Downton Abbey co-stars Michelle Dockery and Michael Fox are to release a debut EP later this year after signing to Decca Records.
The pair, known musically as Michael and Michelle, first met on the hit period drama, in which Fox plays footman Andrew Parker and Dockery plays Lady Mary Crawley.
They soon discovered their shared passion for music, and a casual jam led to regular practices and time in a recording studio in Los Angeles.
“There was something about that time after the series had ended,” Dockery said, “about looking at something with fresh eyes and feeling nervous about what’s ahead. Then suddenly we were just writing music.”
Six years later, they have made their partnership official with the release of The Watching Silence on 6 May. Produced by Ian Grimble (Catfish And The Bottlemen), the EP consists of four original songs with Fox and Dockery singing and on dual guitars – recalling alt country partnerships Civil Wars and Angus and Julia Stone.
The EP also features Mumford and Sons’ Chris Maas on percussion and Willy Mason’s Tommy Heap on piano and drums.
“It’s a whole different set of skills and vulnerability,” Dockery said of the difference between music and acting. “Acting tends to start with what’s already written on the page. Music can begin anywhere. It’s different and very freeing.”
Fox added: “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.”
Growing up, Fox was in a number of bands ranging in styles from indie to folktronica and wrote his own songs. Dockery sang on various London stages, and was inspired by the music of Joni Mitchell, Alison Krauss and Indigo Girls. They will continue to juggle their music and acting commitments.
According to the label, Michael and Michelle’s music is “both classic and utterly timeless: though more Nashville Americana than UK folk in melody and structure, their impressionistic songs are modern and immediate, free of pastiche, and are shot through with their own London realism.”.
Laura Monks and Tom Lewis, co-presidents of Decca, said in a statement: “We are thrilled to have these two multi-talented artists join the Decca family. They are a perfect match and we fell in love with their sound and chemistry as soon as we heard them. We know their global fanbase will be as excited to finally hear them on record as we are.”
Michael and Michelle’s first public show will be at Omeara London on 6 June.
Downton Abbey, the British historical drama set in the early 20th century, premiered in 2010 and ran for six seasons. A film of the same name released in 2019, with the sequel, A New Era, due for release this spring.
Dockery, who recently starred in Apple TV’s Defending Jacob, will also be seen on screen in the long-awaited Netflix adaptation of the bestselling novel Anatomy of a Scandal alongside Sienna Miller and Rupert Friend.
• This article was amended on 16 February 2022 because an earlier version misspelled the surname of Chris Maas as “Mass”.
