We asked them to answer a few questions to introduce themselves and let you know a bit about their upcoming programme.
So here goes…
How did you become interested in Swing?
We’ve always loved Swing music which we first got into from listening to our parents’ record collections – Amber’s dad was actually a jazz drummer who played at Ronnie Scott’s! Our first DJ gigs were at 1920s-1940s parties so we have plenty of practice playing this kind of music at clubs and events too.
What have you got lined up for the show?
We want to take our listeners on a journey from the roots of Swing right through to the present day, tracing its evolution along the way. We’ll be explaining unusual swing lingo and the day-to-day trends that swing has influenced, from dance to food and fashion; and we’ll also have up-to-the-minute news about live gigs and events around the country. We want to show that Swing is still very much alive and kicking today!
Any sneak previews for the first programme?
We’re really looking forward to our first show, as we have a lot planned for it. We’ll be talking about LA Noire, the new game from Rockstar which is set in 1947 and is super stylish. In the weeks following we’ll be explaining the meanings of Cab Calloway’s hep cat slang, so if you have no idea what ‘mash me a fin’ or ‘frisking the whiskers’ mean then you’d better tune in! Plus we’ll be playing music from Wynonie Harris, Louis Prima, Ella Fitzgerald and the Correspondents.
Favourite swing song/artist?
We love Louis Jordan’s hilarious lyrics. We particularly like the fact that many of his songs seem to be about food, from ‘Beans and Cornbread’ to ‘Cole Slaw’ – he clearly had a very healthy appetite! But our favourite Louis Jordan song has to be ‘Saturday Night Fish Fry’ which is incredibly upbeat and really gives a sense of going out on the town for a night of jiving with Jordan!
Favourite shoes for dancing?
We have some amazing silver tap shoes with black ribbon laces, and all manner of two-toned correspondent style brogues, but embarrassingly we have to admit that neither of us can actually dance! We’re looking forward to learning now that we’re presenting Peppermint Candy though – it always looks like so much fun!
What else have you got planned under the Peppermint Candy name?
We’re very excited to be releasing a Peppermint Candy compilation album on Universal this summer to accompany the show. We’ve handpicked the tracks, so in our opinion it’s the best Swing compilation of all time! And as if that wasn’t enough, Jazz FM will also be putting on a huge Peppermint Candy live event in London. We can’t wait!