Cerise + Victor

Cerise + Victor (pronounced: Cerise and Victor or Cerise plus Victor) are an English based duo consisting of married couple Stephanie Kesh and Shawn Middlesbrough. Both are former "honorary" members of the indie pop Curriculum, "leaving" the group in 2013 and forming into a singing group later that year. Initially supposed to be a solo project for Kesh, she convinced her husband Middlesbrough to record songs with as well produce while she primarily did the writing. The duo is scheduled to release their debut single "Cashmere Glow" and their debut album Hello, We're A Couple of Friends.

The name of the group comes from Kesh's and Middlesbrough's respective middle names.

Background

Stephanie Kesh

Stéphanie Cerise Kesh was born December 31, 1986 in Nice, France to an English mother, Catherine Ann Kesh, and a French father, Frédéric Jacques Claude Kesh (né Lavoisier). Both parents are heirs to massive fortunes from their parents worth multi-millions (and very close to a billion) dollars and are both described as "party animals" who have an unconventional marriage providing that Catherine is heterosexual and Frédéric being gay. Kesh got along with her parents despite not taking after her parent's hard partying ways or her mother's penchant for homosexual men. Stephanie has a younger sister named Rachel-Nichelle, who is widely known as Beastette.

Stephanie and her family moved back and forth from France and England, before they finally and permanently settled down in Manchester, England when Stephanie was a teenager.

Shawn Middlesbrough

Shawn Victor Middlesbrough-Bjorlin, eventually legally dropping "Bjorlin" from his last name, was born January 17, 1987 in London, United Kingdom to an English mother and Swedish father. Though born in London, he was mostly raised in Newcastle. His father has four other sons by three different women, one of them his maternal aunt (his mother's sister). Middlesbrough was raised by two loving parents who have been together since the 1980's but have not married due to Middlesbrough's father severe commitment issues and his numerous affairs, which resulted in the birth of two children on separate occasions. Middlesbrough was mostly influenced by his father's side of the family who were described as "vicious, cruel, and narcissistic", but doted over Shawn regardless. Shawn also spent a considerable amount with his mother's side of the family who described as "gracious, lovely, and warm-spirted".

Shawn's father's side of the family lived in Newcastle while his mother's side of the family lived in Manchester. During the summer vacation, he would spend the summer with his parents in Manchester visiting his mother's side of the family. His mother's side of the family were said to be friendly with all of their neighbors including the people who lived next to them, The Keshs.

Relationship, marriage, and early beginnings

Kesh and Middlesbrough met in Manchester when they were both teenagers. Kesh had just moved into the town and Middlesbrough was there visiting family. Both teens were walking out of their respective houses when they caught each other's eyes and supposedly had a "love at first sight" moment, introducing themselves to each other at that moment. The two tried to maintain a platonic relationship, but fell in love and began dating when they were sixteen. They got married when they were eighteen in France.

In 2010, Kesh's younger sister, Rachel-Nichelle, decided to pursue a music career and began work on her debut album. She recruited Kesh to help her write songs. At the age of 24, Kesh wrote her first song for her sister which ended up on her sister's debut album. Rachel-Nichelle then rose to notoriety as Beastette and her debut album Wildfire was a success in the UK and internationally. Beastette's success inspired Kesh to possibly want to do her own music and she began writing more songs.

Middlesbrough had no prior interest in studio production but was said by many to have a good ear for music and his musical tastes were often highly praised by his friends.

Early career and "honorary" members of Curriculum: 2011 - 2013

After writing songs with her sister Beastette on the latter's debut album Wildfire, which went on to become successful, Kesh began writing songs and singing backing or "additional" vocals for other artists.

In 2010, while Middlesbrough and Kesh were vacationing in New York City, Middlesbrough went a college party and met a group of guys who turned out to be the members of the indie pop band Curriculum, sparking a friendship. Middlesbrough was invited in to listen to the guys' jam sessions where he began offering musical advice on how they should play and sound. Kesh was asked to join the group after they were impressed with her lyrical skills in 2010, which she excepted. Since neither played with the band and were mostly behind the scenes (though Kesh would sing backing, additonal, and in one occasion, lead on the band's debut album Syllabus, they were mostly regarded as "honorary" members.

In 2011, the band began work on their debut album Syllabus which they co-wrote with Kesh while the album was entirely produced by Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough also entirely produced the Swedish trio Suede's debut Today Is Our Day, which was released before Curriculum's Syllabus in early 2012. Following a fall out the trio, Suede decided not to bring Shawn back to produce their sophomore album.

In 2013, Middlesbrough and Kesh decided to leave the group as "honorary" members though they decided that they would still work with them on future projects of the band.

Formation and Hello, We're A Couple of Friends: 2013 to present

In early 2013, Kesh began working on what was supposed to be a solo project with Middlesbrough producing. However, Kesh felt she needed a male vocalist on some of her songs she was working on. Though Middlesbrough could sing but not as well as Kesh, she felt his voice was the right voice on the project. Middlesbrough ended up singing close to or more than half of the songs they were working on. After hearing the songs back, Middlesbrough and Kesh decided to become a duo. Middlesbrough has playfully stated that he believes he was tricked in to record with and form a group with Kesh.

They initially were going to call themselves "Shawn & Stephanie" and later "Couple", but decided to settle on "Cerise + Victor", with "Cerise" being Kesh's middle name and "Victor" being Middlesbrough's middle name.

In spring 2013, the duo announced that they would be releasing their debut single "Cashmere Glow" and their debut album Hello, We're A Couple of Friends in May 2013 before they eventually pushed both of them back in June 2013 because their release would coincide with their anniversary. In May 2013, they released their radio only single "Salty Air" in the UK.

Personal life

First met in September 2003, when they were both sixteen, and got married when they were both eighteen in June 2005. Neither of them remembers the exact date they got married and they celebrate their anniversary for the entire month of June. They have a daughter named Rubisela.

Discography

Albums

• 2013: Hello, We're A Couple of Friends

Singles

Year	Title	UK Air	Album
2013	"Cashmere Glow"	18	Hello, We're A Couple of Friends

Promotional singles

Year	Title	UK Air	Album
2013	"Salty Air"	30	Hello, We're A Couple of Friends