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Margate duo debdepan continue their rapid rise with the release of their sophomore EP Lovers & Others, out November 28th via Silent Kid Records.
Written entirely in the year since the pair relocated to Margate’s thriving creative community, Lovers & Others is their most cohesive and compelling work yet—a collection that marries introspective melancholy with a hedonistic, neon-lit edge. Self-described as a mix of “pretty sad girl but also kind of party,” their latest offering is shaped by life split between club shifts and coastal walks. Where their debut EP OMEN introduced their dark-pop foundations, Lovers & Others sees debdepan push further into dance-driven production while retaining their grunge-influenced edge.
At its core, the EP is a chronicle of romantic disarray, friendship dramas, late-night revelations, and the bittersweet humour that holds it all together. It’s a portrait of two artists growing up in real time—messy, chaotic, occasionally tragic, but always self-aware.
From the sleaze-soaked swagger of “Habit” to the razor-edged catharsis of “The Girl” and the spectral unease of “Ghost,” the duo continue to excel at their signature push-and-pull: songs that shift between whisper-soft vulnerability and full-throttle release. Their ability to turn emotional turbulence into something danceable—and undeniably catchy—remains one of their greatest strengths. The EP’s opener and focus track “Blue” sets the tone—an atmospheric, layered piece built from its original bass-and-vocal skeleton. Its lyric “You got into something new, something borrowed, something blue” cleverly twists a familiar phrase into a reflection on identity and uncertainty.
The writing process behind the EP was shaped by experimentation and a series of pivotal moments. “Ghost” originated long before the track found its final chorus, a breakthrough that arrived during the pair’s artistic residency at Westway Lab in Portugal. Working with electronic artist Phaser pushed them beyond familiar territory and informed some of the project’s bolder production choices. “Habit” also took shape during the residency, shifting from an early breakup lyric into a beat-led track that matched their evolving sound.
Returning to Margate, the duo embraced a simpler, more instinctive writing approach. “The Girl,” “Oh No,” and “Blue” followed swiftly, each inspired by a series of dramatic nights out. “The Girl” was recorded at the Albion Rooms, with the remaining tracks developed with engineer Mike Collins in Ramsgate before being brought to producer Minas in Cardiff, who helped refine the final sound.
The process wasn’t without challenges—balancing studio time around holding down three jobs each meant working whenever they could find the hours. But that urgency fed into the project’s energy, creating a body of work grounded in real life rather than ideal circumstances. For debdepan, the early stages of writing and testing new songs live remain the highlight of their creative cycle.
Formed in March 2022 after writing together in lockdown, the Margate-based pair Chelsea and Grace quickly made their mark through Pie Factory Music’s Emerging Artists programme, leading to the release of their breakthrough single “Darkest Hour” in September 2022. The track gained radio play across the U.S. and Europe, breaking into the Deutsche Alternative Charts and earning the duo a publishing and label deal with Archangelo Music.
Since then, debdepan’s live reputation has soared, with standout performances at Westway Lab (Portugal), Pro Weekend (Spain), and Focus Wales, alongside support slots for Cumgirl8, Miki Berenyi, and most recently Pete Doherty on his 2025 UK tour. They have continued to gain crucial support from BBC Introducing, BBC London, and BBC 6Music, cementing their position as one of the UK’s most exciting new alternative acts. This year, they also joined New York electro-punk trio The Wants on their UK Tour and Canadian cold-wave duo Traitrs in Germany.
Lovers & Others is out now via Silent Kid Records.