Howling Bells lead singer Juanita Stein talks feminism in music
Juanita Stein of Australian four-piece Howling Bells, talks about second album Radio Wars and being a band away from home
Howling Bells have been busy in the UK supporting Mercury Rev on a three-week tour of the country, I find her doing a photo shoot in a bowling alley before heading back the land down under.
“Mercury Rev are protective, done with the dirty days,” Juanita explains when asked about the touring antics. The Howling Bells were invited to join the progressive US legends, opening them up to a new audience, having previously supported The Killers, “the crowds in the UK differ depending on who you’re playing with, The Killers had wild audience, but Mercury Rev are more placid…our fans tend to be thoughtful and appreciative. Our music is more low-key, so audiences don’t go crazy but I don’t want to feel like their bored?!” Juanita jokes.
The Howling Bells are one in a list of antipodeans bands that are breaking the UK music scene, along with Morning After Girls and Wolfmother. “Bands are breaking-out of the scene and playing overseas. People are scared of playing home-turf as crowds are tougher then when you’re travelling, so more bands are breaking through and getting recognition, which is great.” However, there is always the double-edged sword when bands like BRMC are more successful in the UK then they are at home, “yeah, we formed and moved to London, basing ourselves here, so this where we grew. Sometimes, what you’re doing is difficult for a home audience to digest. The UK is definitely important to us as a band, we’ve been inspired by so many UK bands and solo artist.”
After the release of their self-titled debut album, the band came to the forefront of the British music scene, relentlessly touring and wowing festival crowds. Now on a new label Independiente Records, they are bracing themselves for the release of second album Radio Wars, which Juanita describes as “colourful, brighter, bolder, angular and much wider then the first album…it was written on the road, so has a different feel, from three or fours years of travelling around different territories.” Produced by Dan Grech-Marguerat (Radiohead, Air and Sir Paul McCartney) alongside Nigel Godrich, “he had serious focus, passionate and more forthright then we’re used to,” Juanita talks about Dan, “we had disagreements and it was great to work with someone like that, who could challenge us and help us grow.”
The second album comes as a time when the music industry is in dire straits, dropping bands that aren’t pocketing at much dough as Britney Spears, “we’re really fortunate that we’ve been given an opportunity to take our time and make a second album…our label is very artist friendly and I think the industry is starting to realise that you have to be.” When talking about the industry, Juanita adds “The grand illusion, but I think its wonderful, things have to change and move on.”
None more notable then the sudden influx of female fronted bands, “it’s an advantage, there are billions of boys in bands and billions of boys fronting them, so it give us something different, for people to stand up and say ‘hmmm, what’s this all about?…Looking as the charts, there are lots of female artist like Beyonce and that trickles down…Sure, some women get exploited with a CEO with a big cigar telling them what to wear and what to eat, I don’t have a problem with it and they nearly always end up on top. There is no CEO telling me what to do!”
Howling Bells second album, Radio Wars is release on February 9, 2009.
First published 13.12.2008
Howling Bells have been busy in the UK supporting Mercury Rev on a three-week tour of the country, I find her doing a photo shoot in a bowling alley before heading back the land down under.
“Mercury Rev are protective, done with the dirty days,” Juanita explains when asked about the touring antics. The Howling Bells were invited to join the progressive US legends, opening them up to a new audience, having previously supported The Killers, “the crowds in the UK differ depending on who you’re playing with, The Killers had wild audience, but Mercury Rev are more placid…our fans tend to be thoughtful and appreciative. Our music is more low-key, so audiences don’t go crazy but I don’t want to feel like their bored?!” Juanita jokes.
The Howling Bells are one in a list of antipodeans bands that are breaking the UK music scene, along with Morning After Girls and Wolfmother. “Bands are breaking-out of the scene and playing overseas. People are scared of playing home-turf as crowds are tougher then when you’re travelling, so more bands are breaking through and getting recognition, which is great.” However, there is always the double-edged sword when bands like BRMC are more successful in the UK then they are at home, “yeah, we formed and moved to London, basing ourselves here, so this where we grew. Sometimes, what you’re doing is difficult for a home audience to digest. The UK is definitely important to us as a band, we’ve been inspired by so many UK bands and solo artist.”
After the release of their self-titled debut album, the band came to the forefront of the British music scene, relentlessly touring and wowing festival crowds. Now on a new label Independiente Records, they are bracing themselves for the release of second album Radio Wars, which Juanita describes as “colourful, brighter, bolder, angular and much wider then the first album…it was written on the road, so has a different feel, from three or fours years of travelling around different territories.” Produced by Dan Grech-Marguerat (Radiohead, Air and Sir Paul McCartney) alongside Nigel Godrich, “he had serious focus, passionate and more forthright then we’re used to,” Juanita talks about Dan, “we had disagreements and it was great to work with someone like that, who could challenge us and help us grow.”
The second album comes as a time when the music industry is in dire straits, dropping bands that aren’t pocketing at much dough as Britney Spears, “we’re really fortunate that we’ve been given an opportunity to take our time and make a second album…our label is very artist friendly and I think the industry is starting to realise that you have to be.” When talking about the industry, Juanita adds “The grand illusion, but I think its wonderful, things have to change and move on.”
None more notable then the sudden influx of female fronted bands, “it’s an advantage, there are billions of boys in bands and billions of boys fronting them, so it give us something different, for people to stand up and say ‘hmmm, what’s this all about?…Looking as the charts, there are lots of female artist like Beyonce and that trickles down…Sure, some women get exploited with a CEO with a big cigar telling them what to wear and what to eat, I don’t have a problem with it and they nearly always end up on top. There is no CEO telling me what to do!”
Howling Bells second album, Radio Wars is release on February 9, 2009.
First published 13.12.2008
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