Interview: Lail Arad (The Songs Of Joni Mitchell)

As someone who has felt inspired and in awe of Joni Mitchell for the last thirty years, counting Ladies Of The Canyon as one of my most played records, I was extremely excited to see that there is going to be a whole event dedicated to her and her incredible songwriting this April. Featuring wonderful musicians such as Emile Sande, Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit), Sam Amidon, Vashti Bunyan and Eska, The Songs Of Joni Mitchell will take place at the Roundhouse in Camden on 18th April, and has all been lovingly curated by musician and songwriter, Lail Arad.

We spoke to Lail about her inspirations for putting on the event, what to expect and how Joni’s legacy continues to live on and inspire musicians today. Have a read, and hopefully we’ll see you at the Roundhouse for what promises to be a magical evening!

For those who don’t know Lail Arad, are you able to tell us a bit about yourself and what you do? 
I guess my official day job is a singer-songwriter. I’ve been writing, recording, releasing and performing music for a many years now, and have a new record coming up soon… Meanwhile the touring hiatus started by the pandemic (and extended by having a baby) has led to some tangential music and writing projects… One of which we’re about to discuss! 

You’ve curated a very special event at The Roundhouse dedicated to Joni Mitchell, which is taking place in April. When I saw this was happening, I was incredibly excited as she’s one of my all-time favourites – such a completely inspiring songwriter and vocalist. So, thank you for putting it together! Are you able to tell us a bit about the event and what initially inspired you to do this? 
Perhaps unsurprisingly she is one of my all-time favourites too! Last year I was reading about her comeback appearances and noticed she was 79… I looked up when she’s turning 80 and realised it was the same month I was turning 40. So I thought great, I can celebrate her birthday instead of mine! The idea rolled on very organically from there – snowballed I should say – largely because everyone I talked to was so enthusiastic and wanted to be involved. So I approached the Roundhouse, who were equally excited about it, and from there we worked very closely together – are still working very closely together – to produce the show. It’s going to be the opening night of their annual In The Round festival. For me that’s just perfect because we’ll get the magnificence of the Roundhouse building, but with the intimacy and focus of the festival’s seated, in-the-round set-up. I always envisioned a very stripped-back affair, with Joni’s songs right at the centre; no big house band, just each artist sharing their own magical interpretations.

There’ll be a number of great artists performing, including Emile Sande, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit), Eska and of course yourself. How did you go about selecting who was going to perform – did artists reach out to you, or did you select people you thought would be particularly well suited to Joni’s songs? 
The main criteria really is to invite artists who are self-professed Joni fans and have been influenced by her work in some way. I hope this has led to a line-up which will reflect the many different worlds of music within her own repertoire, as well as the musical diversity she has gone on to inspire. 

And the lovely Cerys Matthews will be hosting the event. How did this come about? 
The thinking was very simple: Should we have a host? Yes, but only if it’s Cerys Matthews! Luckily she liked the idea. She’s a real Joni connoisseur, as well as a most excellent presenter. 

The Roundhouse is a pretty iconic venue, and I would think the perfect space for the songs of Joni to resonate throughout. As an artist and performer yourself, what has your experience been of different venues and their acoustics? Are there any particular qualities you generally look for when selecting places to play? 
There are certainly things I seek out when choosing venues, though I’m not sure I’m enough of an audiophile to consider acoustics first… I enjoy playing alternative spaces – galleries, bookshops, churches. And the Roundhouse is so special because it was originally built as The Great Circular Engine House – to turn around and service steam engines!

Obviously, Joni Mitchell is a huge inspiration to many vocalists and songwriters still today. How would you say she’s influenced the work you do? 
Probably so completely that I’m not even aware of it. I was brought up on her music by my hippie parents, so I’ve never not had her songs in my life. Like many songwriters I write very personal, confessional songs, and I take that freedom for granted – but I’m not sure anyone would be doing that now if Joni hadn’t dared to do it first. Also, many people probably think of her lyrics as largely, well, ‘Blue’… But I find so much humour and wit and playfulness in her writing, which I love and strive for in my own lyrics. She’s equally trailblazing in her musicianship of course – melodies, tunings, singing, piano, guitar, dulcimer, performance, production – and just the way she continued to explore and evolve. Having all that as an example, it’s like a horizon you keep walking towards, knowing you’ll never quite reach, but it urges you to keep moving forwards. 

And, I have to ask – what is your favourite Joni song (or album) and why? (I think my favourite album would have to be Ladies Of The Canyon…) 
I think I’m with you on Ladies Of The Canyon, at least nostalgically. It was the first record I really got to know, for myself. ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ is the first song I ever performed in front of an audience, aged 11! In a little yellow belly top from Gap Kids.

As well as a vast array of her own material, Joni Mitchell is also known for collaborating with a number of other artists, like James Taylor and Charles Mingus. Is there anyone in particular that you’ve always dreamed of collaborating with? 
I’d love to work with David Byrne. Or even just be one of the backing singers in Stop Making Sense, that would be enough for me. 

What do you think young artists today could learn from Joni Mitchell?
Do whatever the hell you want. And make sure it’s very, very good. 

A slightly off-Joni related question – but as we’re an organisation that promotes and supports women and the queer community in music, I just wondered what your thoughts were about the industry today, and how you feel its treatment of women has changed or improved over the time since Joni started out? 
Obviously we’ve come a long way since when Joni was basically the only woman in the room. The Grammys proved that recently! And obviously there’s still a way to go, but I do find it very encouraging how many incredible women I’m working with on this show. In the lineup, needless to say, but also: the head of music at the Roundhouse Lucy Wood, the production manager Anya Tavkar, our publicist Jodie from Stay Golden – that’s a lot of women at the helm.

We’re very much looking forward to the event! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Ah yes, I’d like to give a mention to the Roundhouse Vocal Ensemble, made up of young people from the Roundhouse Creative Studios. They’re going to be performing on the night – rehearsals are already underway, and it’s sounding super exciting!

Massive thanks to Lail for speaking to us!
The Songs Of Joni Mitchell will be taking place on 18th April at the Roundhouse, as part of the ‘In The Round‘ festival – it’s currently sold out, but you can join the waiting list for tickets here.

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Five Favourites: Joanna Sternberg

Probably my most listened to artist of the last twelve months, New York based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joanna Sternberg released their second album I’ve Got Me last year; an exquisite rumination on life’s difficulties and hopes which perfectly showcases their vast musical talent, I can certainly see why it received such widespread acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. As well as solely writing each and every song on the record, Sternberg also played every single instrument that you hear; creating a truly unique, genre-spanning collection. With an education in Classical and Jazz music, throughout the album they weave a rich tapestry of beautifully lilting folk-strewn sounds alongside reflective narrative lyricism; all brought together with their raw, impassioned vocals. It really is something quite special that I urge you all to immerse yourselves in, if you’ve not yet already.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate Joanna Sternberg’s upcoming tour dates, I caught up with them to find out about the music that inspired I’ve Got Me most. Read about their favourite songs (we’ve allowed them six choices!) and see details of their upcoming live dates below.

I remember the night before the first day in the studio, Matthew Johnson (of Fat Possum Records) told me to come up with at least one song that I wanted to use as an example to inspire each track of the album. It helped SO much and also made me even more excited to get into the studio. Here are a few of the songs that helped to inspire me!

The Pogues – ‘If I Should Fall From Grace With God’
The Pogues are one of my all-time favourite bands, rest in peace Shane MacGowan. And I actually wrote the song ‘I Will Be With You‘ while I imagined him singing it (with The Pogues accompanying him of course!).

Judee Sill – ‘The Lamb Ran Away With The Crown’ 
The ironic and strange thing is that I wrote ‘Drifting On A Cloud‘ before I was even aware of Judee Sill, though once I became “aware” of her, I immediately became OBSESSED! But then, when I was in the studio playing this song, I really had Judee Sill in my mind, especially this beautiful track, ‘The Lamb Ran Away With The Crown’.

Tom Petty – ‘I Won’t Back Down’
This is a song that I have been obsessed with since the age of twelve! It helped me get through the horrors of being bullied and excluded in the public schools of New York City. I wanted ‘People Are Toys To You‘ to have a similar feeling and arrangement as ‘I Wont Back Down’.  

Leon Russell – ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ 
I first heard Leon Russell’s cover of this song (it’s originally by Hank Williams) in the movie A Poem Is A Naked Person. It was near the beginning of the movie and I became so fixated on it that I don’t remember anything else about that film (except for the disturbing scene that I had to cover my eyes for involving a snake…)! Anyway, I definitely tried to emulate the feeling and energy of this song in ‘She Dreams’. 

Randy Newman – ‘Losing You’
Randy Newman is in the top tier list (in my humble opinion) of the greatest songwriters of all time. He has so many songs that make me cry, and I definitely took so much inspiration from ‘Losing You’ when I recorded ‘Right Here‘; I’m sure that I’d recently been listening to ‘Losing You’, so it was definitely in my mind and my soul while I was writing, even if I was not consciously directly thinking of it.

Roy Orbison – ‘You Got It’ 
Another song that I have loved this song since I was twelve (this is the age where I discovered Limewire and the art of making mix tapes!). I wrote ‘I’ll Make You Mine‘ while imagining I was writing it for Roy Orbison to sing. At the time when I wrote it, I was not even singing my songs – my friends would sing them, as I was too scared and insecure.

Massive thanks to Joanna for sharing their favourite songs with us!

I was lucky enough to catch Joanna Sternberg at a beautifully intimate gig last year at King’s Place, and would highly recommend making sure you catch them live too! They’ll be playing at Primavera festival in Porto on 8th June and End Of The Road festival between 29th August and 1st September, as well as opening for Jessica Pratt for a special night at Union Chapel in Islington on 6th June. Tickets available here.

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

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LISTEN: Sheherazaad – ‘Dhund Lo Mujhe’

Having fallen completely in love with American composer and vocalist Sheharazaad last year, with her spellbinding debut single ‘Mashoor‘ being one of my tracks of 2023, I’m so glad to hear that she’ll be releasing her full album, Qasr, next month. Having grown in up in San Francisco in a second generation immigrant household, the Brooklyn based artist focuses on themes of displacement and diaspora throughout the album, whilst fusing together influences from both Western classical music and her own South Asian sonic lineage through her exquisite interwoven soundscapes.

Our second taste of the album comes in the form of colourful new single ‘Dhund Lo Mujhe‘. Propelled by uptempo danceable melodies and sweeping strings, as Sheherazaad’s rich vocals soar throughout, it ripples with a glistening splendour. As stirring waves of sound intertwine with a somewhat buoyant energy, the track’s celebratory tone is at once juxtaposed with a disconcerting undercurrent. A swirling rich cacophony twinkling with a captivating allure, exuding a stark reminder to embrace our own unique joy in the face of damaging stereotypes. Of the track, Sheherazaad explains:

“For me, it brings up this circus of the insane, carnival of the unhappy… It suggests a very specific insanity, that of the immigrant experience. There is implied bloodshed, glamour, hallucination, and schizophrenia... This <song> is about delighting in our wickedness, especially as gender expansive people, where we’ve previously had little control over our sonic narrative in Hindi and Urdu music.”

Produced by Arooj Aftab, and featuring an array of talented international musicians such as Basma Edrees (Egypt), Gilbert Mansour (Lebanon) and Firas Zreik (Palestine), Qasr is set for release on 1st March via Erased Tapes. Pre-order here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Zayira Ray

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Introducing Interview: Heart Rot

A brand new band who’ve popped into our inbox for the first time recently, New York based Heart Rot deliver their ethereal yet gritty creations with a fierce allure, inspired by the quiet-loud dynamics of the ‘90s grunge scene. A completely DIY project, the band draw influence from their experience as girls and connection to the natural world in their songwriting, and pride themselves as artists honing their craft; not just in creating their music, but in their merch too. With just two songs out so far, they’re a new favourite for sure, and we can’t wait to hear more of their raw, bewitching soundscapes.

We caught up with Lily, Maya and Ceci from the band to find out more – have a read, and make sure you check out Heart Rot‘s double A-side singles ‘Anchors To Elsa‘ and ‘Sunday Night‘ now!

Hi Heart Rot! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! How are you doing today?
Thank you so much for having us! We’re doing amazing thanks!

Are you able to tell us a bit about how you all met and started creating music together?
We met through moving to college in New York City. We all knew that we wanted to be in a band, but got so lucky to meet each other early on, thanks to social media. The first time we played together, we felt such a natural musical connection between us and by our second practice we were writing songs. 

I love your gritty grunge-tinged sounds, but who would you consider to be your main musical influences?
Our main source of inspiration definitely comes from the sounds of ’90s alternative and grunge music-acts like The Breeders, Hole, Sonic Youth, Pixies, Mazzy Star, Veruca Salt, and Belly. 

You recently released your awesome double A-side single ‘Anchors To Elsa’ / ‘Sunday Night’ – can you tell us a bit about these tracks? Are there any particular themes running throughout them?
Thank you so much! A little over a year ago, I (Lily) brought in both of these songs in the forms of rough demos, having written the lyrics and chords on her acoustic guitar. ‘Anchors to Elsa’ was written in the summer of 2021, when Hurricane Elsa was soaking the East Coast of the US. I have always been fascinated that we name storms, humanising these archetypally terrifying natural disasters. The effects of climate change are actively intensifying the prevalence and tenacity of such storms, which is the cause of so much grief and anxiety among young people today. Young[er] at the time, I was experiencing emotional turmoil and angst, stir-crazy from the pandemic and stressed about the future. Elsa was such a fitting metaphor for how I was feeling; I just wanted to run across the whole world and release all of my fears and doubts like water and wind. The fact that Elsa is already ingrained in mainstream culture as the storm of Arendelle was not intentional, but as my little sister pointed out, quite apt. Lyrically, we think it is beautiful to relate emotions to aspects of the natural world, seen in ‘Sunday Night’ through lines like “the rain washes away all I ever said” and “you need my gnarled roots, a perpetual tree”. We are really glad that we did not rush into recording right after writing, and think that the time we spent with them rehearsing and playing live really helped them to evolve. 

You seem to really pride yourselves on being DIY and honing your craft; not just musically, but by making all your own merch too. Are you able to tell us a bit more about this and what inspires you to do this? 
The driving force for our merch production and process is sustainability. The garment industry in particular is extremely problematic – although filling out an online order form is much easier, we really believe every act and decision is valuable. We are committed to hand printing our merch on thrifted shirts and sweaters, and being physically present throughout the process instead of outsourcing. The first part of our merch-making process is going to a pay-by-pound thrift store where it is easy to find hundreds of blank tees, tanks, and sweaters with so much life left in them. Our guitarist Maya draws incredible digital sketches and I’m able to use the printmaking studio at our school to screen-print those designs. The innate uniqueness of each shirt is something we are very proud of; no two Heart Rot merch pieces look alike.

Being based in New York must be pretty exciting. What’s the live scene like there at the moment? 
There are so many incredible rock bands in New York right now who draw influence from many different sub genres of the last fifty years of rock and indie music. It’s super awesome to go to shows because every act has such a creative and unique sound. We also know a lot of bands, including ourselves, that are in some form of art school. In addition to making music, a lot of us are photographers, painters, fashion designers, and printmakers, which speaks to the whole DIY energy here. It’s also super exciting and inviting to see and play with more women and queer-led groups. It’s great that the music scene is becoming more inclusive.

And what can fans expect from your live shows? 
We like to stack shows that we organise with as many female/non-binary bands as possible, so you should expect to see some other incredible acts (and dance in the crowd with us). We like to do this only semi-defined ritual called ‘girl mosh’ (not just for girls): our version of a safe and inclusive way to contrast the typical exclusive, almost jarring body-slam that dominates traditional punk/rock scenes. We hope to foster a safe and fun energy in the crowd. 

As we’re an organisation keen to support new artists, we just wondered how you feel the industry is for them at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years in its treatment of female and queer artists? 
I think many of us have seen a definite shift on what it means to be a popular and successful artist because the internet and social media have become such a determining factor in connecting with other artists and audiences. The musical landscape that female and queer musicians are entering now celebrates us a lot more and there has been an enormous amount of progress within the last fifty years. We’ve been so appreciative of how we have been received as a band, but know that our experience is certainly not universal. Misogynistic biases continue to find ways to put down female artists – the current version on social media seems to be the assumption that breakout female artists are “industry plants”. This completely disregards their artistry, chocking it up to unjust inflation or some behind-the-scenes corporate manipulation.

And are there any other new bands or artists that you’d recommend that we check out?
There are so many incredible bands active in NYC releasing music and playing shows. Le Bang, The Dutch Kills, OMAT, and Lucky Number are some of our favourites! 

Finally, what does 2024 have in store for Heart Rot? 
Definitely more music and a relentless amount of live shows! We hope to release our full length album, keep producing homemade merch and related artwork, and release more music videos. We have a handful of shows coming up in February, but we’re most excited for the show on February 10th at Stone Circle Theatre in Queens, NYC.

Massive thanks to Heart Rot for answering our questions, we can’t wait to hear more from them soon!

Photo Credit: @ellamenop3

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