Nathan Mahon and Nick Tsirimokos are two extremely good-looking Australian men who make ridiculously catchy synthpop. Here is my complete interview with the boys. Be sure to check out the hunky lost-pirate video for “Stay in Touch” and buy the EP online at garcongarcon.com.
 
Hello, Nathan and Nick! Can you please explain how you two met and how you came to make music together?
 
Nathan: We met through mutual friends almost two years ago now. I moved right across the road from Nick pretty much, and we got talking music one day and realized we were both writing. One day I went over to show Nick two songs I had written on my guitar. I was so nervous! I hadn't made music with anyone for a long time and I was kind of intimidated by Nick's tracks that I had heard. They were really good! I think he must have saw something there he liked because we started working on them pretty much straight away. The goal was really just to play these two songs at my birthday party back in 2010, which we did. People seemed to like the songs, so we posted them on Facebook and started a fan page, and before we knew it we were getting blogged about all over the world! It gave us the confidence to keep going and work towards an EP. We write the songs together;Nick looks after the production side of things, and I look after lyrics and vocals. 
 
Nick:  When Nathan first showed me his guitar versions of "Take Me Out" and "Maybe Tonight," I was really impressed with how raw and honest the songs were, but I guess what excited me most was the idea that it could perhaps mesh with the type of production I was getting into. I think it’s fair to say that we have never made this kind of music individually. My projects were always downbeat, almost industrial electronica; the thought of making electroclash or synthpop seemed almost impossible. So I think it's fair to say that the music chose us -- we always keep coming back to the same fundamental sound, and I really dig that. 
 
Is there a specific thing you'd like your music to do to people once it's out in the world?
 
Nathan: We've had a lot of people comment that they can relate to the songs and that they mean a lot to them, so for me that's already a huge accomplishment. The fact that you write something and people all over the world actually listen to it and appreciate it is pretty amazing to me! I think my personal goal with Garçon Garçon is to just keep making music that we enjoy and to see what happens. One of the really exciting things about being in the band is getting to work with lots of amazing people, like Patrick Wolf, Jeremy Scott, Elvis Di Fazio, Alex Goddard -- so I'd like to keep collaborating with people and keep creating new and interesting ideas together. 
 
Nick: I think synthpop has always gotten a pretty bad rap, except for maybe a few bands like Fischerspooner or Postal Service. I think my main goal is to show people that pop can be meaningful, too, and it doesn’t have to be disposable – it can have soul, and it can certainly be credible. For Garçon Garçon, beneath all of the fun layers of music, the songs themselves are sometimes really sad, but I think it's important to have a balance. 
 
Who are some of your big musical influences? And what was the last amazing concert you saw?
 
Nathan: Nick and I are from pretty different musical backgrounds. We share quite a few influences, like Björk, The Knife and the ’80s/’90s, but day to day we listen to pretty different things. I love bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Drums, Interpol, The Horrors, Nirvana, The Kills. The last amazing concert I saw was actually Dolly Parton! I wasn't a fan at all when I went, but she totally converted me. She was incredible.
 
Nick: I listen to the likes of Coco Rosie, Björk, Sigur Rós, FM Belfast, Agnes Obel and Fever Ray. The last concert I went to was actually Coco Rosie at the Sydney Opera House. They are so unbelievably brilliant and they have really stepped up their live show since I last saw them, two years ago. They are so unique in what they do, and they just march to their own beat – it's how music should be.
  
What's it like being a dance duo in Sydney?
 
Nick: I’m not quite sure. Are we dance? I haven’t seen anyone fist pump at a concert just yet.
 
What's it like being a gay duo in Sydney? Do people even give a shit?
 
Nathan: Not that many people in Australia know who we are yet. We have a very healthy dance-music scene here, but most of our success has been overseas to date. The people that do know about us have been very supportive, and I'm excited to let more people get to know us once the EP is out. Gay or not gay isn't really an issue for us. 
 
Nick: I guess it’s the same as being a straight duo in Sydney, except we have better clothes.
 
You both have tattoos. Can you please tell me which one is your current favourite and why?
 
Nathan: I just have the one, but I need more. It's a curse! I'm waiting until I go back to NYC to get the same artist (Josh Lord at East Side Ink) to do me my next one. 
 
Nick: I have a full sleeve of owls and icebergs. I think it was the pinnacle of my obsession with all things Nordic – but seriously, I am SO sick of people buying me owl shit -- my house is full of it. I feel like a freaky bird lady or something.
 
Tell me a bit about the new EP.
 
Nathan: The EP was recorded at Studios 301 here in Sydney, where Lady Gaga, Snoop Dog and thousands of other great people have recorded. It's taken us a long time because we've done everything by ourselves. We aren't signed, so we still both have full-time day jobs and do all this on the side. Doing things properly took much longer than I ever imagined! It's been a process, but I am so proud of us and excited to finally be sharing the EP with everyone. I think working with Cazwell was a highlight. His rap on our track "Hollywood Song" is super cool. Looking forward to playing some shows with him later this year. 
 
Nick: I agree.  I think my favourite person to work with was our mixing engineer, James Frew. Not only is he a brilliant musician in his own right, but he is literally a sonic genius. He took our songs places that we never thought they could go, and we are so unbelievably grateful for that.
 
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