It was a day before the NYC-based group would be performing at the Lollapalooza festival, and the intimate crowd of pool partiers were ready to watch Plapinger's mesmerizing, rainbow hair-thrashing performance. Hershenow accompanied her on piano and backup vocals. The Vassar College alums released their first EP in September 2012 and have since been touring Europe and the U.S to promote their songs (such as "Hurricane"). Their performance had the elegance of Florence + the Machine with an Ellie Goulding edge. (Plapinger, too, has a signature raspy voice).
Read on to learn how this pair initially got together, why they, too, sweat Beyoncé, and which hair hue Plapinger hopes to try next.
You guys met in college. How has your relationship changed and evolved?
Max: I mean, how hasn't it?
Lizzy: We went to school together, and we knew each other. We had taken classes together but we weren't very close, we didn't have the same friends. So it wasn't really until after school. We pretty much went from complete strangers to spending every second of the day together. It literally could not have changed any more.
How did you get to this point?
Max: I was producing on the side while going to dance school after graduating from college. We both moved to New York. Lizzie was running her label, Neon Gold. I was interested in producing and sent her and email looking for any artists and she responded with a song she was working on attached. We got together and, magically, it happened really fast. We didn't need to talk about what we were doing, and we didn't talk about it until we started writing the music.
What does performing Cheap Jordans On Sale at Lollapalooza mean to you guys?
Lizzy: We've been in Europe most of the summer doing a headline tour and some festivals over there, so performing at the festivals in the States is a huge milestone for us. We did Governors Ball, are doing Lollapalooza, and then we will be at Outside Lands next weekend. We really picked things that mean a lot to us and make a statement about our ambitions and aspirations. Lollapalooza feels like that. I hope it is a big come out weekend for us.
You are also playing at this intimate party today. How does the size of the venue change your performance?
Max: We try not to change. So much of performing is feeding off of the audience and just feeling it out. Our favorite shows have been both the enormous ones, where we have 10,000 people, and the really tiny basement rooms that are dirty and sweaty.
Lizzy: You can never really bank on what the audience is going to be like, so the most you can do is have fun with it and make the most of it for yourself. Any situation where we have done that and had a good time, it became infectious and the audience fed off of it.
You guys have great style. What inspires your look?
Lizzy: It's sort of fleeting. It's a little bit grudge, a little but '90s oriented. I hope there is a New York City effortlessness. We are very into our collage aesthetic in all formats and that translates into our fashion sense.
Max: I take a lot of inspiration from Lizzie's hair. Six months ago I hated orange and would never wear it. Then Lizzie died her hair, and I was like, "Uh, that's orange." I warmed up to it, and now half my wardrobe is orange.
Where do you shop?
Lizzy: In general we wear a lot of vintage and a lot of street brands. We firmly believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to express your style, look good, and feel comfortable.
Max: We love ASOS, H&M, and Topshop.
Lizzy: Vintage for us has become this fun, new activity. Every time we go to a new city we look at which vintage stores we should go to. We are collecting a list.
Max: It's cool to wear clothes and be like, "Oh my boots are from that one place we went to in Paris, and my jacket is from Portland." You feel like you have a catalogue of every place you've been that you get to wear.
Are there any hair colors you won't try?
Lizzy: I was positive I would never go green. I thought it was revolting and hated when other girls did it. I thought it looked so trashy, but lately I have this burring desire to go neon lime, highlighter green. Now, I feel the same way Max did with orange: No color is totally off the table China Wholesale En Bag.
You toured with Marina and the Diamonds. What was that like?
Max: She took us out on our very first tour ever, so we will always be eternally grateful to her. She is a really dear friend and one of our very first supporters. When she put her stamp of approval on the project, it really gave us the kickstart. Her fans have continued to be some of our strongest supporters.
Who would be your dream collaborator?
Lizzy and Max: Beyoncé.
Lizzy: Basically there is isn't a day that goes by that we don't talk about Beyoncé.
Max: We are pretty obsessed with her.
Lizzy: We have very alternative, DIY taste, and Beyoncé is always the Brooklyn girl in our minds.
What is it about her? Kim Schifino of Matt & Kim is also a mega fan.
Lizzy: Where do you start? I am fascinated by how she has risen to where she is, her ambition, her drive, and how she expanded herself as an artist and as a brand. At the heart of it, she is truly talented but she is also an incredibly smart business woman.
Max: She is the biggest pop star in the world. She could just be making really solid, safe, Top 40 music, but she is really doing weird stuff that other people aren't doing. That's awesome. And then she performs on stage and looks amazing.
Your songs have been on 'Pretty Little Liars,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' and 'Game of Thrones.' Do you watch those shows?
Max: Some of them. We are always interested to see how our music is used. We are selective about how it is placed but we are pretty open and say yes to most things, especially the TV shows. "Bones" has been used in three different shows. We are really interested to see how it works in totally different situations and how different people interpret it.
Let's talk about your sound. How would you guys describe it?
Lizzy: We say at our heart we are pop artists. We love Beyoncé and for us it is really liberating, because pop can mean anything. These are the first songs we have ever written so a lot of MS MR, and this writing process, is just experimenting. I hope that leaves the door open for us to dabble in anything and everything.
Max: We want to bring in other genres and other weird sounds and continue to feel really creative, but we also want to make music that people want to hear.
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