Meet the Band. . .

AS they walk through the doors of the hotel where we’re meeting, my first impression of FUSE violinists Linzi Stoppard and Ben Lee is that they’re impossibly glamorous. Very quickly added to this is the fact that they are both fantastically friendly people who are very excited about their new project. I’m not surprised by this though, given that during my preinterview mugging up I discovered that they’ve both been made Ambassadors for the Princes Trust.

As I’m short of time, we get down to business quickly, and they’re both falling over each other to talk about what it is exactly that FUSE does. In case you haven’t come across them yet, FUSE is a rock violin duo that is taking the music industry by storm. No conventional crossover act here – FUSE really do play rock anthems, and conjure sounds out of their Bridge electric violins that are quite simply unique.

I’m intrigued to know how they started off playing the violin, and the answers are reassuringly normal. Both Linzi and Ben started learning the violin at an early age, taught by the Suzuki method. “I really think that that early training was the most important thing for me”, says Ben. “The ability to learn by ear is one that I have used my whole life, and it’s incredibly important in the rock industry where music isn’t often notated traditionally.”

But when and how did they make the switch to electric, I wonder? Ben’s answer is simple: “My dad is a rock guitarist, and I started jamming with him when I was 8 or 9. A couple of years later he bought me a microphone to stick to my bridge so that I could plug into his amp, which although not ideal, really got me thinking. After that I got lucky and my school bought me a proper pickup mic, as a band I was in was working really hard, and by the time I was 16 I worked in McDonalds for a whole summer to save up and by my first Stentor violin.”

“The ability to learn by ear is one that I have used my whole life, and it’s incredibly important in the rock industry where music isn’t often notated traditionally. ”

In case you wondered, Ben still plays classical violin, and in fact on April 7 this year was awarded the Guinness World Record for the fastest rendition of ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’ on the violin! How fast? 1 minute 4.21 seconds which is up to 13 notes per second! Keep practising, guys, and you might have a chance of beating his record one day!

I ask Ben what he thinks about the music exam system, given his background, and he’s quick to reply. “I think that exams are an amazing way to improve yourself and feel a real sense of achievement. We both did all our grades, and if you want to go to music college then they’re really useful! And you can go to music college and still become a rock musician!” In fact, Ben really started making a name for himself whilst he was at the Royal College – skipping orchestra rehearsals there to get involved in session work with bands like Arctic Monkeys, Goldfrapp, Razorlight, Mark Ronson, Gorillaz and Amy Winehouse.

Linzi’s route wasn’t defined quite so early. “I knew I wasn’t hugely interested in playing classical violin for the rest of my life, and I managed to pick up quite a bit of session work. I guess I just got lucky, as when I was 18 or 19 I was spotted playing in a session and asked to front an album for an American metal band.” Chart success followed, and after building up quite a reputation performing as a solo artist, Linzi started looking for a musical director who could help take her to the next level.

“So how did you guys meet?” I ask, which cues a nervous laugh from Ben. “There’s a story there”, he smiles. Their manager, Linzi’s husband Will, chimes in. “Yeah – Linzi needed a purple violin for a photoshoot, and I happened to meet Ben around the right time and noticed he had one.” “Yup”, says Ben, “I agreed to lend them my violin, so we met up at the Gatwick Express. This bloke turned up, gave me fifty quid as a deposit, put my violin in his boot and drove off. I was left standing there thinking, ‘what have I just done?! I’m never going to see that violin again!’”

All turned out well though, and before long Ben was working as Linzi’s producer. After a couple of years working like this, they realised that they knew each other’s style so well that they could make something really exciting happen and FUSE was born. Ben had been working on creating a unique sound for his electric violin since he bought his first FX box in his teens, but didn’t really know where he wanted to take the sound, whereas Linzi had a vision for a group without the technological background to make it happen.

“...you can go to music

college and still become

a rock musician!”

Just as excitingly, they’ve had a pair of completely unique violins made for them. When I ask about them, Linzi and Ben explain that they were playing a charity gig for the Stroke Association that was being supported by Swarovski, and a couple of the executives approached them afterwards to offer to have a pair of violins made. They are Bridge violins, made from a specially commissioned mould, and then encrusted with 20,000 crystals each, all of which have been mounted in position by hand. They’ve just been valued at a million dollars. Each!

My final question, as I have to dash off. “What advice would you have for a ‘classical’ player looking to get into the music industry?” Linzi’s quick to chip in. “Have courage and conviction. Don’t try reality TV until you’ve tried everything else! Get yourself a MySpace page, find some like-minded musicians and just don’t give up!”//

Fuse website