MS MR’s music is deeply atmospheric and all consuming. The epic instrumentation buoys the dark imagery of the lyrics and together they blend into songs that seem to echo and create cavernous spaces in the mind of the listener.
The New York based duo consist of Lizzy Plapinger also know as MS, who sings the vocals, and Max Hershenow also know as MR, who does the music. Plapinger is co-founder of Neon Gold Records, an indie label that helped launch artists like Ellie Golding and Marina and the Diamonds. She started the label with childhood friend, Derek Davies, while they were still in college. They ran it out of their dorm rooms until the day after Plapinger graduated, when they signed a distribution deal with Columbia Records. Both Plapinger and Hershenow graduated from Vassar College, but were no more than acquaintances when he approached her about finding a vocalist for a musical project. She sent him a list of artists from her label, putting herself on the list as well. The two of them hit it off and MS MR was born.
The band released their first singles ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Fantasy’ in 2010. Two years later they put out an EP called Candy Bar Creep Show which contained ‘Hurricane’ plus three new tracks. By the next year they dropped their debut LP Secondhand Serenade, containing both singles and the songs off the EP. The album is polished, beautifully haunting, and falls at the darker end of the pop spectrum. Though still relative newcomers, the band is gaining popularity quickly and is well on their way to becoming a major force in the indie pop music scene.
MS MR will be playing in the TBD Festival on Saturday Oct. 4. The festival will take place on the River Walk in West Sacramento.
TUBE. will see you there!
For more information on TBD visit www.tbdfest.com