Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester visit The Met as part of the National Lottery Revive Live January Tour.

After writing hundreds of songs and playing hundreds of shows together, Ferris & Sylvester have evolved their sound into a distinct combination of blues, americana and rock’n’roll, sitting them somewhere between Alabama Shakes, Jack White and First Aid Kit. Their timeless songwriting is impossible to ignore.

The British duo are due to release their highly anticipated debut album Superhuman in March 2022. The twelve track album – recorded in Seattle USA with Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, The Strokes), and Cornwall UK with Michael Rendall (Pink Floyd, Youth) – holds ten never before heard songs and takes the listener on a journey through the duo’s world where genres intertwine and emotions are stripped down to the core.

Since meeting as solo musicians a few years ago at the London Blues joint Spiritual Bar, F&S have released a collection of singles and EPs, a lot of which they recorded in their South London flat. Their raw and honest songwriting about their life together brought praise across BBC Radio 1, 2, 4 and 6, earned them a place in Rolling Stone’s ‘Top 10 Americana Acts You Need To Know’ and saw them climb to number 14 on Spotify’s UK Viral chart. Their EPs ‘Made In Streatham’ and ‘I Should Be On A Train’ have racked up over 10 million streams on Spotify and their singles have been synced across British TV, most notably for BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon.

During their relatively short pre-Covid existence, their music took them around the world, playing over a hundred shows every year including Isle of Wight, Sziget, Americanafest and BST in Hyde Park. They have shared the stage with the likes of Robert Plant, George Ezra, Jade Bird and James Morrison, winning over audiences and building a loyal and mighty fanbase. The pair sold out two nights at London Omeara on their last tour and have their next headline tour lined up for October 2021, promoted by Live Nation and Kilimanjaro. They’ve been championed by BBC Introducing and have played their stage at SXSW, Wilderness and Glastonbury as well as their very own live session at Maida Vale Studios. Last year, they won the Emerging Artist Award at The UK Americana Awards, earned a spot on BBC Introducing’s ‘Best of 2020 list’ and signed their first publishing deal with Sentric Music.

In the world’s state of transition this past year, the duo have explored new territory in lockdown life and set up a studio, focusing on their own songwriting and collaborating with other artists on various albums and on the duo’s podcast series ‘The Song Uncovered’. Escaping to the countryside, they discovered a life away from touring where writing and recording went hand in hand with hiking, knitting and growing their own food. With their debut album ready for lift off, Ferris & Sylvester enter this new era with a renewed sense of confidence, self knowledge and drive.

Support comes from Hannah Ashcroft.