Andrea Wasse and “Space” make up Digital Daggers, an alternative pop project that they describe as “milky, dark, pretty, and abrasive all mixed into one.” “If Sigur Ros, Peter Gabriel, Deftones, and Trent Reznor all got together and jammed, that would, according to Space, best sum up their sound.

ChinaShop caught up with Andrea and Space to discuss songs inspired by creepy dolls, their secret love for Britney Spears, and their upcoming performance at ChinaShop Presents: Rock on 11/18 at the Viper Room.

What is the story of the genesis of the band?

Andrea: Space and I started writing songs together for other artists. Then we started writing and recording songs for ourselves and gave it a name. Then we called in a couple of musician friends to come in and see if we could recreate it. We almost went a little backwards with it, but it all worked out in the end. Basically we needed a little break from writing pop songs and we just kept the vacation going.

What are the majority of your songs about?

Andrea: Love, life, loneliness and one of them was inspired by night walkers… yes, vampires, but not the sparkly ones.

You’ve had songs placed in a variety of TV shows and films like Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, The Roommate and Pretty Little Liars. What was the coolest scene that one of your songs appeared in?

Andrea: It’s always amazing seeing what they’ve matched up to the song; sometimes we’re totally surprised. My favorite was the use of our song “Surrender” during a sex scene montage on One Life To Live. We were hoping to make some middle-aged lady fans.

Space: The response to “Where the Lonely Ones Roam” from Pretty Little Liars was overwhelming! Such a great feeling.

Do you remember your very first show? How was it?

Andrea: Our first show together as Digital Daggers wasn’t too long ago, and was also at the Viper Room. It was a great night full of happy people and a personal triumph for us after realizing that yes, we could take what was originally conceived as a studio project and put it onstage in a live setting.

Biggest on stage blooper?

Andrea: No stage bloopers yet… knock on wood. Damn, did we just jinx ourselves?

Space: Although, there have been many in our previous band endeavors. At our first show at the Viper Room one of my pedal’s power supply did die right before we went on. Alas we got through without it.

What is your music inspired by?

Space: When it comes to music and melody, it’s the ether that is allowed in. I find it’s a lot of waiting for it to find you. You just have to be in the right place at the right time to be able to capture it.

Andrea: I’m a huge horror and Sci-Fi nerd and a huge fan of gloomy 80′s and 90′s music. All of these factors have turned me into the creature I am today. Sometimes I just need to get stuff out of my system, so a song is born.

Strangest thing you’ve written a song about?

Andrea: We’ve written some very strange songs about very strange things with other artists. Some writing sessions with a German pop group got a little… weird.

Space: No one should ever hear this, and hopefully they will never get the chance.

Andrea: With Digital Daggers, we try to keep things pretty universal and up to interpretation. That being said, we have one song that was inspired by a story about a creepy doll.

What are you doing when you’re not making music?

Space: Thinking about making music, reading books, and tinkering with gadgets. Anything that involves learning new things.

Andrea: Listening to other people’s music and taking advantage of the awesome collection of old television shows on Netflix. Right now we’re attacking the X Files. Expect some new songs about the Mulder and Scully sexual tension in the future.

What song would you say you are most known for?

Space: It’s almost hard to say, as the music is a tad bit eclectic and has appealed to a few different types of listeners. Our cover of “New York, New York” was popular with the video gamers. “Lonely Ones,” though just seems to have something that grabs people.

What inspired you to cover Tears for Fears? Are you a big fan?

Andrea: It was suggested to us by our publishers at EMI. Space was a big fan, so he jumped on it and put his spin on the track. It’s funny; a few die-hard TFF fans have been very honest about their dislike for our cover. Not too long ago I was introduced to Curt Smith and he told me we’d done a ‘lovely’ job with it. It felt pretty great hearing that from the guy who’s probably played it a million times.

Space: We didn’t over think it and almost came in blindly. We let it shape itself. That was fun!

Give us a random fun fact about each one of you.

Andrea: I am Canadian and am often guilty of using the stereotypical ‘Eh?’ at the end of sentences.

Space: I am obsessed with the writer Philip K. Dick, and my first guitar was one I made out of Legos. Oh and I come from the land down under.

What’s something that’s in your iPod that you’d be embarrassed to admit?

Andrea: Britney Spears. Some of those songs are really good and of course they’re good- they’re written by pop masters. Still, the 15-year-old indie rock snob that still lives in my heart dies a little each time I listen to Circus, I’m sure of it.

Space: Yup. I also have Britney. For research only of course! The latest Linkin Park album. I’m not that embarrassed, because it’s really f*cking good.

What were your first favorite bands?

Andrea: Garbage, Hole, Pearl Jam, The Pixies… the grunge period was a heavy influence on me. My first love was NKOTB, but I was just a child then and should not be judged too harshly for it.

Space: I grew up in a very musical household, no musicians, just lovers of great music. My parents had a great collection. By the time I was 2 years of age I was already hooked on Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’. As I grew older it became Hendrix, Bach and Nirvana. None of which have escaped from my intake of ear candy.

What can we expect from your live show?

Andrea: A great representation of the recorded tracks with a little bit more of an organic feel. If you’re a fan of the recordings, it’s kind of cool to see how it’s pulled off live. We also have an amazing rhythm section.

Space: A recreation of what we have recorded. It’s interesting and fun, as in the studio it is essentially two humans creating together using a vast amount of tools to create what we hear in our heads. Taking that to the stage is very fulfilling, as we need to recreate both the emotion and sound that has been stamped.

Anything else we should know about Digital Daggers?

Space: I don’t think we will ever stop making music together.

Andrea: We want to be your friends.

Words and interview by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer)