist. For this, EMI signed her and her producer Tommy Villiers and re-released the track under the name Piri & Tommy Villiers. The song appeared on the pair's 2022 mixtape Froge.mp3.

"Beachin" is a jungle track by Piri & Tommy. Originally intended for late October 2021, the track was eventually released on 28 January 2022 through EMI as their second single from Froge.mp3. The track describes a trip the pair had taken to Formby beach and ends with a spoken word section discussing the creation of sand sculptures. The track received positive reception from Matthew Perpetua and from reviewers from Clash and The Sunday Times. Skream later released an abstract remix of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Updown</span> 2023 single by Piri & Tommy Villiers

"Updown" is a hyperpop song single by Piri & Tommy Villiers. Released on 17 February 2023 on Polydor Records, the song was written about cowgirl sex and was performed during live sets prior to release. Upon release, the song received airplay from BBC Radio 1 and Capital Dance and was reviewed by reviewers from Impact, Dancing Bears, and Clash. A music video was released on 2 March.

<i>Froge.mp3</i> 2022 mixtape by Piri & Tommy

Froge.mp3 is the debut mixtape by Piri & Tommy. Released on 21 October 2022 and on vinyl on 22 April 2023 on Polydor Records, the mixtape contains "Sunlight", previous singles "Soft Spot", "Beachin", "Words", and "On & On", focus track "Say It", and six additional tracks. The album was promoted by both Froge.tour, a nine-date tour, and Froge.tv, a twelve-episode YouTube Shorts series. Critical reception was broadly positive, with Gigwise describing the album as the 45th best album of 2022, NME rating it amongst the twenty best mixtapes and EPs of 2022, and Ellie Dixon rating it as her favourite album of the year. Additionally, the mixtape charted at No. 13 on the UK Dance Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nice 2 Me</span> 2023 single by Piri & Tommy Villiers

"Nice 2 Me", sometimes referred to as "Nice to Me", is a 2023 single by Piri and Tommy Villiers. Released 24 May 2023 on Polydor Records, the song is about wanting to be treated nicely in a relationship and received positive critical reception. It featured on Spotify's "Planet Rave" playlist and on the soundtrack for EA Sports FC 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Froge.tour</span> 2022 concert tour by Piri & Tommy

Froge.tour is a nine-date tour by the English band Piri & Tommy. Released to promote their mixtape Froge.mp3, the tour began on 2 November 2022 at Belgrave Music Hall and ended on 19 November 2022 at The Warehouse Project. Sets included most of Froge.mp3, several future singles, and cover versions of Chic's "Everybody Dance" and Crystal Waters's "Gypsy Woman". Their Brighton gig was opened by Coupdekat, while their London gig was opened by Maisi and contained pole dancing and Parthenope. These three gigs were between them reviewed by Alexis Petridis and reviewers from LeftLion, Brighton & Hove News, and Gigwise, who gave what they saw a mixed reception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feel It (MJ Cole song)</span> 2023 single by MJ Cole featuring Piri & Tommy Villiers

"Feel It" is a 2023 single by MJ Cole featuring Piri & Tommy Villiers. Released on 20 January 2023 on 892 Recordings, the song was Piri & Tommy's first since splitting up and contained a guitar solo from Villiers. The song received positive reception, with many reviewers highlighting Piri's vocals for praise, and the track received airplay by BBC Radio 1 and Capital Dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maisi</span> Musical artist

Maisie Harriet Brand Bourke, known professionally as Maisi, is a British musician and social media personality from south-east London. The daughter of Jo Brand, she co-founded Loud LDN, a collective of women and non-binary musicians, and has released several singles and supported Piri & Tommy on their Froge.tour. She has also gone viral on TikTok for her attempts at addressing her boyfriend's restrictive eating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Villiers</span> Musical artist

Thomas George Villiers is an English musician from Saffron Walden. After being introduced to dance music via his brother, he began producing drum and bass tracks and uploading them to SoundCloud. While at the Royal Northern College of Music, he joined See Thru Hands and cofounded Porij, with whom he released one and two EPs respectively. In mid-2020, he formed Piri & Tommy with Piri, with whom he released the mixtape Froge.mp3, which they promoted with Froge.tour, and several singles including "Soft Spot", "Beachin", "On & On", "Feel It", "Updown", and "Nice 2 Me". He also played Scotty in the music video for Wet Leg's "Ur Mum" and has released several singles including a remix of LF System's "Afraid to Feel".

Porij are an English four-piece band formed in Manchester in 2019 after meeting at the Royal Northern College of Music. At the time, the band consisted of Tommy Villiers, Tom Donaldson, James Middleton, and Scout Moore. Villiers and Donaldson later left and were replaced by guitarist Jacob Maguire and drummer Nathan Carroll. They have released the EPs Breakfast, Baby Face, and Outlines, before supporting Coldplay for four Manchester gigs of their Music of the Spheres World Tour in mid-2023. They released their debut album, Teething, in April 2024, which was received positively by DIY, The Line of Best Fit, NME, Dork, and Clash, but not The Guardian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweat (concert tour)</span> 2024 concert tour by Charli XCX and Troye Sivan

Sweat was a co-headlining concert tour by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX and Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, in support of their albums Brat (2024) and Something to Give Each Other (2023), respectively. The tour began on September 14, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan, and concluded on October 23, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. English singer and DJ Shygirl served as the opening act.

References

  1. "Piri & Tommy". Official Charts . 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 Holden, Finlay (20 October 2022). "piri & tommy – froge.mp3". Dork . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Jolley, Ben (1 December 2021). "Piri and Tommy Villiers: ambition and reinvention from vibrant drum 'n' bass duo". NME . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  4. "soft spot on Spotify". Spotify . 4 June 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. Ahmed, Aneesa (31 January 2022). "Piri and Tommy Villiers Release New Track 'Beachin'". Mixmag . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  6. Ackroyd, Stephen (29 July 2022). "piri & tommy have dropped a brand new single, 'on & on'". Dork . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  7. Briner, Lauren (26 August 2022). "We've got a 'soft spot' for Piri & Tommy". Reading Festival . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  8. "PIRI & TOMMY HOME". Polydor Records . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  9. "piri & Tommy Share Charli XCX Cover 'Unlock It'". Clash . 14 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  10. "Radio 1's Sound of 2023". BBC . Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  11. "Replying to @imogen here with some info finally". TikTok . Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  12. "Piri Confirms Breakup with Tommy Villiers" . Retrieved 10 January 2023 via Twitter.
  13. Smith, Thomas (15 May 2022). "Piri and Tommy Villiers live at The Great Escape: banging bedroom beats from a couple in perfect harmony". NME . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  14. McCarthy, Neive (7 July 2022). "Partners both in life and in pop, piri & tommy have already kicked up a viral storm, and they're only just getting started". DORK . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  15. Watson, Elly (23 September 2022). "Partners in and out of music, the Manchester pair's intrinsic bond is taking them from viral newcomers to UK dance's next big hope". DIY . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  16. 1 2 Poole, Cameron (30 September 2021). "DIY dance duo, piri & Tommy Villiers, are the new kids on the block". 1883. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  17. "Emzo - Discography". Spotify. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  18. "Lucy Tun - Discography". Spotify . Retrieved 4 September 2024.