The Tannens make music that is anthemic, playful and unpredictable. It's the essential soundtrack for modern life and it comes to you from Heathfield, East Sussex, courtesy of brothers Daniel and James Martin. They're passionate about musicianship, strong tunes and dry British humour.

The theatricality of their oeuvre was perhaps inevitable, with a musical upbringing that leant heavily on movie scores and classic showtunes. At age six, James had memorised the entire libretto of The Phantom of the Opera. At a similar age, Daniel was able to identify most 80s TV themes on the downbeat alone. James started playing bass at the age of nine, with one of his first instruments being a Hofner violin bass. It's perhaps no surprise that Paul McCartney was a big early influence. Daniel started playing guitar at seventeen, with his own interests rooted firmly in the era of Britpop.

Initially pursuing the tried-and-tested ‘guitar band format’, the boys quickly grew frustrated by the limitations posed in trying to capture the full range of their musical interests. It wasn't until they became a duo and began to experiment with synths, production and sound design that the real sound of The Tannens started to emerge.

Imagine that Muse is playing KerPlunk with Brian Wilson. Gremlins is on TV. Butch Vig is riffing on a circular saw. And John Barry and Rufus Wainwright are in the kitchen, rustling up a round of tea and toast.

Welcome to the world of The Tannens.

Big, bold and multi-layered, the soundscapes they create reward the repeat listener. There's always something new to discover, but you'll never be quite sure where the bass ends and the synths begin. Is that a guitar going through a distortion pedal, or the first violin section of a chamber orchestra? It doesn't matter where The Tannens are concerned.

What does matter is translating these carefully crated soundscapes into a live performance context. This represents a significant investment in time and energy, but the results are undeniably impressive. The Tannens are now firmly established on the South East live scene, with audiences enjoying not only the sound, but the musicality, energy, and seamless juggling of onstage roles.

Their music has featured on local, online and offshore radio. They are regulars on BBC Introducing Sussex and Surrey, and have played two Live Lounges for DJ Melita Dennett. To date, they have released seven singles and a debut album and are currently hard at work on album number two.