Moscow Apartment are the indie/folk combo of Brighid Fry and Pascale Padilla.

Formed in Toronto in 2017, the band has first made big waves on the music scene with the track “Annie” from their debut EP.

Since then, they’ve won the Best Young Songwriters award at the 2017 Toronto Independent Music Awards, the Under 18 award in the 2018 Canadian Songwriting Competition, and the Best Young Performer award at the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Their tight harmonies and thoughtful lyrics make Moscow Apartment more than just a band to watch out for, these young women have already arrived.

PADILLA: Why is feminism important to you?

FRY: This is a hard question to answer quickly. Being female, I see how sexism affects me in almost every aspect of my life. I see how sexism affects myself and other women and girls in small and big ways. Patriarchy, the bigger system that feminism is countering, negatively impacts everyone, including men by telling them they can’t show emotion. Also it so strongly enforces a gender binary and the rules that go along with that.

PADILLA: If our music was food, what would it be?

FRY: It would be zucchini bread because it’s yummy, feel-good comfort food that is healthy with a little bitterness but mostly sweet. It is dark but organic.

PADILLA: What are you currently obsessed with?

FRY: UK folk musician Laura Marling (shout out to Joel Plaskett who recommended her to us). Everything about her music is beautiful. Amazing guitar parts, lyrics and she has a beautiful voice. I am also obsessed with Grey’s Anatomy because it is an addictive series with an incredible soundtrack. The last episode I watched had a song by Regina Spektor and a Metric song, two artists/bands I have grown up loving.

FRY: When did you realize that music is the thing you could do/ want to do for more than just fun?

PADILLA: When I started playing music with you (Brighid). Doing music for a living means you have to sacrifice a lot, and when I was younger I was never willing to do that. But after playing and writing with you, I was able to see that music is probably the most fulfilling job I could pick for myself.

FRY: What advice about music would you give yourself two years ago?

PADILLA: I’d probably tell myself to not be so scared to play in front of other people. I’d remind myself that I’m my worst critic. The only thing you can really do is get on stage and sing the song the way you wrote it. There’s not really a point in holding back.

FRY: What quality do you think is most important to have as an artist?

PADILLA: I think the most important quality an artist can have is being genuine. I really only connect with music if I can feel that that artist is speaking from their heart. It’s not easy to write songs like that, you have to be brave and unapologetic. That’s why I love artists like Adrianne Lenker, Joni Mitchell, and Kendrick Lamar.

Visit Moscow Apartment’s website to learn about upcoming shows and to hear new music. Image by Melanie Gordon