The last few years has been a rollercoaster ride for the musical career of many British indie rock acts from The 1975 to CHVRCHES. Amongst this British invasion of independent success in the United States and across the world is London’s own Wolf Alice, who took the international stage by storm earning nominations from the BRITs to the Grammys with their critically exalted debut record My Love Is Cool. Ellie Rowsell from the band spoke to Vision about touring the States, playing international festivals and women’s vital role in rock music.
With award-winning hits such as Moaning Lisa Smile and Bros wowing festival audiences around the world, we just had to ask about the background and the lyrics heard around the world: “Moaning Lisa Smile was actually based on an episode of The Simpsons I watched called ‘Moaning Lisa’ but the episode resonated with me and so I guess it is personal in many ways.” Such tracks evoke the introspective personalised grit of the composer yet are still written to be relatable for audiences: “I think it is cool to write songs that people can apply themselves and their own situations to without losing my own personal touch, which is I suppose what I tried to do in Bros.”
Standing out on festival bills, the band name itself “Wolf Alice” will be very familiar to many English Lit students – and 70s feminist fantasy-horror connoisseurs – out there. Rowsell talks of the origins and implications of the name: “I chose it mainly because my Mum said it sounded cool and at the time I agreed, it felt right. However, the themes and imagery in the story and most of [Angela] Carter’s work are those that I have constantly explored and taken pleasure in.”
Much like the origins of the band name, we also asked Wolf Alice about their key influences and inspirations that have directed the band’s music on their debut record, My Love Is Cool: “I mainly grew up listening to ‘indie’ guitar music which, mixed with the fact that being in a band looked like a lot of fun, is probably what lead me in the direction Wolf Alice’s music has taken. However, I am influenced by all types of music – rap, folk, electronica, good pop, bad pop, metal, country and constantly searching for inspiration wherever that may be.”
With Rowsell working at the BRIT Awards several years ago, Wolf Alice’s intense critical acclaim for My Love Is Cool led the band attending award shows such as the BRITs and the Grammys finally as nominated artists, “It was a very surreal experience in many ways. I enjoyed the ceremonies and am incredibly flattered to be recognised by such accolades.” Alongside the critical and commercial success following on from a prestigious Ivor Novello nominations and multiple victories at the NME Awards 2016, the band grasped the opportunity to tour the States supporting CHVRCHES as well as embarking on their own sell-out US tour supported by Slaves: “Touring America has been the most exciting thing to happen to me in recent memory, I’ve enjoyed it immensely every time. I never expected to play to an American crowd quite so soon so I was elated to sell out places like the Irving Plaza and play in cities I had never even heard of before. Our American crowds are enthusiastic, attentive and fun.” Amongst the touring with Slaves and CHVRCHES, Wolf Alice played alongside Guns ‘N’ Roses and Calvin Harris earlier this year at the biggest gig on American soil: Coachella Festival. Rowsell talked to Vision about the band’s anticipation and nerves leading up to playing the set in one of the world’s biggest music festivals: “I was very nervous. Like Glastonbury, there is a huge hype surrounding your Coachella set. I much preferred playing the second week as we were a little more chilled out and ready for what to expect.”
In recent years, Wolf Alice have joined the ranks of other female-fronted rock acts such as Marmozets, PVRIS, CHVRCHES and Paramore (to name a few) earning high places on rocks festival bills often saturated with guitar-wielding white men. Women as role models in rock music is a necessity often brought into the conversational spotlight particularly during festival season, and the band share their thoughts: “There are and always has been a number of women in rock music to look up to and admire, but not nearly enough and I do feel we still have a long way to go in encouraging young girls to pick up a guitar or drumsticks and get involved in rock / alternative music.”
Following on the topic of women in rock music, Rowsell spoke candidly about sexism and misogyny on social media of which Paramore’s Hayley Williams and CHVRCHES’ Lauren Mayberry are reportedly frequent victims: “I have been lucky not to have experienced such levels of online abuse as both of these global artists but people must be aware that musicians, celebrities, anyone with any exposure to the limelight are no less affected by insults and rude comments than anyone else. Perhaps this is something people tend to forget and why some sexist and other types of crude behaviour are so casually accepted. By exposing these experiences and pointing them out that is wrong and hurtful, just as Lauren and Hayley have, we should hopefully be on our way to stunting this ‘social problem’ rather than watch it grow. Social media is so good for a lot of things but using it to bully people behind its mask of anonymity is disgusting.”
