MATT LENNOX, one half of Brighton-based electronic dance music duo Mon Frere, talks about their forthcoming album and being in a band with his brother.

“Paul has been a professional drummer for many years but found a talent for producing dance music about two years ago. I was a DJ for ten years, playing bars and parties across the South Coast. We decided to put our skills together in July 2013 and started work on our first full album. Being brothers we get on very well and understand our skills and limitations so can combine to create a strong overall product. Paul composes and produces the music, I write the lyrics and we bring in talented, young singers from Brighton to finish off the magic.

“Our project began with an aim of creating commercially popular dance music. We need to earn a living! Our initial style was based on successful dance acts like Avicii and David Guetta. But once we were up and running we have certainly created our own sound, combining Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson and Swedish House Mafia. Brighton-based dance gurus such as Fatboy Slim and Carl Cox have been massively influential.

“The plan was to launch an album to exhibit our full potential and then work towards a major live set-up. We have just launched our first full album Urban Glow on iTunes and all major digital stores, so we are currently working away on creating the 'live' aspect of Mon Frere. This summer we will be holding our first ever 'live' gig to industry and all of the people who have helped us get to this stage in Brighton.

“The song Urban Glow comes from the perspective of the city being alive and telling its story. Brighton is an amazing example of this. If you walk through the main streets in the evening there is a tangible 'buzz'. Music escapes from clubs and bars, groups of people walk around chatting and excited, smells and noises fill your senses. Being from the area, we wanted to create a track that captured this feeling.

“We are extremely lucky that Paul had come into contact with so many amazingly talented singers through attending the Brighton Institute Of Modern Music. After we wrote each song and had decided on the theme, the key was to choose a singer that would not only compliment the track but give it real charisma. The singers absolutely changed our approach – they have all been so professional and delightful to work with, that in the end we wanted to ensure that the project would have an aim of helping them raise their profiles as much as we can.”

Find out more: www.monfrere.co.uk, www.facebook.com/monfrereband, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYCWkRF2oQA Urban Glow is available from itunes.apple.com/gb/ album/urban-glow/id964954259