”We just want to create moments of joy for people” – An Interview with ARXX
Brighton alt-pop duo ARXX have just released a fabulously catchy new single “We Don’t Talk About It Enough”. Produced by Steven Ansell with mastering from Katie Tavini, it is an ode to friendship and how we don’t always value it the way we should (“We don’t give it what it’s worth/We never give it the chorus/It only get’s the verse”).
This song is a love letter to our friends. It’s a celebration of love that doesn’t have to be romantic. Friendship love can be the most healing, important and unparalleled joy in life, and we don’t talk about it enough.
ARXX
ARXX are Hanni Pidduck (they/them) on guitar and vocals and Clara Townsend (she/her) on drums and vocals. They joined forces in 2017 and have been firing out pop-rock anthems about inclusivity and queer joy ever since. They have released a number of EPs and two albums, most recently Good Boy in 2024. We first discovered ARXX with their brilliant single ‘Call Me Crazy’’ which made it onto our best songs of 2020.
The duo recently played some showcases at SXSW (we saw their fantastic set at Seven Grand) and we caught up with Hanni and Clara as they relaxed in the Texas sun.
Hi! How’s everything going right now?
Brilliant! We’re answering this from a hot tub in Austin.
Sounds idyllic! What classic album cover art is your current mood?
Nirvana Nevermind
You’ve just released a wonderful new single “We Don’t Talk About It Enough” – when did you write and record it?
We recorded that song in one day in February! It was very instinctive, we wrote it really quick, recorded it really quick!
It’s a really positive, uplifting song at a time where almost everything seems to be depressing. Was this a counterpoint to that or did you just want to talk about it more?
Most of the time with our music we just want to create moments of joy for people because the world can be a scary place. Personally we went through a difficult time last year and our friends were everything to us, so we wanted to celebrate that.
If you could only listen to one record, what would it be?
“We don’t talk about it enough” by ARXX!!
You wrote the soundtrack for the BBC series Riot Women – how did that project come about?
Amy Raphael ( a journalist) slid into our DMs! We thought it was a scam at first, but turns out it wasn’t!
We caught your fabulous (but far too brief) set at Seven Grand at SXSW. Did you enjoy your time in Austin?
So much that we’re still here! It’s a lot like our home town of Brighton and we’ve had so much fun exploring.
It’s a worrying time for the LQGBT+ community in the US – did you have any second thoughts about traveling over?
It is, and it is everywhere, our hearts go out to all the Queer folks here and we are sending everyone love. It definitely presented worries and challenges, but ultimately we are still in a position of privilege where we can be loud about our Queerness, so we’re going to keep doing that.
Who were your musical inspirations growing up?
Hanni – My music taste has always been eclectic. I grew up listening to country music, but I really latched onto artists like Joan Jett and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Clara – I was absolutely obsessed with Pink and Avril Lavigne. I just thought they were the coolest people ever and I would watch live concert videos of them for hours and hours!
What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called?
Hanni – aubergine, provola smoked cheese, pine nuts, fresh basil and honey. called Hanni I’m Home
Clara – sweetcorn, pepperoni, goats cheese – called Corny Barnett
What else do you have on the horizon for 2026 (music, shows) that we should know about?
We’ve got shows that we can’t announce just yet! If you sign up to our mailing list you’ll get all the goss first.
You can join the ARXX mailing list here and follow the band Instagram and TikTok for all the latest news.
Feature Photo Credit – Rosie Powell
