In a north London deli, as rain patters against windows and a salt beef sandwich sits before him, Maxim Baldry contemplates the journey that’s taken his band from bedroom project to emerging indie force.
Terra Twin exist in a space where stories spiral and emotions swirl, where the temporary nature of existence becomes the fodder for profound musical exploration. The four-piece outfit – comprising Baldry on vocals and guitar, Lewis Spear on guitar, Jonny Thwaites on bass, and Alex Wadstein on drums – have already carved out a distinctive niche in London’s music landscape.
The roots of Terra Twin’s musical identity stretch back to Russia, where Baldry’s earliest musical memories were shaped by family influences. “I grew up in Moscow, and my granddad was in a jazz band,” he recalls. “Whenever I would be over at his, he would sit me down in his orange armchair, and he would play me jazz. He loved Enrico Rava. My grandma was a ballerina and encouraged me to tell stories and to inhabit worlds. Both of them really ignited my imagination and made me feel that you can create any kind of world through music and performance.”
This early exposure to storytelling through art would prove formative, but it was a shared appreciation for American alternative music that would eventually bring the band’s sound into focus. “Lewis and I bonded over our shared love for Americana,” Baldry explains. “Listening to artists like Wilco and Deerhunter, we appreciated their use of melody and wanted melody to be a focal point in our music. I always admired Jeff Tweedy’s lyricism and his ability to tell stories that invoke nostalgia and longing.”
The band’s creative process evolved organically, building from remote collaboration to full-band arrangements. “Initially we write individually – Lewis sends me an idea. I send him back an idea. We go back and forth and eventually end up in the studio,” Baldry shares. Their first EP emerged from this process, with the track ‘Hanging Around’ coming together “really quickly. Lots of live takes. And then overdubs once we had a skeletal track in place.”
But it’s their second EP, ‘Static Separation’, that marks a decisive evolution in Terra Twin’s sound. Released via Leeds indie label Dance To The Radio, the record represents both a sonic progression and an emotional excavation. “Static Separation was a knee-jerk reaction to an intense relationship imploding,” Baldry reveals. “It came together very quickly. Personality shifts, melancholia and searching for a new world. A washing machine became a motif for us that resembled the cycle we were on. Trapped but wanting to escape.”
This washing machine metaphor perfectly encapsulates the EP’s emotional turbulence, with the band crafting a more muscular sound to match its themes. “Our first EP had more acoustic guitar,” Baldry notes. “This EP is more muscular. It simmers, bleeds and then boils over. We wanted it to be louder and take the listener through a washing machine of emotions.”
The partnership with Dance To The Radio feels particularly apt for a band committed to artistic authenticity. “I gravitate towards independent labels as they champion new music and collaborate with artists who don’t have a wide audience,” Baldry reflects. “The North has always been a hotbed for exciting new bands, and we are incredibly grateful to Dance To The Radio for working with us on this release.”
The EP’s sequencing was approached with careful consideration, building to a powerful conclusion. “It just felt the most natural,” Baldry says of the track listing. “We end on ‘No Ghost’ which felt like an ender as it dissipates into nothingness.” This attention to narrative flow reflects Terra Twin’s commitment to crafting cohesive musical experiences rather than mere collections of songs.
Baldry’s songwriting often returns to themes of impermanence, finding beauty in life’s fleeting moments. “I like to write about temporary things. I find them the most exciting. They’re here, and then they’re gone. I find that it opens my eyes to the beauty of those things,” he explains. This preoccupation with transience occasionally manifests in recurring motifs: “Sometimes words would occasionally pop into songs, and Lewis would say ‘is this a theme?’ I’d just say sorry, I can’t stop writing about ‘borderlines’.”
Looking ahead, Terra Twin’s ambitions remain grounded yet expansive. “Cooking an album. Touring Europe. Playing UK festivals. The classics,” Baldry says of their hopes for the coming year. The band isn’t resting on their laurels, either – they’re already pushing into new territory with their next EP. “We are working on our third EP. We’re incorporating different genres of music that we love collectively as a band like metal and hip-hop. Come see a show, and you’ll see.”
As Terra Twin prepare for their biggest headline show to date at London’s Omeara (26th February), they stand at the precipice of something significant. Their evolution from Americana-influenced beginnings to their current, more muscular sound suggests a band unafraid to follow their creative instincts wherever they might lead. The rain continues to fall outside that north London deli, but for Terra Twin, the forecast looks increasingly bright.
Terra Twin’s EP ‘Static Separation’ is out now.
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