Headstash

Photo Courtesy of Drew Granchelli

But it wasn’t until August of 2008 that the brothers took their sound out of an Asheville, NC basement and began to share it with the country.

Now 22, the Nicholls twins, accompanied in a live setting by drummer Colby Buckler, are billed as Two Fresh and are one of the fastest growing electronica acts in the nation.

Two Fresh has opened for their label-mates STS9 and is scheduled to play Summer Camp and Wakarusa festivals this summer. But the highlight of 2011 is sure to be the release of their new album and their upcoming “Air Mail Tour” spanning across 17 states in which they’ll be headlining each night.

[READ Headstash’s 2011 Music Festival Guide for full lineups, ticket pricing and comprehensive analysis.]

Headstash Magazine spoke to Sherwyn about the pending tour, how their music has changed over the years and being a part of the ever-growing 1320 Records family.

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Headstash Magazine: The Air Mail Tour is kicking off in just a few days. With nearly two-dozen dates and Two Fresh positioned at the top of the bill, this is looking to be a big tour for you guys. What are you thinking about as the tour approaches?

Sherwyn Nicholls: We chose to tour with Body Language, which is a four-piece indie band from Brooklyn. They are pretty crazy with more of a world music-type sound. Along with Mux Mool on the bill, it’s a pretty good package of music that we have for each night. I am just as excited to be able to see these bands play every night as I am to get up and do my thing. It’s going to be very cool.

HM: Did you guys have a previous relationship with Body Language before adding them to the tour?

SN: Yeah, we did a remix of Body Language's track "You Can" a couple of months ago and it’s going to be released on a remix album right before the tour starts. So we have been listening to their music a lot. It only made sense to bring them with us on the road.

HM: What can we expect from Two Fresh, musically on this tour?

SN: Same type of show that you have come to expect just with lots of different tunes. A couple of the shows, [my brother] Kendrick will be playing guitar. On the album, we started having him play so we decided to bring that into the live setting. That is something fresh that you won’t want to miss.

HM: What’s the significance behind the name of the tour?

SN: We call it the Air Mail Tour because we started making the tracks that are on the record while we were on the road over the last few years. It would be like this package that we would take with us all over the place with these tracks on it that we could work on.

[FIND all of Two Fresh's tour dates on their website.]

HM: So do you make most of your music on the road?

SN: At first we weren’t making music on the road at all. We just thought that it was impossible to do. Eventually though, we got in the groove while in the van and now we find it pretty easy to lay it down right there as we are driving to the next show.

But usually it’s just the ideas that we get together and then we fine-tune it when we get home and into the studio.

HM: Lets talk about 1320 Records. Can you tell us how you got linked up with them?

SN: We got linked up with 1320 through Alex B. [of Pnuma Trio], actually. We were at Camp Bisco and me and Kendrick were going to see Alex play one of his sets and he told us to come backstage. We started meeting other people [in the label.] Then, after some time, the guys from STS9 finally heard out music and the rest is history.

HM: How many times have you seen STS9 in concert?

SN: Oh quite a bit man. Definitely have lost count. We are big fans and all three of us were seeing them even before we were making our music.

Photo Courtesy of Drew Granchelli

SN: With our next album, we are releasing it on Elm and Oak and on 1320 Records. So it’s a new project with a new sound on a new label. We dropped our first album with just 1320, but we have really wanted to do this thing with Alex, so that is where we are at today.

[BUY Two Fresh music on 1320 Records online music store.]

The last one was a lot more sample and hip-hop-based and the new record “Air Mail” is more of Kendrick and I playing melodies on the keyboard and doing our own self production on the tracks.

Also, Elm & Oak is in charge of our graphics and merchandise, so it all works really well together.

HM: Ideally, where do you guys see Two Fresh a few years from now?

SN: I see us producing a lot more tracks for vocal artists and collaborating with instrument-based musicians. I really see the Two Fresh sound getting a lot bigger.

HM: Okay now a few random short questions and answers. Which one of you guys maintains your twitter account?

SN: Kendrick and I both do.

[FOLLOW Two Fresh on Facebook and Twitter.]

HM: Who is older, you or Kendrick?

SN: I am older by one minute but I never hold it against him.

HM: How many times per week, on average, do you eat bacon?

SN: Honestly, I usually eat bacon about five times per week. Maybe not every day but sometimes it’s multiple times per day. It’s a pretty good way to wake up.

HM: Well Sherwyn, it sure was great to catch up with you. Good luck with the tour and with the rest of 2011.

SN: Thanks for your time and thanks for sharing!

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The Air Mail Tour starts January 27 at the Copper Dragon in Carbondale, IL and culminates back in the Midwest on February 26 at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago, IL after circling through the South and the East Coast.

Contact Headstash Magazine editor Nick Rhodes at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .