Features : Pop Duo T.Y. Brings a Modern Twist to the Classic Hit Single ‘Inside Out’

Australian pop duo T.Y. modernizes the U.K. classic “Inside Out” by Jesse Rae for old and new audiences alike. Listeners across the globe are invited to dance along to the vibrant sound of T.Y. and join them as they unveil their musical catalogue over the coming year.

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, T.Y. is longtime friends Elle and Sez. Growing up, Elle was surrounded by a musical family.

“We listened to a lot of music, especially ’80s-inspired music,” tells Elle. “My mom signed me up for guitar at age 8. I learned that first, then it stemmed from there. I went around writing stupid little songs like you do when you’re a child,” she jokes.

Later, in high school, Elle took up theater, where she met Sez, and the two bonded over their musical talents. She went on to study sound production and learned to produce and mix as well.

Like her counterpart, Sez has grown her lifelong passion for music over the years. She trained in musical theater in high school and continued her education in vocal performance and production with a bachelor’s degree. Bonded by a mutual love for all things music, Sez and Elle took their friendship to new heights with the creation of their performance group T.Y.

“We had such similar tastes in music to begin with that we decided to become a duo. We work so well musically,” they share.

The genre at the heart of their fascination? Dance pop.

“We grew up on dance pop like Kylie Minogue. When we first started, K-pop was our biggest inspiration. We loved the style and dances. Now we’ve grown to love dance pop all around,” they add.

As for the dancing? That’s still a work in progress. Dance lessons and dedication are their driving force.

K-pop has had an immeasurable impact on them. In fact, the name T.Y. was inspired by the “BTS-shaped era where we are.”

“We wanted to do a letter name or something similar,” adds T.Y. “We would say to each other, ‘T.Y.’ as in ‘thank you,’ and it stuck.”

From an inside joke to an international artist name, T.Y. has evolved and taken shape much like its two members.

When it comes to writing music, T.Y. relies on their production skills coupled with the work of co-producers to achieve their vision. They often discuss ideas as they come up and determine whether to create a song about the topic.

“If it’s worth talking about, it’s worth singing about,” says the duo. “It’s like writing poetry—it’s cathartic. We take inspiration from our lives. Writing is like therapy to get things off our chest.”

For their latest single, T.Y. chose to rerecord the 1982 hit “Inside Out” by Jesse Rae.

“It’s about someone who’s been broken up with or broken up with someone else—and they’re still obsessing about the heartbreak and what that means for them. It’s also about losing and gaining faith. It can be interpreted in many ways.”

The duo enlisted the help of a co-producer to blend their unique sound with the heart of the original song.

“The changes are minor, stylistic,” shares T.Y. “When the song came out, it meant a lot to people who grew up with that genre, song, and artist. We wanted to find a balance between our spin and keeping true to the meaning behind the original. We kept the heavy bassline that was so representative of that time.”

Pinpointing a favorite part of the song isn’t feasible. In fact, according to T.Y., it’s the ever-changing effect of the song that is so impactful.

“It changes every time we listen to it. We love it,” they explain. “Every time we listen to it, we interpret it a different way. We hope everyone who listens to it does. The beauty of songwriting is that different people can relate to it in a different way.”

Up next for T.Y. is working on more music for fans to enjoy. They look forward to taking the stage as well, both in Melbourne and overseas.

“Our music is relatable. We write something for everyone,” T.Y. adds. “We hope someone can find comfort in it.”

Make sure to stay connected to T.Y. on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

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