INTERVIEW: Suris talk background and influences behind their latest art-pop project ‘Pertinax’

Suris are a partnership, a story, and a sonic universe carved out of persistence and creative instinct. With their spellbinding new album ‘Pertinax’, the Buckinghamshire-based duo of Lindsey and David Mackie invite us into a vibrant, emotionally rich landscape where alt-pop meets art rock, and introspection blooms into colour.

A project years in the making, ‘Pertinax’ (Latin for “to persist, stoically”) reflects the couple’s unwavering commitment to music through all of life’s shifting tides. Across thirteen tracks, the album blends dreamlike storytelling and textured instrumentation, evoking the theatrical spirit of Kate Bush and the layered warmth of Fleetwood Mac, while carving out a sound that is unmistakably their own.

So with the new album available now, we sat down with them to discuss their origins and influences over the years.

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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s ‘Faith Healer’ is a classic – Dave still puts it on and turns it up! But we both agree that the strongest influence in our formative musical years was David Bowie with The Spiders.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?

Jeff Buckley, Free, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Radiohead, early Elton John and of course Bowie.

Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?

Kate Bush is a definite influence – so original! We’d also include Fleetwood Mac, John Martyn, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder and the composer Chopin. What they have in common is a combination of originality, talent and songwriting mastery.

What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?

Taking listeners on a journey through an evolving and encompassing musical landscape that reflects the mood and sentiment of the lyrics. We write for ourselves and hope that others will like what we do.

What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?

The immediacy; the opportunity to communicate with the people there. We’ve had our fair share of ‘Spinal Tap moments’ over the years including a guitarist’s electrocution and a keyboard player having an epileptic fit on stage… thankfully nothing so dramatic recently!

What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?

Finishing the recent album ‘Pertinax’ and knowing it sounded exactly like we wanted it to – then getting great reviews from critics who ‘get it’. In the past we were hugely excited by record-label interest, but today it’s more about ‘realising our vision’, which includes production, mixing and mastering.

How would you define success as a musician?

For us and most musicians, recognition and appreciation run high. We’re not so bothered about creating huge streaming numbers, but we’re very interested in the world of Sync; it would be great to hear our music being used in film & TV. And of course it would be really nice to be rewarded financially…

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?

Do it because you’re passionate about your art – not because you want to be rich and famous. Practice your instruments, write every day, develop your own style. Partner with the best people you can find and listen to the best musicians. And in today’s landscape you also need to be capable of recording & mixing your material to a good standard.

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Listen to Suris’ new album ‘Pertinax’ below.