We recently discovered the band Desperately Seeking Suki, a transcontinental duo bridging the gap between Australia and the UK with a cinematic, open-hearted sound. Their debut single, “Suki,” officially arrives on April 10th as the first taste of their forthcoming EP, offering a vivid exploration of love’s “messy bits”—those awkward, beautiful, and unfiltered moments of being truly seen by another. Set against a backdrop of glimmering synths and infectious beats, the track pairs evocative spoken-word verses with explosive, earworm alt-pop choruses, creating a rushing anthem perfectly tuned for 2026. Ahead of the release, we sat down to discuss the highs, the lows, and the big feelings behind the music with the siblings at the heart of the project: Natassa Zoë and SIG SALI (Danny Pugh).
– For starters, please tell us – in your own words – who are Desperately Seeking Suki and how did you come to launch this project?
Desperately Seeking Suki is a collaboration between me and my brother, Danny Pugh. It came from a bit of a perfect moment timing-wise. I’d started writing with Danny on another project, but I got really busy with session work and we ended up slightly out of sync creatively. I kept writing while I was away though.
Then when I came back to the UK for an acting opportunity, everything kind of aligned again – both with Danny and where he was at creatively. I shared what I’d been working on, and it just clicked in a completely different way.
From there, it grew really naturally and we found ourselves bouncing off each other quite easily. It wasn’t something we sat down and planned – it just evolved into its own world, where we could explore things in a slightly more unconventional way, with less judgement.
– As I understand, you started the project by sending tracks back and forth across continents. What were these early remote collaboration like? As siblings, had you ever played music of any sort together while in the same country (or household)?
We didn’t really play music together growing up. I was actually heading towards a career in sport. I was training at quite a high level in karate and football, but I did write a lot of poetry, and I’d sometimes share that with Danny, who would turn it into lyrics in his early projects.
We were always really connected through music though – going to gigs together and sharing a similar taste.
While I was in Australia I was doing a lot of session work, and one of the artists we supported was Liam Gallagher – so Danny flew over to share that experience with me. That was the first time we properly wrote together – when he came to visit me in Australia. I remember coming back from a run and hearing this drum and bass beat coming out of my apartment. I walked in, started humming a melody and writing lyrics, and that ended up becoming ‘Pillow Thoughts’ for his project SIG SALI.
That was the start of our collaboration, but at the time I couldn’t fully commit alongside everything I had going on, and my acting was starting to take off as well. I felt like I was holding him back a bit, so Danny continued that project on his own.
We still sent ideas back and forth while we were in different places, and it felt really natural – there wasn’t much overthinking, just sharing things as they came and building on each other’s ideas. It felt quite open and low-pressure – we weren’t trying to force anything, just responding instinctively to what the other person had done.
Then a couple of years later, when I was back in the UK, everything aligned and we decided to fully commit to a sibling project – and that’s what eventually became Desperately Seeking Suki.
– Was there a moment when you both realised this project was more than just sharing demos — or was the intent always to form a band?
Yeah, I think there definitely was a moment. ‘Suki’ came out of a co-writing session that Kon invited me up to his studio for – we wrote and recorded it in a day. When I came out of that session and sent it to Danny, that felt like a real turning point for me.
Danny really encouraged me to continue on my own because it wasn’t quite the right time for him – but by the time I was ready to write and record the EP he was ready too, so we started sending ideas between Sydney and Bristol. Then I got an acting opportunity in London and that’s when things really accelerated with this project.
When I returned to Sydney, we recorded the EP between Danny’s studio in Bristol and 4000 Studios in Brisbane with Kon and Blake. I think because we’d both been in bands before and gone through similar struggles in our previous projects, it all felt very aligned – we were on the same page in terms of work ethic, creative ideas, and how we wanted to collaborate.
– How does the sibling dynamic shape the sound and creative process of Desperately Seeking Suki? Do you agree on everything or how do you reach consensus on creative questions?
I think the sibling dynamic plays a huge part in everything we do. We’re both very open to ideas – even if we’re unsure about something, we’ll always hear it out and give it a go.
Most of the time we’re really on the same page, which probably comes from having a similar taste in music and growing up in the same household. It’s actually quite rare that we disagree.
We’re two of five siblings and definitely the most similar energetically, so there’s a level of understanding where sometimes we don’t even need to communicate everything – we just kind of get it. That’s been especially helpful when working remotely.
In terms of sound, I think having similar vocal qualities really helps – our voices sit well together and there’s a natural blend that feels quite effortless.
Creatively, we trust each other’s instincts a lot and there’s no real ego in the process – it’s more about what serves the song. If something works, we follow it, and if it doesn’t, we’re both quite happy to let it go.
– What’s the most unexpected artist or genre that has influenced your music?
For me, probably Confidence Man, which was quite unexpected. I’ve always leaned more towards guitar-heavy, indie rock music, so I never really thought they’d influence how I write. But I love their stuff, and I think they’ve definitely had an impact on some of our more dance-leaning tracks – especially in terms of energy and not taking things too seriously.
– Looking back at your musical journey, which experiences have most greatly shaped the sound you create today?
I think it’s been quite a mix of different experiences shaping what we do now. Growing up, we were surrounded by a lot of music at home – everything from glam rock and blues to Motown and reggae, so that definitely laid a foundation early on.
Spending time in Australia had a big impact, as well as doing session work with different artists, which really pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me more open creatively.
Acting has also been a huge influence – it’s helped me become more confident and more comfortable expressing emotion, which naturally feeds into songwriting and performance.
And then I think going through previous projects and challenges has shaped how we approach things now as well. We’re a lot more focused on honesty and instinct, and less concerned with overthinking or trying to fit into anything.
So it’s kind of all of those experiences combined. They’ve led us to a place where the music feels a lot more free and true to who we are.
– Did working together change how either of you approached music compared to your previous projects?
Yeah, definitely. I think working together changed things quite a lot for both of us. Before, I think there was maybe more overthinking, or trying to make things fit a certain idea. But working together feels much more instinctive – there’s a lot more freedom in the process.
We’re both really open to trying things, even if we’re unsure at first, and there’s no pressure for everything to be perfect straight away. I think it’s also made the whole process feel more collaborative and less isolated. We’re constantly bouncing ideas off each other, which naturally pushes things in directions we might not have gone on our own.
So yeah, it’s definitely shifted things towards being more honest, more fluid, and less about overthinking.
– With the debut single out and the EP on the way, what’s next for Desperately Seeking Suki, and what message would you like to leave with our readers?
We’re really excited to keep building on what we’ve started. With the EP coming out, it’s about continuing to release music, develop the visual side of things, and just let the project grow naturally.
We’ve also got some live shows coming up in November, which we’re really looking forward to – in Bristol at The Croft on the 27th, Manchester at the Castle Hotel on the 12th, and London in Camden at the Dublin Castle on the 14th. We’re also looking at adding a few more dates around that.
In terms of a message, I think just thank you for listening and taking the time to connect with what we’re doing. More than anything, we just hope the music gives people a space to feel something honestly, whatever that might be for them.
– Given that you’re based in the UK and Australia, might folks anticipate live performances to happen in the next year in either territory?
Definitely in the UK – we’ve already got some shows coming up later this year, and we’re really looking forward to building on that and playing more live.
Australia is something we’d love to do as well. It might take a bit more planning, but it’s definitely on the cards, potentially for later next year.
Catch up with band on socials:
Instagram: @
Website: https://www.
Tiktok: @desperatelyseekingsuki
