JOANNA DAVIS talks to West Dorset husband and wife duo Elijah and Ava Wolf, AKA The Gravity Drive, whose much-awaited debut album has just been released on the back of their songs receiving national radio airplay.

IT has been a two-year slog for The Gravity Drive.

Recording most of their album Testament in their living room, raising their daughter Dot and booking any available gig, they’ve made it big without having thousands of pounds chucked their way by a record company.

And, remarkably, ears at the country’s most listened-to radio station have pricked up at their alt-pop sound.

The band’s single Fun was played by Janice Long on Radio 2 and ‘Whisperin’ Bob Harris has also supported them with Cherry Ripe receiving airplay on the station and also on BBC 6 Music.

And their nine-track album Testament is an instant alt-pop classic, evoking shades of the Beautiful South, the Pet Shop Boys and dubbed ‘clever, grown-up pop’.

Ava said: “As we’re independent with no sort of financial backing for marketing or anything, we’ve found that by releasing singles we’ve been able to get noticed.

“We’ve already released four singles and we’ve gone on to build on our fan base. It’s been really beneficial.”

Elijah, who started out as a solo artist, said: “We enjoy being creative and love being in control of what we’re doing.

“Sometimes throwing money at something doesn’t give you the result you want.”

Technology has been a leveller for up-and-coming musicians, the pair think.

Ava said: “We recorded most of our stuff on our own equipment. We’d like to think that this is going to be the future for more artists.

“Because making your own music has become easier and easier I think we can enjoy a future where you can record music in your own living room and get your music out there.

“When we started out we weren’t aware this was possible.

“Labels were paying for pluggers and we didn’t have the cash to do that. We didn’t know whether people would answer our emails but the response has been phenomenal. We have had a lot of help from Radio 2.”

The pair are currently promoting the album, will record a session for Bob Harris in February and plan to tour in the spring.

They have performed numerous gigs lately, with Elijah even providing solo support to American singer-songwriter Nell Bryden.

Elijah said: “We’ve been doing a lot of driving, playing a lot of gigs and part of the fun of being with our band is having all those jokes and good times with them.”

The couple met in Netherbury, near Bridport.

Ava had returned from Los Angeles after working as an actress and Elijah was at art college in Winchester.

I’m speaking to the duo on speakerphone from their Bridport home.

We were due to meet in person, but my car’s latest in what seems to be a series of garage visits put paid to that. Although the music takes them away, Bridport is a place they could never tear themselves away from, Ava tells me.

“It’s home for us.

“We’re not originally from this area and when we got here we thought we would only stay for a while.

“Our neighbour told us it’ll turn out that there will be nowhere like this for us and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“He ended up being completely right.”

Elijah said: “We’ve got a very solid fan base here and hopefully it’s growing. Bridport was the first place we played as The Gravity Drive and the feedback has been great.

“There’s a really good vibe in the town and we hope that our music will be enjoyed by as many people as possible locally.”

Gravity Drive are influenced by David Bowie, The Beatles, dance music, house music and Bob Marley.

But surely their sound – a male and female voice harmonising in perfect synchronicity – is completely unique right now, I suggest, the likes of which haven’t been heard since The Beautiful South?

Elijah said: “I hope that for us there is a real gap in the market.

“We have had some comparisons with the Pet Shop Boys, Fleetwood Mac and the Everly Brothers.

“You can never really tell what’s going to work. Who’d have thought that Royal Blood could be so successful with a bassist and a drummer?”

Testament by Gravity Drive is available to buy now from thegravitydrive.com or from Bridport Music in South Street, Bridport.

The album is available to buy on iTunes from November 10.