Socks & Ballerinas

Socks & Ballerinas

Socks & Ballerinas are an instrumental duo formed in 2016. The group begins in Newcastle upon Tyne, where Leo on guitar and effects and Katy on drums meet and start making music together. They later move to Helsinki and continue as an active live act.

Style and approach

Their music combines danceable instrumental looping with offbeat rhythms, unusual song structures and a mix of odd sounds. The pair describe the project as a way to build funny, colourful music and to give songs playful names. Their sound is also presented as fuller than a simple duo, with the two players aiming to create the effect of a much larger band through layered parts, pedals and live looping.

Recordings

In Helsinki, they record Soap!, a live, self-published album. The release follows a period of gigging and reflects the group’s interest in spontaneous performance and looping-based arrangement.