I got into synthesizers around 2014–15 while writing Synthia, the third album of my band The Jezabels.

Around that time, we toured internationally with 80s new wave UK band Depeche Mode. I was inspired by their dark synth pop and the way their music was built around synthesizer sequences and arpeggiators [a synthesizer feature that creates an arpeggio]. Their mix of guitar, synth and heavy drumming inspired us as a band to experiment with different sounds and ways of structuring music.

Heather Shannon holds a synthesiser upright over her shoulder. She stands next to a window.

Heather Shannon with her Prophet ‘08 synthesizer. Photo © Samuel Lockwood

The Prophet ’08 (with which I’m pictured) – a modern version of the retro model Prophet-5 – features prominently on our album Synthia. It forms the basis of many of the grooves and hooks on the record.

Although it is an instrument mostly known for its brassy tones, it has a broad spectrum of sound possibilities. I like to think of this as being like an orchestral tone pallet: dark and rich sawtooth wave pads that fill up the sonic spectrum similar to a string orchestra; flute-like triangle waves that have a...