Enter the Forcefields' unique musical world in an 'immersive' show at The Lens Studio

It is quite possibly the most ‘Forcefields’ concept imaginable.

The pair – a couple as well as musical collaborators – released the project’s debut album, Symphony of All Things, in June this year. And next week, they bring its tour to Portsmouth.

Othmer is best known as a piano-led singer-songwriter from Kansas in the US, while Lundie is a composer and producer from Cornwall. The two have previously worked together on material released under Othmer’s name, but for this latest production have gone all-in together on Forcefields.

The music is more expansive, taking in elements of electronica, rock, torch songs and the whole kitchen sink – references range from Elbow to Pink Floyd and Portishead, while their shows are billed as ‘immersive experiences’.

And as their press kit says: “Each performance is a transmission – a merging of live music, movement, and projected imagery. Their experience exists at the border between connection and catharsis.”

They are big on connections.

Speaking of their time in Ireland, Julia says: “Forcefields, more than ever, we want to be a part of bringing people together and lifting each other up and raising that cosmic vibration.

"And one of the ways that maybe we could do that is by learning how to do it better ourselves. So hopefully, a little bit of this magic will rub off on us and we can share it with anyone who might be joining in on what we're doing!”

Asked why they decided to create a new entity for this music, rather than continue under Othmer’s name, James explains: “I thought it would give us more freedom to try new things without having to conform to a pre-established kind of paradigm, which Julia had already developed – a kind of sound, which is good, but I wanted to try other things but still work with Julia.

"It seemed like a good idea to form a sort of splinter group and head off in a different direction, whilst leaving the other entity intact.”

What started as remixing Othmer’s solo material soon became a full-blown separate project.

"We had an idea of the Forcefields as a band name because it sounded fun, and I wanted to be called ‘Max Forcefield’!

Julia adds: “While I was a solo artist when I met James and I've worked with other producers and had the advantage of working with other musicians and so forth, even though our first project together was technically him producing an album that 'Julia' as a solo artist put out in the world, it was really clear that our collaboration was on a completely different level than producer and songwriter.

“Our various threads started weaving a tapestry together that was already going so far beyond that kind of a relationship, and to be able to fully express that and lean more into that and exercise more of that... It was like, let's go further.

"And to be the Forcefields meant there were no limitations. There was no expectation of what it needed to be. And we can go anywhere we want to go with that as Max and Aayama Forcefield.”

But Forcefields goes far beyond just Max and Aayama, there is a lengthy list of collaborators from across the arts world – and family, all with their own ‘Forcefields’ name.

Julia explains: “One of the things we always love to do is we invite everyone who's engaging with the world of the Forcefields to choose their own Forcefields name – to choose their own persona.

"In the same way that we felt parts of ourselves were let loose or given greater space to express ourselves by adopting a persona – we invite everyone else to do that as well, because maybe we all enjoy a little stepping into a new space with ourselves.”

And this extends to their fans and audiences too.

"Everyone there (at the gigs) will be invited to join the Forcefields Federation, and it's been beautiful. We've had the really beautiful opportunity to witness how various people have playfully engaged, sometimes quite seriously engaged, with a part of themselves through the idea of a Forcefields persona.

“And we have had some really good names! But it's just a playful invitation. We never mean to make it a burden or an obligation. Some of us have various levels of comfort, but the whole idea is to engage in a level of play that might just open things up a little bit more.”

Every song in the set is accompanied by a bespoke video, created by the duo and their collaborators.

James says: “Every song is accompanied by a film that is synchronised to the music in a way that kind of is exciting to see.

"There are lots of different styles of video. There's lots of abstraction that enables people's imagination to work without having a message forced into them. They're able to extrapolate what they will from it, which I think is important.

“People generally are reacting really well and having a powerful experience. We've had amazing reactions. It's very satisfying that people enjoy it like that. There's a freedom to interpret it.”

Bringing everyone into their world at the shows is important to the couple.

"We feel like every single member of an audience is a collaborator,” says Julia. “Every single performance is going to have a different energy because of who's in that space, even where we're performing.

"Are there trees around us? Are we in a building? The ghosts and the spirits of everything around us, like we are all affecting even something that might seem static, like a film that we've already created. So every single show has a different feel to it because of all of us who are there together. And we really hope to invite that feeling of expression.”

"We've performed in a wide variety of places, which has thrilled us, from our projections on the front of a 16th century French chateau to a small living room in Reno, Nevada. We've been invited into various places and we're so thrilled to have those invitations.

“But it's a lot of labour, it's a lot of work. Just bringing all of our equipment because we sort of travel as a small theatre, it's not quite the acoustic guitar on the back and here we go.”

Regardless of the environment they’re performing in, it’s important to Julia and James that everyone experiences the show in the way they’re comfortable with.

“You know, some people are sitting back, chilling out, watching the whole thing, which is super groovy, cool, no problem, and other people are up and moving,” adds Julia.

"Everyone is welcome. When you travel into the world of the Forcefields, there’s no visas required. Come on in. You will cross a border, leave all your unwanted baggage at the door.

"Come on in and we hope to everyone feels loved, and seen and appreciated and welcome because goodness gracious, we need more of that in the world.

"And to remember that most of us actually want that – we're not so alone. I'm hoping that the Forcefields world is a place where people can see the beauty around them and recognise it as the beauty that they themselves have.”

The Forcefields are at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth Guildhall, on Saturday, November 7. Tickets £14. Go to portsmouthguildhall.org.uk.