"It was like 'oh my god, I'm a producer now!', like legit. That was the biggest track I'd ever released, and I'd mixed, mastered and recorded it all, so it was a big step up. Before, I'd just been in bands as a guitarist and singer. I never thought of myself as a legit producer. But now I am, I guess!" tommy laughs.

Despite the anxiety, as they step into this crazy new world, they still consistently deliver the opposite with their sound. Playful and upbeat, it's fundamentally feel-good. Their latest single, 'words', is a condemning narrative around a lack of communication in a relationship, served alongside an old school garage style beat. piri's vocals keep things carefree, never losing that insatiably danceable quality. With each release, they lean more heavily into their freeing, high-speed tendencies – it hooks you in like no other.

piri jumps in: "I think it's a product of people's attention spans these days, and fast music just being sick, but people really seem to be digging the higher tempo. Any song sped-up on TikTok seems to do way better than the original, and obviously drum and bass has been huge, and hyperpop and breakcore."

In many ways, the genre's increased popularity and new trajectory are symptomatic of our TikTok tendencies – it's seemingly a generational thing. piri + tommy have often been hailed as representing Gen Z. After whole years spent locked inside, the need to get out, dance and capture the experience in a fast-paced TikTok video is crucial, and the couple's sound facilitates that completely. "As an artist, that's the ideal situation," piri ponders. "You want to make music for people like you – the fact that our generation is the one really picking up on our sound is super great for us."

It helps, of course, that piri's lyricism focuses on relevant, universal experiences with a no-messing-about attitude. She tells it how it is, always. The inspiration behind 'words' was, in fact, a rough patch in their own relationship, and it functioned as a means of expressing those frustrations and working through their issues. "I think the more real you are, and the more you express your feelings, the easier it is for people to relate," piri explains. "Obviously, a lot of people go through it, especially young people in their relationships. There's often a difference in maturity when you first meet, and then you grow together and understand each other. Especially in those teenage relationships, there can be a lot of communication issues – that's one of the most important things, being able to express yourself to each other. I think it's nice for people to be able to listen and relate to it."

They may have found themselves in turbulent times earlier on in their relationship, but the sheer adoration and respect they have for one another shines through. "You're certainly the best person I've worked with," tommy smiles at piri, who quickly agrees. It's clear that their artistry benefits from their relationship and that innate chemistry.

It's a useful dynamic that has ultimately streamlined their creativity too – piri has her go-to producer, while tommy has a topliner for all of his beats. That deep knowledge of how the other works is evident – they're in sync and prepared to push each other into different directions. Working in harmonic tandem has allowed them to become even more ambitious and at home with stretching their boundaries as musicians. With a debut album in the works, they're set to become more comfortable with letting their listeners into their world, too.

"It's all of the music we made in the first year of knowing each other – each song is a different memory or moment from that year," hints tommy. "Yeah, you can listen to the lyrics and track the point of the relationship, what's occurring between us at the time," piri contributes.

As they bounce between different subgenres of dance and revitalise the movement through irresistible hooks and beats, each release is a high-speed thriller. Thankfully, piri & tommy are showing no signs of slowing down. ■