Getting to know... ST.MARTiiNS

Dundee-based ST.MARTiiNS are Katie Lynch and Mark Johnston. Together, the duo have expertly crafted a unique soundscape combining elements of jazz, lo-fi, electronica and pop – this combined with Lynch's delicate dream-like vocals make ST.MARTiiNS the perfect soundtrack for a lazy, hazy summer day.

Having just launched the video for their othr grls single, which you can watch in the above player, we caught up with Lynch to find out a little bit more about this two-piece.

The Skinny: How did you and Mark meet?
Katie Lynch: Mark and I met at high school when we were 12 and we have always been inseparable.

When did you start making music together? 
We started making music at age 13 when Mark bashfully asked me over MSN Messenger to sing in his "rock band". We have had various projects with others but always returned to the pull of the world we made with our own sound.

How did ST.MARTiiNS come about?
ST.MARTiiNS came about when I was studying at university. We decided to start this project to fulfil our desire to work as a duo and to pursue music as a career. It is a project which encompasses all of our creative interests besides just music.

Where does the name come from?
We have always seen our music as a collision of our two selves, creating a new place we could escape to. Regardless of what was happening in our lives, we had our own island.
Like the island, St Maarten.

Who would you cite as your musical inspirations and influences? 
We have such varied and vast taste in music so it is hard to pinpoint, but for Mark, Bombay Bicycle Club definitely influenced him stylistically and technically. For myself, artists such as The Cure, ANOHNI and newer artists like Day Wave have influenced me greatly. My interest in literature has also been prominent as I spend a lot of time writing poetry and lyrics.

What's next for ST.MARTiiNS?
We are excited to release our debut EP on 23 Jun. We are also headlining King Tut's on 30 Jun which is due to be an amazing night for us. We have some great support acts performing that night: SKJØR and Le Thug. Tickets are available online from King Tut's site and our own social media pages. [We're also] excited for the future and to see how we can impact music lovers in Scotland and further afield.