Ten Fé

Originating in London, England, Ten Fé function as an alternative indie pop duo whose sound centers on wistful, melody-driven synthesizer lines, melancholic singing, and spacious, otherworldly guitar textures. Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan first connected at a Haringey house party, where aligned musical interests created an immediate bond; their ensuing friendship prompted street performances, and a mutual attraction to shoegaze alongside dream pop soon steered them toward collaborative songwriting.

Initially recording as Fé, the pair issued the single “Time” through Bad Life Records in 2013, drawing an enthusiastic online reaction that prompted endorsements from BBC Radio 6 Music and Lauren Laverne and secured a live session at BBC Maida Vale hosted by Rob Da Bank. Those opportunities translated into festival appearances at the Great Escape and Bestival; after establishing themselves as compelling stage performers, they put out the 50/50 EP, helmed by Luke Smith (Depeche Mode, Foals), before electing to base themselves in Berlin’s creative environment.

Once settled there, the musicians adopted the name Ten Fé to signal an expanded artistic assurance and commenced work on their first album with producer Ewan Pearson (M83, Jagwar Ma). Throughout the second half of 2016 they previewed material online, releasing “Make Me Better,” “Elodie,” and “Overflow,” each of which drew strong notice for echoing Britain’s late-’80s and early-’90s Madchester era as well as the style of Richard Ashcroft and the Verve through sweeping strings, luminous guitar, and rhythm tracks touched by electronics. “Make Me Better” attracted further attention via a remix from UNKLE. The resulting debut album, Hit the Light, arrived in early 2017 and included the singles “Elodie” and “Twist Your Arm.” A series of new tracks appeared in late 2018 ahead of the follow-up Future Perfect, Present Tense, issued in early 2019.