Meet The Dreamy R&B Pop Duo… Temptress

If you’re searching for a music duo that expertly blends the feel-good elements of pop with the sultry, soulful energy of R&B, Temptress is the artist for you. Made up of members Jessi and Vlad, the pair’s journey first began after their fateful meeting at Goldsmiths, University of London. Bonding over their upbringings in the city and the London indie music scene, Vlad and Jessi’s relationship quickly transformed from friends to creative partners. While their debut track ‘Lies’ – released under “Vlad vs Clover” – was meant to be a one-off collaboration, its viral success on Soundcloud resulted in the official birth of Temptress.

Since that fateful day, Jessi and Vlad have created beautiful tracks filled with immersive lyrics and productions that touch on various genres, including Neo-Soul, R&B, Garage, and Pop. The perfect example of their boundless artistry is their recent EP ‘Pipe Dream.’ Featuring five songs, Vlad and Jessi simultaneously cement their signature style while also experimenting with new musical lanes. We were able to chat with the Temptress about all things ‘Pipe Dream,’ their creative process, and more. Read our full interview below.

Heya Temptress! Thanks for sitting down with SPINDLE. How’s the year been treating you?

Hey! So far, so good. We’ve been busy, which is always great!

First of all, congratulations on your latest EP, Pipe Dream, which is absolutely fantastic! How does it feel to finally have it out?

It always feels so good to have a body of work out. Our last EP was in 2021! There’s so much that goes into it, so it’s an amazing feeling to let it do its thing.

Can you take us through the creative process for the record? What kind of themes or stories did you want to explore?

The Pipe Dream EP looks to the future but in a dreamlike, surreal state. Lyrically, it focuses inwards, almost as if it’s a daydream. The production flows from smooth alternative R&B in Future Valentine to uptempo Garage-inspired moments in ‘Heaven Sent’. Quite a few of the songs are archive tracks from years ago that we loved but never quite worked; we changed the writing quite a bit & redid all the music. It was a really satisfying feeling to finally get them working.

All of the tracks on Pipe Dream have such dynamic and immersive productions. When you were crafting the EP, what particular sounds or genres did you want to highlight or have shine?

Thank you! This EP, other than our collab ‘Rewind’, we produced and mixed/mastered, so the arrangement & mix were quite big considerations throughout the writing process. We wanted to take a bit more of a minimal approach, with every sound having a defined space. Sound-wise we want everything to be characterful, from saturation chorus with the pitch oscillating between instruments to using vintage synths.

If you had to choose, which of the five tracks on the record is your favourite and why?

That’s a hard one; it’s close, but I think Future Valentine stands out. Whenever we put it on it puts us in a space and feeling that’s almost suspended from reality but comforting at the same time.

Let’s take a quick break from the present and walk down memory lane. What album or artist sparked inspired you to pursue your own career in music? Do you still look toward the artist or album for inspiration today?

Jessi loved’ Songs in A Minor’ by Alicia Keys and used to rinse that album as a kid. I was learning to play the piano at the time and loved the chords, melodies & basically everything about it. Vlad loved the early Gorillaz albums & it was super inspiring from a production & songwriting standpoint.

Can you open up about the origin of Temptress? When did you two join forces?

We met at Goldsmiths’ student union gig, where we were both playing in different bands and decided to have a go at making music together. We then released our first song on SoundCloud under the name Vlad vs Clover, which picked up some attention, and then we decided to make the project a permanent thing which evolved into ‘Temptress’.

What does an average studio session look like for you two?

We quite like to tap in and tap out; one of us will start with an idea and let that be explored, and then the other might tap in or throw something new into the mix until we have a vibe that we are both happy with.

If you weren’t creating music, what would you be doing instead?

We are both very creative people, and we also make visuals for work through our small production company ‘Plastic Fruit Studios’ so I guess anything that involves making things!

While you two just blessed fans with the Pipe Dream EP, when can we expect the release of a Temptress debut album? Is it already in the cards?

Well, we have a few EPs ready to come out first, but then you never know!

Looking toward the future, what are five goals you hope to achieve within the music sphere?

We’d love to keep releasing music regularly, play some fun shows, push ourselves to make creative visuals, get in the flow with social media haha, & make sure we love what we make. Then, anything that comes from there is a bonus.  

Make sure to listen to Temptress’ dreamy EP ‘Pipe Dream’ and watch their music video for ‘Heaven Sent’ below.