The xx, Flora Cash, Cathedrals, Oh Wonder, Kllo, BROODS, Ardyn … there’s so many brilliant female/male duos out there, each with their own formula for a cohesive, harmonious working relationship. For Daniel James and Courtney Paynter, together known as Upstairs Open, it was a series of fated meetings, earnest writing sessions and a drunken promise that brought this pair together. Several years back, they met through mutual friend Sam Kennedy (a musical director who has worked with Foxes and Bastille) at a studio session, resulting in a so-called “terrible song” as James describes. After that initial meeting, Paynter began her university studies in Edinburgh and James found success as a solo artist, sharing stages with Hozier and Sam Smith; that was before James’s shocking diagnosis of cancer. Following successful chemotherapy treatment, James and Paynter found themselves back in London at the same time, and so while catching up over a pint (“or 10!” as Courtney admits) they made an intoxicated promise (the kind that far too few actually keep) to spend time songwriting together. Our first taste of these closed door sessions is ‘You Got Love’, a cool 60's-folk-meets-modern-pop song “about temptation, lust, and discovery,” and they go on to say, “People can become lost in curiosity, with a bittersweet understanding of knowing that when you can't have something, you want it more." It’s a stunning debut from Upstairs Open, and we already can’t wait to hear more. -  HT