Entertainment
How The Nova Twins Are Leading A New Era Of Heavy Metal Music
The duo talk new album ‘Supernova’ and their “telepathic” bond.
Amy Love and Georgia South — the English duo known as the Nova Twins — are spearheading a new era of heavy metal music. As Black artists in a typically white-dominated space, they’ve redefined what it means to be a part of the genre. “Our music is for the underdogs,” South says. “We want people to celebrate their uniqueness and come out the other side feeling so powerful they can take on anything!”
The childhood friends are longtime musicians with a soft spot for early-aughts R&B and hip-hop. “That guided us when we were younger and gave us some kind of stability,” Love explains. “Then we wanted to venture out and were met with people saying, ‘You don’t belong here.’”
Though they’re not actually twins, the two have always operated on the same wavelength. “We do so many twin telepathic things, it’s so weird!” South says. So when they recognized the lack of representation, and respect, for Black heavy-metal artists, they decided to introduce themselves with a bang.
In 2014, Love and South released their first EP, Nova Twins. The 5-track record opens with a message aimed directly at their adversaries. Paired against the daunting sound of an electric motor, Love belts, “We’re on your hit list / Topic of the day / Writing on the wall / Yeah you know my name’s on it.” The record is a passionate rallying cry that defied expectations. Soon after its release, the Nova Twins garnered a group of eager listeners. “We often touch on messages of empowerment, justice, and being a bad bitch in general,” Love says, reflecting on why their fans are drawn to their music. “People come to our shows to let their hair down and to be a part of something.”
Six years after writing their EP, the Nova Twins dropped their debut album, Who Are The Girls? The record garnered critical acclaim from artists like Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, who called them “an incredible band who deserves to be huge,” and Oli Sykes, the lead vocalist of Bring Me The Horizon, who deemed them one of his favorite bands before asking to work together on the track “1x1.” Even without the celebrity shoutouts, their album racked up millions of streams and established Love and South as seasoned heavy-metal artists. Now with nearly 8 years of experience under their belt, and an army of dedicated fans by their side, the duo is preparing to drop their next project, Supernova (out June 17, 2022 via Marshall Records).
Love describes the record as a fusion of “dreams and nightmares.” With a mix of eccentric songs, Supernova is more of a shape-shifter than their previous work. “You’ve got the dark things that have happened, but then also the fun and colorful light to the shade,” South explains. “You’ll have a giant lollipop coming at you, but then it turns into a beast.”
If there’s anything you should know about Nova Twins, it’s that they like to warp expectations. That sentiment covers every aspect of their art, from the music they write to the costumes they wear on stage. Both Love and South like to style themselves in bright, sometimes hyper-feminine, attire to combat the perception of what a heavy-metal artist looks like. “People just assume that women who dress colorfully can’t play,” says South. “We want to change that for everyone. We want to change the way that people look at heavy music.”
Supernova encompasses that mission entirely. From their electric track “Cleopatra,” which was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, to the shameless sex-positive song “Puzzles,” or “Fire and Ice” — their ode to all the “sad girls” and “bad girls” — there’s a bit of something for everyone.
Ahead of the album's release in June, Nova Twins took the NYLON 19 and talked about their go-to drink orders, favorite break-up songs, and the relatable bad habits they’re trying to fix.
What’s your astrological sign (and do you believe in it)?
Georgia South: I’m a Capricorn and have a Scorpio Moon! I believe in these so much — it’s always so true, knowing someone’s star sign and moon sign can tell you so much about a person. I wish I knew more. I wanna get a book on it all! My primal astrology animal is an Ant and Amy is a Frog, haha!
Amy Love: I am a Pisces — yeah, we are into star signs — we are always reading out our friends’ charts or primal animal signs. It can be scarily accurate!
Do you believe in ghosts, (and have you ever seen one)?
Love: I do believe in ghosts but I wouldn’t want to see one. I’m not ready for that shit! Ha!
South: I definitely believe in an after life and spirits, especially when you see a 2-year-old shredding the piano or something — that freaks me out! Or a kid comes back as their grandad because they know all the family secrets! I’ve done way too many YouTube rabbit holes on this shit, haha!
What’s your go-to drink order? (And if it's boozy, what’s your go-to hangover cure?)
Love: We both love tequila! Margaritas or tequila mixed with orange juice gets us lively. At home there are these shots called Craig David, you have to chase a shot of tequila with a shot of pineapple, it’s so smooth. Just like Craig, apparently!
South: We do love us some tequila! Particularly Silver Patron. Yeah, the Craig David shot is my go-to drink, gets you drunk fast and you don’t have to pee as much when you're out as you don’t need to drink so much mixer!
Describe your worst date in three words.
Love: Awkward dinner date
South: Boring Pizza Hut
What was your favorite movie as a kid?
South: Don’t Be a Menace, Holes, Spirited Away, all the Adam Sandler classics, The Lion King, Land Before Time, Harriet The Spy, Spy Kids (because of these I bought loads of spy gear, binoculars, walkie talkies, and used to descend from trees with rope. If I wasn’t a musician I am convinced I would have been a spy!)
Love: All the Disney classics, Little Mermaid, Rescuers, Beauty & The Beast, Pocahontas, etc. You would catch me singing at the top of my lungs on a rock somewhere in my garden in full-on Disney mode!
What's your go-to breakup song?
Love: James Blake, “Retrograde.” It feels dark, and sometimes you need that to wallow in!
South: Last break up was a whole Beyoncé soundtrack meets Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know,” meets Taylor Swift Red album & Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man”/“Talking To The Moon.” Was a trip haha.
What is your favorite pair of shoes that you own, and why?
Love: Doc Martens boots! They are the comfiest to perform in on stage and they go with everything, whether you are rocking a tracksuit or a cute dress!
South: Doc Martens we wear 24/7 — I love my monkey/church shoes! When I want to feel a lil taller as I’m a short ass, I love my chunky UNIF choke boots and also spiked New Rock boots. I have a shoe obsession; I have collected so many over the years!
What's the weirdest snack that you make?
South: I love a snack, it’s my favorite meal of the day. The weirdest one I make is a fried egg, peanut butter, and sweet chili sauce sandwich. Bloody delicious.
Love: It’s not consistently weird, on a good day it will be rice-based with egg and ginger or something like that but it just depends on what's left in the cupboard, sometimes when I haven’t had the time to shop I can get a little creative and the rule book goes out the window (grabs for the stale popcorn, whilst frying anything that's in date).
What is your favorite red carpet look of all time worn by someone else?
Love: Anything that Rihanna wears. She is the queen
South: Rihanna always looks fucking godly. Gotta mention the hot pink Versace number Lil Nas X wore to the 2020 Grammys. Was the best pink I’ve ever seen.
What is your best beauty tip or trick?
Love: Keep your skin moisturized! Putting foundation on a dry face never sits well! I use a mix of natural oils and non-perfumed face creams before I do anything and water is key. When I forget to drink enough water my skin looks constantly tired, makeup can’t even hide it; but as soon as I am hydrated, it makes all the difference!
South: Since forever it seems like I’ve been fighting spots on my face! But I’ve learnt to minimize them by using Cera Ve foaming cleanser and moisturizer and Bio-Oil occasionally at night to reduce scarring. When I’ve had a crazy break out, I’ve minimized it by diluting apple cider vinegar in water and using it as a toner followed by moisturizer at night time.
What is one question you never want to be asked again?
Love & South: Do you write your own songs/riffs!!
What's a bad habit of yours that you've been meaning to fix?
Love: I bite my lip when I’m anxious or got things on my mind, it really gives me away!
South: Amy says I chew loudly so now I’m very conscious to breathe through my nose and close my mouth when I eat, haha!
What piece of clothing from high school do you wish you kept?
South: I’m one of those people who has kept loads of their clothes from school as I’m way too sentimental for my own good! I need a clear-out!!
Love: Both my school ties, my original one as it would be cool to customize and wear now, and the clip-on ones they tried to reinforce just for the mems!
What is your coffee order?
Love: Oat milk cappuccino with a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
South: Soya milk latte with x10000 sugars.
What was the last DM you received?
Love & South: A clip of last night’s show in Chicago.
What is your go-to sad song?
Love: Joni Mitchell’s “Blue,” if I really want to dig deep then that's my go-to!
South: Elliot Smith’s “Between The Bars.”
If you could be in any music video, what would it be?
South: Bring Me The Horizon x YungBlud “Obey” video, would be sick to roll around town in a massive robot.
What is your favorite fast food place, and what’s your order?
Love: Some sort of vegan plant burger — doesn’t matter where from. If we are desperate we will settle for Burger King as they do plant-based burgers!
South: Yeah, so happy that Maccy Ds and Burger King have vegan options now! Can finally eat something at a service station that’s not just chips or bread.
What was the last internet rabbit hole you went down?
Love: On tour, the crew and I went down a Dave Grohl YouTube frenzy! We were rewatching his Hot Pots clips and Hot Wings interview. Such a loveable guy!
South: Hair tutorials on how to baby lay crazy swirls! We got it done in Austin and have been obsessed. Need to learn so I can do it for me and Amy!
What is one thing everyone should buy that is under $10?
Love: Deodorant or a lemon... both work and are essential, gotta keep that shit fresh.
South: Hand sanitizer!
