Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
We are Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore AKA Two Hearts, a comedy/pop-music duo from New Zealand. Laura is the lead vocalist, Joseph is the second lead vocalist who is not as good at singing, but he does have other valuable skills like taking on the task of answering these questions. Fun fact: Off-stage we are a real-life romantic couple (like in the magazines).
How would you describe your show?
An arena pop concert for people who wish that arena pop concerts had jokes in them. It’s basically just your chance to watch two comedians fulfil their pop star dreams live on stage, while shattering any aspiration they may have had to buy a house because they spent too much money hiring flashy lights.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
It’s famously quite a good festival! This will be our third time coming. Once they finally let people leave (and re-enter) New Zealand a few mere months ago, we knew the Fringe was the first place we had to go.
What differentiates it from other festivals?
Lots of people go to it, and it’s far away from our house and our lives! We work in television by day and it can get very hectic and it's so great to be able to focus entirely on our live act every day for a month.
What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?
Two Hearts started when we were already working in comedy, and harboured secret ambitions to make serious pop music. When we realised how difficult it is to write earnest song lyrics, we combined our passions and here we are.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
Laura is a trained actor from the prestigious school of UNITEC in Auckland, as is evident in her powerful stage-presence and significant student loan. I have no formal training, which is evident when watching us perform side by side. Jokes on Unitec, Laura keeps teaching me stuff she learnt there for free. No student loan for me! (Well, I’ve still got one, but for something else)
What is your earliest childhood art memory?
A touring Winnie The Pooh show in Wellington, NZ. Probably around 1994... All the characters looked like the Disney versions of Winnie The Pooh, which seemed legit to me as a 4 year old at the time. But thinking back, it was in far too shabby a venue to be a licensed Disney production. Any entertainment lawyers reading should look into this.
If you didn’t have your current job, what would you probably be doing?
Inspirational teachers changing lives through music at a low income school. Fingers crossed for those kids our current path doesn’t work out for us.
Did Covid-19 change the way you create work? Do you approach shows with a different mentality now?
It’s gotten harder to write new work without just letting cynicism about the shitshow that is the entire world (Covid and otherwise) completely take over. But other than that, trying to make a show like we used to do has actually been one of the more positive experiences of the pandemic.
Describe the last year in 5 words or less?
Sneaks into the Top 33 (of my ranking of years)
Do you subscribe to the idea that art should be exempt from ‘cancel culture’?
I’ll subscribe to whatever school of thought that gets us to stop talking about ‘cancel culture’ as soon as possible!
If you could work with anybody, from any point in history, who would you pick and why?
I already work with my beautiful fiancé Laura Daniel, what more could I possibly want? Second place goes to Drake.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?
Warning, Edinburgh is way further away from Auckland, New Zealand than you might think.
When and where can people see your show?
Assembly George Square, 8:50pm!
And where can people find, follow and like you online?
@twoheartsnz @imlauradaniel or @josephmoore1
See Two Hearts: We’re Pregnant and the Baby is Music at the Assembly during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 3-28 August. For more information and tickets visit www.edfringe.com or www.assemblyfestival.com
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