‘Michael and Michelle’ is actor and musician duo Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey, Anatomy of a Scandal, The Gentlemen) and Michael Fox (Downton Abbey, Dunkirk.)
It took a single evening for the pair to bond over a shared passion. What started as a casual jam – in between shooting scenes and encouraged by a friend – quickly turned into something distinct.
Until then, Michael and Michelle had been preoccupied by various professional distractions – most notably the hugely popular TV show Downton Abbey, which brought them together. Both were looking for a new way of expressing themselves - and music runs in their blood. Growing up, Michael had always been in bands, cutting his teeth through a range of styles from indie to folktronica while writing his own songs. Michelle grew up in a noisy household on a diet of Joni Mitchell, Alison Krauss and Indigo Girls - she sang on various London stages including Ronnie Scott’s before acting took the front seat.
After that first jam, they hustled a recording studio in Downtown LA and got to work. Now, six years later, they are exclusively signed to Decca UMG and in May 2022 released their first EP, The Watching Silence - four self-penned songs produced by Iain Grimble (Mumford and Sons, Daughter, Catfish And The Bottlemen) recorded last year in Crouch End’s Church Studios. The tracks were mixed by Danton Supple (Coldplay, Elbow, Morrissey) and the duo are joined across the EP by Chris Mass (Mumford and Sons) on percussion and Tommy Heap (Willy Mason) on piano and bass. Critical acclaim and media support include The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, BBC Radio 2 and BBC local playlisting. Extensive press coverage included The Telegraph, The Guardian and Daily Mail.
After that first jam, they hustled a recording studio in Downtown LA and got to work. Now, six years later, they are exclusively signed to Decca UMG and in May 2022 released their first EP, The Watching Silence - four self-penned songs produced by Iain Grimble (Mumford and Sons, Daughter, Catfish And The Bottlemen) recorded last year in Crouch End’s Church Studios. The tracks were mixed by Danton Supple (Coldplay, Elbow, Morrissey) and the duo are joined across the EP by Chris Mass (Mumford and Sons) on percussion and Tommy Heap (Willy Mason) on piano and bass. Critical acclaim and media support include The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, BBC Radio 2 and BBC local playlisting. Extensive press coverage included The Telegraph, The Guardian and Daily Mail.
The pair juggle music with acting commitments and note the juxtaposition in the approach needed for the two creative facets: “It’s a whole different set of skills and vulnerability; Acting tends to start with what’s already written on the page. Music can begin anywhere. It’s different and very freeing.” Michael adds, “I will always love acting but there is something about us, some part of our characters that we haven’t fully realised - and that’s happening now.”
