MUSICAL duo Elizabeth Judd and Emile de la Rey’s musical journey in Contrite Elegant Rebel mirrors their own love affair.
After a chance meeting in Hamilton in 2000, when de la Rey dossed at her flat, the pair started writing music together. Then, Judd decided to travel. They spent four years apart but Judd was drawn back to Wellington when they teamed up to create their ‘band’ Porcelaintoy. The pair has been inseparable ever since and will marry later this month.
“It’s a concept of what happened to us,” says Judd, who sings and plays guitar and piano. “I wrote most of the songs while I was away so it’s really a worked out love story on-stage, from my perspective” she says smiling.
“It is music, so everything is not stated literally,” adds de la Rey, who takes care of electronics.
For their most ambitious live project to date, Porcelaintoy auditioned dancers, musicians and singers last year to re-produce the sound of their album Contrite Elegant Rebel, which will be released on opening night. The album songs form the basis of the live show which Judd describes as “basically a musical”.
Three dancers, six female singers, four cellists, two violists and a multi-media designer will present the visually glamorous show, under the direction of Theatre Militia company director Rachel Lenart.
An all-female theatrical choir and a haunting string section blurs the boundaries between theatre, film, dance and music creating their brand of “moody” downbeat, glitchy music.
“It’s a lot more upbeat than our last recording,” says Judd.
Influenced by Portishead and “a lot of old blues gospel music” Judd composes best at night. In fact, the pair have become nocturnal with Judd coming up with a song round 3am and de la Rey creating beats.
“It took us about a year to record the album and decide which ones we would pick to go on the album,” says Judd.
Porcelaintoy Presents: Contrite Elegant Rebel, Bats Theatre, 9.30pm, March 3-5.