We had the pleasure of speaking with Ready, Steady, Die!—a dynamic British-American electronic duo made up of New York-based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Morgan Visconti and London-based vocalist and lyricist Sam K. Together, they’ve been creating music that pushes boundaries with their blend of personal storytelling and bold soundscapes. In this interview, we dive into their latest single ‘Access to Pollution’, explore the unique dynamics of long-distance collaboration, and discuss the influence of their musical backgrounds. Join us as we uncover the inspiration behind their music and hear their thoughts on the evolving music scene.
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who aren’t familiar with Ready, Steady, Die!, can
you introduce yourself?
Hi there, RSD! is a British-American electronic music duo comprising New York-based Morgan Visconti (he/him – composer, producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, vocals) and London-based Sam K (she/her – composer, lyrics, vocals).
Let’s dive right in and talk about your latest single ‘Access To Pollution’, what does this release mean to you?
If anyone has been following us over the past two albums, you might say our lyrical theme is around dissecting and calling out toxic relationships. Access to Pollution follows this theme and takes it even further into evaluating how power struggles evolve but hopefully delivers a message of how to get out.
The story of how this song was inspired is really unique (well aside from Chris Rhea),
do ideas for songs usually arise so spontaneously?
Yes. As Sam K was stuck in traffic, she had Morgan’s music playing in the background as she was sourcing a melody and lyrics for the new track. The road sign to her left read Access to Pollution. So, this felt quite fitting with the subjects we tend to cover and decided there and then to make that at least a working title, but it inspired the message of the song.
Most of the working lyrics used to produce a melody end up being the finished product. There’s something to be said for allowing a part of the brain to play about with lyrics without becoming attached to them being the final work.
What are some of the advantages and obstacles to collaborating long-distance between the UK and the USA?
I think the obstacles are probably quite obvious in the respect that we aren’t together in the same room to bounce ideas back and forth quickly. There isn’t the opportunity for us to say, hey, shall we get together over a beer tonight and just jam? But maybe the advantages are being able to have a slightly different cultural ear to the ground. But with today’s technology of course it’s not the problem we had a couple of decades ago! The times when we get together in person we’ve been extremely prolific but we never let 3000 miles get in the way of our music.
Do the music inheritances of these two countries influence your own style at all?
Absolutely they do. Even though we share some common influences, Sam has her ear on what’s going on in the UK and I’m seeing local bands in NYC regularly. She told me about the UK band Royal Blood for instance and I hadn’t heard of them yet. I think those word of mouth endorsements sink in the way social media doesn’t do. So I went to see RB live when they came through and for Access To Pollution, a little bit of that distorted bass ended up being a driving force on the track (actually it’s played on the E string of a guitar but anyway…) On the contrary, I listen to a lot of hip hop – it’s literally outside my door in Brooklyn and so that ends up imprinting on my tracks.
What’s your earliest musical memory?
Sam K – My brother playing Sparks’ “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us” excruciatingly loud and sitting me in front of the speakers and I was too young to be able to get up and move away. I met Ron and Russell years later at Morgan’s dad, Tony Visconti’s recording studio in London. They were so sweet. This healed the memory!
Morgan – Coincidentally I sat in on the Sparks recording Indiscreet in our basement studio when I was in nappies so I think the Sparks are also my earliest memory!
Who are some newer bands and artists currently on your listening rotation right now?
Sam K – loving FKA Twigs’ Eusexua but also listening to Jungle and Ezra Collective so quite a mix.
Morgan – I love hearing what young producers are doing with technology (I’m not talking about AI…) on social media. jabeau is a master of Ableton Live and it’s inspiring to hear him talk about tips and tricks while dropping the most impossible sounds I’ve never heard before. And although not new I have to shout out to the The The for their latest LP Ensoulment. It’s a breath of fresh air.
Do you have any advice for fellow or future songwriters who want to branch out of
their comfort zone?
Sam K : There are literally no rules now. Don’t place limits or think people might not like what you have to say. If you care, so will someone somewhere.
Morgan: I’ll quote my favourite David Bowie quote “Never play to the gallery […] when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”
And lastly, what can fans expect from Ready, Steady Die! this year?
Maybe another naughty single next, like Kiss It. Working lyrics: Don’t Pass the Buck, it’s You I Wanna..
You can also listen to ‘Access To Pollution’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
Follow Ready, Steady, Die!:
UNRECORDED 