ECHOES OF DESIGN | INTERVIEW + TRACK REVIEW

Born in the stillness of Sydney’s lockdown, Echoes of Design emerged not with fanfare, but with feeling. Just two musicians—once bandmates, now housemates—finding their way back to music in a terrace home turned makeshift studio. With the world on pause, they picked up their instruments and tapped into something that had been quietly waiting to resurface: a sound built on memory, mood, and instinct.

Now separated by continents but bound by a deep creative rhythm, Echoes of Design continues to craft songs that sit between nostalgia and cinematic tension. Their latest single, Saturday Girl (NYD Mix), blends dreamy textures with emotional weight—an echo of the moment it was born in. We caught up with the duo to explore the project’s origins, their cross-continental process, and what’s next as they prepare to open the next chapter.

TRACK REVIEW

Saturday Girl  NYD MIX kicks off with a light, unsuspecting doo doo doo that lulls you in—then out of nowhere, the riff and bass slam down and completely flip the mood. It’s a punch to the chest in the best way possible, setting the tone for a track that’s full of surprises.

The vocals immediately stand out, carrying a tone that feels strikingly close to Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s familiar without feeling derivative, and it’s super cool hearing that flavor woven into Echoes of Design’s unique sound.

The bass line deserves a special mention—it’s relentless, dynamic, and never lets the energy flatline. It holds the track together while keeping things constantly moving forward. Add to that a masterful production job, where every layer feels deliberate and alive, and Saturday Girl becomes a full-on sonic experience.

As the track progresses, the way the guitar tones evolve toward the solo section is unreal. The shift feels natural yet electrifying, like the song is lifting off into a whole new space right before your ears.

Echoes of Design have crafted something here that feels classic, cinematic, and fresh all at once. Saturday Girl doesn’t just land—it sticks.

LISTEN HERE

Tell us a bit about how Echoes of Design was born, what was it about that lockdown moment in Sydney that sparked the project into life?

Lockdown stripped everything back. No nights out, no distractions, no external noise—just time, stillness, and the space to breathe. That’s what brought Echoes of Design to life. Just two musicians, thrown together by chance, sharing a terrace house in Surry Hills during one of the most surreal moments in recent history. Both had played in bands before. Both had put music on the backburner to focus on life, careers, whatever else. But suddenly, everything paused.

It was that pause—the forced stillness—that opened the door. With nowhere to go and nothing to prove, they picked up guitars, fired up the keyboard, set up a makeshift vocal booth, and just started writing. There was no pressure, no agenda. The songs came quickly and naturally. Lockdown gave them the time and clarity to tap into something they might’ve missed otherwise.

You’ve racked up over 45 tracks, how do you stay creatively in sync while living on opposite sides of the world now?

It’s all about trust, rhythm, and shared vision.

After writing and recording so fluidly under one roof in Sydney, we built a strong creative shorthand. We know each other’s strengths, instincts, and tastes—so even with oceans between us now, that chemistry is still very much alive.

We work in layers. One of us might start something—could be a melody, a beat, a vocal idea—and send it across. The other picks it up, adds to it, shapes it, pushes it further. We go back and forth like that until it clicks. There’s no ego, no pressure—just the freedom to explore and refine.

We’re in constant contact too. Voice notes, video calls, endless threads of ideas. Time zones aren’t a barrier when you’re both excited about what you’re making.

That physical distance has actually given the music more depth. There’s contrast. Different environments, different headspaces—but the same emotional core. That tension and harmony between worlds is a big part of the Echoes of Design sound.

“Saturday Girl NYD Mix” has such a cinematic, nostalgic energy. What inspired this track, and how did it come together?

Saturday Girl (NYD Mix) was born out of a fleeting but emotionally charged connection Klaus had with someone he’d just started seeing—brief, intense, and the kind that lingers. Ben had been playing around with a moody guitar riff when Klaus came in with a vocal rhythm he’d been humming. As Ben riffed, Klaus began shaping vocal highlights around it, and that melodic energy inspired Ben to layer in dreamy synth textures that gave the song its cinematic lift. It was one of those rare sessions where everything just clicked—they were in the same room, feeding off each other’s energy in real time, building something that felt both intimate and expansive. The result was a nostalgic, atmospheric track that captures a moment suspended in emotion.

You’ve mentioned everything from ZZ Top to Lady Gaga as influences. Who or what is inspiring your sound lately?

Lately, I’ve found myself unintentionally regressing back to the sounds that shaped me—Pearl Jam, Jeff Buckley, The Cure, Depeche Mode. There’s something about tapping into that emotional imprint from my youth that naturally seeps into the new material. Whether it’s a certain chord progression, a vocal phrasing, or even just a mood, those influences sneak their way in without me even realizing it at first. It’s like they’re embedded in my creative DNA, and when I start writing, those echoes just come through.

Your home studio during lockdown sounds like a dream. How did that DIY setup shape the sound and vibe of the music you made there?

The home studio during lockdown really became the heart of our creative process. It was a DIY setup, but it had everything we needed—guitars, keyboards, drums, bass, a vocal booth. It wasn’t perfect or pristine, but it felt real and raw, and that energy definitely shaped the sound of the music. We were writing and recording all in one space, so the vibe was pretty fluid. It wasn’t about having the best gear; it was more about capturing the moment, feeling the energy of the music in real time. There was a freedom to it, an organic vibe, and the lack of outside pressure allowed us to really experiment and take risks with the sound. Music was always playing in the house—whether it was us jamming, Spotify on in the background, or even a music documentary we were watching. I’d wake up to music being played or made, and it was the same the other way around. It was around the clock, nonstop, and that constant presence of music really influenced how the tracks came together—spontaneous, authentic, and a bit rough around the edges, but it worked.

What role does distance play in your current creative process? Has being apart changed the way you write or produce?

Distance has shaped our creative process in a positive way, helping us focus more on the music rather than the logistics. Being on opposite sides of the world means we send ideas back and forth, building on each other’s work and trusting our instincts. This separation has pushed us to think outside the box and become more resourceful with the tools we use to collaborate. It’s like working on a puzzle from different sides—each of us contributing our part and then bringing it all together. In many ways, the distance has given us more space to experiment and explore new ideas that might not have emerged if we were constantly in each other's physical space.

The name Echoes of Design is intriguing, where did it come from, and what does it represent for you two as a project?

The name "Echoes of Design" reflects the idea that music, like design, has a lasting impact—something that resonates over time. It symbolizes how we shape sound, drawing from our influences and experiences to create something meaningful. "Echoes" captures how emotions ripple through our music, while "Design" speaks to the crafted nature of our work. It's about creating a sonic space that evolves and reflects the feelings we want to share, blending our love for both music and design in a way that feels intentional and timeless.

You’ve been quietly building for a while. What can listeners expect next, an album, live shows, more singles?

We’ve been building a solid foundation with a lot of material in the works, and now it’s time to share it. Next up, you can expect more singles to drop, each one revealing a different side of our sound. We’ve got an album in the pipeline as well, so that’ll be something to look forward to. As for live shows, we're definitely planning to bring the music to the stage once the time is right and things align. For now, it's all about creating, refining, and building momentum. Keep an ear out—there's plenty more coming your way.

With such a diverse musical background between you, how do you strike a balance between experimentation and cohesion in your tracks?

Balancing experimentation and cohesion comes down to staying true to what we're trying to express. Despite our different musical backgrounds, discovering we both loved bands like Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, The Black Crowes, and Queens of the Stone Age created a solid foundation of trust and familiarity in our writing. This shared ground allows us to experiment with new sounds while keeping the core of our music intact. We trust each other’s instincts, letting the track guide us, and sometimes stepping outside our comfort zones. It’s all about creating something authentic that resonates—whether through a catchy riff, powerful lyrics, or innovative production techniques—while ensuring everything feels cohesive.

If Echoes of Design were to score a film, what kind of movie would it be, and what scene would “Saturday Girl” soundtrack?

If Echoes of Design were to score a film, it would likely be an indie drama, a gritty thriller, or a road movie with an edge. Klaus’ love for horror films, dark genres, and macabre themes would bring an eerie, suspenseful energy, while Ben would add emotional depth and atmosphere. “Saturday Girl” would be the perfect soundtrack for a scene where a character has a moment of realization—imagine a late-night drive through neon-lit streets, reflecting on a past relationship. The song’s nostalgic yet haunting vibe would capture the tension and fleeting beauty of the moment, with Klaus' darker influences subtly adding an underlying edge to the introspective journey.

LISTEN HERE