.png)
“The violin is unlikely to ever replace the guitar but we wanted to showcase what a versatile instrument it is and that it isn’t just for classical concerts”
The violin is one of the most beautiful instruments and placed in the hands of an incredibly talented musicians like Linzi Stoppard and Ben Lee who are collectively known as FUSE, you get a one-of- a-kind sound that music fans have been raving about and mimicking.
Since FUSE releasing their self-titled debut album on Edel AG Records their star has quickly risen. The electric guitar sound they create with the violins has won them a legion of fans.
We had a chance to catch up with Linzi Stoppard and she shared a link to the Glorious video which features the duo performing with Swarovski crystal encrusted violins worth over £1M each. She also answered 5 quick questions as part of our Artist Spotlight.
Check out the video and the interview:
Who is your favorite artist?
I normally say Madonna because she was so iconic when I was growing up but, at the moment I’d have to say P!nk, because of her extraordinary stage presence. She is an incredible live artist and we always believe that that is where it matters most.
Describe your music for those who have never heard it.
It is best described as high energy Pop/Rock Electric Violin. With my violin duo FUSE our first album was a collection of rock anthems released by Edel/Universal.
For live shows we do also have a repertoire of more classical crossover, house & some dubstep music too. These other genres normally form the first half of the show and the second half is the rock anthems to get everyone on their feet and singing.
.png)
What inspired you to pursue music?
I grew up in quite a musical house as a child – at one end of the scale my mum was very musical and played classically, and at the other end my father always had rock music playing in the house. It was kind of a melting point situation and created a varied and eclectic soundtrack to my childhood.
Growing up with such different influences probably goes some way to explain how I ended up playing a classical instrument like the violin but my preferred sound is much more along the contemporary rock avenue.
What has been your greatest career accomplishment?
It’s always difficult to pin it down to one occasion or one achievement. From a live musical perspective my top three would be – performing at The Royal Albert Hall in London (as a child growing up it was a dream to play at this wonderful venue after seeing so many amazing artists there)
Next would performing at Glastonbury because of its iconic status and also it isn’t the usual place you’d expect to see violin duo so it felt really special, & then I would have to include performing on Broadway in New York. That sort of speaks for itself!
FUSE is famed for the contemporary unique and fresh approach to music and that includes the incredible violins that we are created with our partners. So I’d be missing a trick if I didn’t give these mention and include them under our achievements as they are all one-offs never to be made again.
Of course, I am referring to our Swarovski Crystal violins and more recently the world’s first-ever 24carat golden violins created in collaboration with British jeweler Theo Fennell.
Both sets of violins could not have come to fruition without the esteemed help from bespoke violin manufacturer Bridge Violins. We had to break boundaries, use techniques never tried before and have the faith.
Each project took over a year to complete but, it was well worth the wait. I’d have to say it was a team effort every step of the way. Both sets of violins could not have come to fruition without the esteemed help from bespoke violin manufacturer Bridge Violins.
What has been your biggest challenge?
There have been a few but one constructive criticism we have received over the years is that FUSE is always ahead of the curve. There is a hidden compliment in that because it means we are thinking about where next to take the violin and developing the sound before people even know they want it.
Fast forward 12-24 months and suddenly lots of violin groups are copying what FUSE is doing, even now there’s a new violin artist coming onto the scene and the music and style is a carbon copy of what we were doing a couple of years ago – I think the expression goes… plagiarism is the highest form of flattery!
What are your music career goals?
It’s a bit of a cliche but from the very beginning Ben and I always said we want to encourage young people to pick up the violin and see it as an alternative to more common instruments. That is still true today.
The violin is unlikely to ever replace the guitar but we wanted to showcase what a versatile instrument it is and that it isn’t just for classical concerts. However, the latter is very important, indeed Ben and I were both classically trained from the age of four or five, so we would always encourage kids to start off there but then later to broaden their horizons and try experimenting with the electric. It is a real buzz!
We have great fun in FUSE performing all over the world, entertaining thousands of fans, and being able to freely experiment with new productions and styles – it’s a privilege really. I suppose the next box we want to tick is a film soundtrack and who knows that might be fulfilled in the very near future!
You can purchase FUSE’s debut album on Itunes.
stay connected with Linzi Stoppard
