It took a single evening for ‘Michael and Michelle’ - actor and musician duo Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey, Anatomy of a Scandal, The Gentlemen) and Michael Fox (Downton Abbey, Dunkirk) - 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. After that first jam, they hustled a recording studio in Downtown LA and got to work. Seven years later, they signed to the legendary Decca Records and released their first EP, The Watching Silence, four self-penned songs produced by Iain Grimble (Mumford and Sons, Daughter, Catfish And The Bottlemen). 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 ensued, and their follow up EP, Don’t Go Alone, was released in 2023 and followed by a debut UK headline tour.  

The pair now 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.”