Focus: Constellation Prize

Who are you and where are you from?
We are Rich, from Darlington, and Steph, from Southampton! Hello! 

What is it you do?
Rich is a multi–instrumentalist, composer and artwork/concept designer for our single Loving You (Is a Losing Game) and the newest release Chase That High. Steph is the main lyricist and vocalist, and comes up with the hooky lyrics and pretty harmonies to weave into the tracks.

How long have you been doing it?
Since the summer of 2019. We’d met on Twitter that Spring and decided to start Constellation Prize as a remote project after we realised, over initial chats, that we had a lot of shared interests and love for the same music. Bonds were formed over a mutual appreciation of filthy basslines and 6Music.

But the idea of an electronic project with female vocals was conceived two years prior, with Rich flooded with ideas for creating music that evoked feeling and emotion, and he even had the band name jotted down in his phone! 

Our first single was a synth pop cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Games, followed in early 2021 with the electro-funk bop Loving You (Is A Losing Game) and we’re about to drop our summertime electropop anthem Chase That High.

What inspires you?
Steph – Often, life experiences. There’s a lot of mulling involved. A lot of processing. I find it hard to churn lyrics out and tend to get better results if I’m feeling a particular way about something. That said, they are pop songs, so I try not to get that deep, and really, it’s about finding the hook and running with it. And Rich will send me the bones of a track and it might take me somewhere completely different to where I initially thought, depending on what I hear when I’m listening.

Rich – I start with a small idea and build from there and it usually develops into something else. For Loving You (Is A Losing Game) I had a 70s style funk idea in mind that sprung from lockdown listening and layered it all up from there. With Chase That High I was aiming for a piece reminiscent of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, but the finished track ended up sounding completely different. The journey between points A and B is where creativity takes place and new ideas and directions take hold. 

Tell us about your music.
Constellation Prize is primarily an electronic band, but we try to encompass many different genres and textures to suit the style of the lyrics or tone of the song. We have an anything goes sort of approach, if we have an idea, we’ll always try it out, and if it works, then it’s exciting, and if not, well at least we tried. We try not to limit ourselves to anything specific, but we felt electronic gave us freedom to explore different styles and approaches and create a wider soundscape.

Rich – I am slightly obsessed with vintage synths and drum machines and these sounds live and breathe within the songs even if they are not obviously present all the time. They’re really familiar and add texture and atmosphere to the music, as well as satisfying my own tastes.

We’ve regularly collaborated with Jamie “Jampottt” Donnelly, who has mixed and mastered our tracks since day one. More recently, he’s provided guitar on Loving You (Is A Losing Game) and Co-Produced Chase That High, thickening up both songs and making them more accessible whilst retaining the same vibe we set out to accomplish. Steph always says he sprinkles them with a little bit of magic.

What have you got coming up in the future?
We’re working on a fresh new sound for future material. Listening to a lot of records, and trying to step away from our comfort zones.

Where can people find out more about you?
You can listen to us anywhere you can stream or buy music. Or find us on Twitter (@cp_musiq), Insta (@constellationprizemusic), and Facebook (@constellationprize). Come and say hi, we’re really friendly!