INTERVIEW: House Of Women

Fresh from performing alongside Coach Party and Bedroom High Club at London’s Omeara, Hackney-based alt-rock trio House Of Women are reflecting on a productive year. From playing knockout sets at All Points East and 2000trees festivals in the summer, to self-releasing their debut EP, People Printing, in November; together, Elsa Malazogu (guitar), Poppy Miller (guitar) and Kyla Lanai (vocals, piano) have created a compelling sound and statement that hints at a band with truly exciting potential.

We caught up with the trio to talk about their roots, their inspirations, and the pros and cons that come with independently releasing your own music…

Hello Poppy, Kyla and Elsa! For anyone who doesn’t already know, can you tell us how you first met and formed House Of Women?

Poppy: Me and Kyla met at a music collage in East London, we started writing some songs together and came up with the name. We saw Elsa at a college rehearsal and I remember seeing this tiny girl on stage, but she stood out so well. We asked her if she was in a band already, she said she was, however never mentioned this mystery band ever again. Here we are…

Kyla: Poppy and I were in the same year in college and became friends because of it. I remember us talking about how we both had always wanted to start a band and decided to start writing some music together over the summer. Elsa was the year below us and we met her while we were watching one of her project rehearsals in college. We saw her playing and thought we’d ask her to come and try a rehearsal with us.

Elsa: From the first industry lesson I took joining music college, I picked House of Women as one of the artists on the list to listen to in class – having no idea ‘what’ it was. After having a listen and instantly loving the demo, I then surprisingly saw the two piece (Kyla and Poppy) live which sparked a memory for me back to that industry lesson. Couple days later, whilst rehearsing for my first project at school, I was approached by Kyla and Poppy after hearing some good reviews about my playing, where they asked the special question “do you want to jam sometime?” The rest was history… although they may say I was ‘playing hard to get’, I was definitely in a casual band before!

Sometimes playing hard to get (even if you actually aren’t) is the way to go! Congratulations on releasing your debut EP, People Printing, back in November. What are you most proud of about this record?

Poppy: Thank you! I’m most proud of the sound we have curated so far and the songwriting. I also love the seamlessness from ‘Elsa’s Lullaby’ going into ‘The Arc’.

Kyla: Personally, I’m proud of the songwriter that I have become by writing with House of Women. I think that we have started to really develop our own sound and that’s something that you can hear on the EP.

Elsa: This EP release has been our biggest project yet! The thing I’m most proud about is the structure of the EP. I strongly feel that it has a good flow from start to end, and thought deeply about the journey we wanted [people to have] whilst listening to 27 minutes of House of Women. Like our songs, we jump from soft verses/instrumentals to belting vocals and heavy distorted guitars; you get a strong sense of what House of Women is from People Printing.

Your sound is informed by lots of seminal 90s bands: Alice in Chains, Mazzy Star, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth, Nick Cave and Jeff Buckley. Can you tell us what it is about these artists that inspired you to write your own music?

Poppy: I love the chords Jeff Buckley uses. They can be so bright and beautiful, matching his voice, but also heavy and dark at times. I love the rotations and progressions he writes; it all feels very cyclical.

Kyla: I always focus on vocalists and how different people add their vocals to instrumentals. I think that Alice in Chains, Mazzy Star and Jeff Buckley are my biggest inspirations because they all have vocals that really compliment the songs and add something relevant to them rather than take over.

Elsa: From my perspective of writing, I am a hard Alice in Chains’= fan, in all elements. Jerry Cantrell’s melodies and original grunge sound is very inspiring to me. We fit in with them as they have an equal share of rhythm and lead guitars as well as a large vocal range that Lane Stayley has. Or, I just love them to be honest…

You self-released your EP, People Printing. What are the pros and cons of this independent process? What advice would you give to bands or artists who are contemplating doing the same?

Poppy: It’s scary just putting stuff into the world hoping it gets noticed, but also very freeing. We just went into the studio and did what we wanted. Highly recommend.

Kyla: I think that it’s definitely scary to put yourself out there alone and release music for everyone to hear, but I would say take all of the opportunities that you can get and start as soon as you can.

Elsa: We went through EMU bands for our distribution process which was quite straightforward and a quick process. Originally we tried CD Baby, however there was difficulty with the American tax system therefore we had to switch to avoid complications and potentially paying more – that’s up to you to decide of course. Personally, I think it gets difficult when connecting your PRS account (which I should complete actually…) and knowing when the best time is to apply for playlists.

Do you have a favourite track on the EP? If so, why?

Poppy: I love ‘Elsa’s Lullaby’, It’s just so cool. ‘Hypocrite’ is a tune though.

Kyla: I think that ‘Few Too Many Times’ will always hold a special place in my heart, but ‘Hypocrite’ is one that I am proudest of both lyrically and vocally.

Elsa: I could easily say ‘Elsa’s Lullaby’ but I’m going to think further away than just my name. Even though it presents a dark, atmospheric feel with a dissonant melody that will keep you on edge, I have to say that I love ‘Hypocrite’. Our longest song YET. Especially our 2 minute long bridge that returns back to the headbanging riff that everyone loves! Mmmmhh It’s a good end to the EP.

You’ve played some great gigs this year, including a headline show at Notting Hill Arts Club and festival slots at All Points East and 2000trees. Tell us some of the highlights from these performances?

Poppy: I loved our Notting Hill Arts Club EP release. The room had so much energy and sweat it was beautiful. I left my guitar feeding back on the stage floor before coming back for an encore, It definitely felt pretty rockstar.

Kyla: I think that 2000 Trees was a big highlight of the year for me, because of how beautiful the stage was and the festival overall had an amazing atmosphere. I loved Notting Hill Arts club because it was one of the best crowds we’ve ever had with so much interaction from the audience.

Elsa: I’m very grateful for opportunities such as All Points East and 2000 Trees. The feeling of being backstage with other artists and playing your own songs on a massive stage is a great accomplishment. Oh, Also having my brother sent to the hospital at the end of 2000 Trees was a highlight! Maybe crowd surfing isn’t for everyone…

That sounds intense. He’s clearly your most dedicated fan.

We know you’ve been busy releasing your own music, but is there an EP or album that you have loved listening to from another band/artist this year?

Poppy: I’m gonna have to say LoggerHead by Wu-Lu. I’m late to it though, it was released in 2022. But definitely been one of my faves I’ve been listening to this year.

Kyla: I’ve really been enjoying Volcano by Jungle and although it was actually release in 2018 I have just discovered and have really been enjoying Errorzone by Vein.fm.

Elsa: Apart from the one and only EP People Printing, next in line has to be GLOW ON by Turnstile in 2021. I absolutely love their nasty breakdowns with a touch of percussion and catchy melodies. You will catch me headbanging at a Turnstile concert for sure with our manager Danny. I’m forcing you

Finally, can you tell us any plans House Of Women might have for new music in 2024?

Poppy: We’ve been writing loads and loads and we’re hoping to get back in the studio ASAP.

Kyla: We have some new songs that I would love for us to record…

Elsa: New music New music New music! Definitely coming your way. Although, nothing ready to release just yet, we have plans set, might even surprise you…

Follow House Of Women on YouTube, Spotify, (X), Instagram and via their Official Website

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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INTERVIEW: ALT BLK ERA

Formed of sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, genre-defying duo ALT BLK ERA create tenacious alternative tunes designed to showcase their vivid personalities. Inspired by the likes of Ashnikko, Hacktivist, The Prodigy and Billie Eilish, they blur the boundaries of pop punk, nu-metal, rap and electronic music to form their riotous sounds.

By combining jagged electronics, heavy riffs and racing beats with raging lyrics, the pair have created an alternative statement of self autonomy on their debut EP, Freak Show, which perfectly showcases their antagonistic, youthful spirit. We caught up with Nyrobi and Chaya to talk about their new release (out on 1st September), their recent performances at Reading & Leeds and Glastonbury, and the love they’ve received from fans who have discovered their music…

 

For anyone who doesn’t already know, can you explain how you came to be ALT BLK ERA?

We’re sisters from Nottingham and we have been singing together for as long as I (Nyrobi) can remember. It became a regular daily feature when we would do our chores, washing up, with music blasting from our Apple iPod. This is where we learnt how to harmonise so easily with one another.

I’m the chief song-writer (Nyrobi) however, I work best with my sister Chaya by my side. She’ll add key parts, change things or say a straight no – so it’s a dual process. We sound so different, and we have such different personalities that we have to work closely together throughout the creative process.

Your own music is a blend of lots of different genres (nu-metal, rap, pop punk, electronic/rave) – talk us through your process of combining these styles and merging them into your songs…

We grew up on Reggae, Soul and R&B – so these elements are at our core. However, we stumbled upon the world of Metal and DnB when we were trying to express something harder and edgier than what we knew.

We haven’t got a step-by-step process. We sit with a beat. We have a song title and theme and then we ride the creativity wave. If we hit a wall – we write something else and then come back to it later down the line. There’s no pressure. We have fun making our music and if we want to throw in a bit of opera – we do exactly that. If we want to throw in a few bars of rap, we do that. There are no rules. This works for and against us because the industry wants to give a title to what we do. At one point we felt pressured to label our music genre – but it isn’t one thing so we generally call it ‘Alternative’.

You’re gearing up to release your debut EP, Freak Show, on the 1st September. What are you most proud of about this release?

We love that the EP is a story of where we started from. Our feelings of sitting outside of the mainstream. It feels like we’re getting a lot off our chest and we’ve found that so many others relate to what we’re singing about. We’re still really young, so the school experience has been a major area of our lives. What’s amazing is how many older listeners share with us that they wish they had us around when they were growing up. This is what we are most proud of – being able to connect with a range of people who identify themselves in our music. All the songs have a slightly different twist on them, and there are a range of energies that we share – from defiance to empowerment, to encouragement and love of yourself and others.

Do you have a favourite track on the EP? If so, why?

We of course love every track on the EP, but Chaya holds a special place in her heart for the title track, ‘Freak Show’ and I am loving ‘I’m Normally Like This’ – but this could change. It depends where we’re at emotionally as each track can speak strongly to you at different times.

Your music and your aesthetic both make a strong statement about individuality and not being afraid to express yourself. How has this message impacted your listeners? Have people reached out to talk to you about these things?

It’s been so wonderful to see the reaction. Our music is about celebrating who we all are which we especially see when we perform live. We’re tired of the pressures to conform. There have been a few haters that can’t help but share their thoughts about us and what we stand for – but we forgive them because they maybe haven’t heard our lyrics where we say “We don’t give a damn if you like it!”

People are always reaching out to us. We talk about some deep issues in our music, including violence against women. We get so many comments and private messages from people who have or who are struggling with their mental health and self-love – who say our music is helping them. Parents and grandparents introduce our music to their children and grandchildren. People from marginalised communities reach out to us and thank us for making them feel safe and heard.

Older true Metal Heads tell us how much they love our music. Rap artists tell us that they love the music we are making. What’s also beautiful is how many people from the Black community reach out to us too. Either they’ve never liked Rock/Metal music before or they have not seen enough representation. This is clear in our live shows when there are so many people from different walks of life join us in one room.

You performed at Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds Festival this year! Talk to us about these sets… 

OMGosh! Glastonbury was a dream. We have so much love for Earache Records for taking a risk on two teenage girls and putting us on their Takeover of the Truth Stage at Shangri-la. The highlight was when we looked over at each other in the middle of our set and we both knew what the other was thinking… “It’s really happening!” We were so happy.

We headlined the BBC Introducing stages at Reading & Leeds Festival. Again, another dream come true. We just wanted the audience to enjoy themselves and feel part of something new. We had people screaming back at us and joining in the chants it was spectacular. We’re still processing the experience.

You played live for Get In Her Ears supporting STRAIGHT GIRL in July and we loved your set. What do you enjoy most about playing live?

We love seeing the energy of the crowd. We love how we take them through different mood states and how we all experience it together. From soft, weird, to full out moshing. Live is the most wonderful thing! Thank you for having us! (see pics of the night here)

What does the rest of 2023 hold for ALT BLK ERA?

We have a few things lined up. We will be supporting Lord Of The Lost at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – this is another massive step for us and we’re so excited for this. On the 3rd November we have our headline show in Nottingham, where we will also be sharing music that we plan to release in 2024. It’s going to be a full on party!

Finally, as we’re a new music blog, we always ask for new music recommendations. Is there a band or artist who you’ve been listening to lately that you’d like to give a shout out to?

We have three we’d like to mention: PleasePretty Lea, Gender Crisis and Ruena. Do not sleep on these artists!!!

Follow ALT BLK ERA on bandcamp, Spotify, Tik Tok, Twitter (X), Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Fabrice Gagos

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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INTERVIEW: HotWax

When I caught up with HotWax before their headline gig at The Lexington in April, bassist Lola Sam and vocalist & guitarist Tallulah Sim-Savage both revealed that ‘Rip It Out’ was their favourite track from their upcoming debut EP, A Thousand Times. Today (17th May), the Hastings band have shared their visceral new anthem about contraception, accompanied by a riotous video shot at The Green Door Store in Brighton.

Having just returned from the seaside city after performing multiple shows at The Great Escape Festival, the trio – completed by knockout drummer Alfie Sayers – have been garnering a loyal following on their local live scenes of Hastings and Brighton over the past few years. They have a busy festival season ahead of them, which includes slots at Mad Cool in Madrid and Visions Festival in Hackney, as well as sharing a bill with The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs at All Points East Festival in August. This might seem like an intimidating schedule, but the three teenagers are taking things in their stride.

“We did our first ever mini tour recently, just to get a taste of it,” Tallulah tells me. “We’ve been gigging for years, but we’ve never gone away and played more than three gigs in a row. It was really nice spending time travelling together and bonding. Playing live is our favourite thing ever. I never feel happier than when I’m playing live. We’re just really enjoying everything, it’s so much fun.”

Tallulah and Lola have known each other for years and have the unshakable bond that comes from surviving school together. Tallulah explains that the pair played in a band called The Kids when they were fifteen years old. “I played guitar, Lola played bass and we had a singer and another drummer. When that band ended, we formed HotWax and I decided to sing. I would never sing usually, but I thought ‘I’m just gonna do it’, because we got on really well and we didn’t really have another friend at school to invite into the band.” She laughs at that last part, and I do to. It’s hard to believe that the pair struggled to find friends to play along with them, as they both seem modest, but truly passionate about being in a band making music together.

Drummer Alfie can’t remember a time when he wasn’t playing drums. It seems like an act of serendipity that he met Lola and Tallulah, completing the HotWax line-up. Together, they create the type of guitar music that other bands take years to master. Their sound is raw, but self assured, visceral yet melodic. Each time I’ve seen them play, I’ve felt an overwhelming rush of joy, because I know I’m witnessing something truly special. But maybe I’m just projecting and being sentimental? I wish I’d been in a band like theirs when I was eighteen.

So what influenced HotWax’s sound? Lola says she remembers listening to CDs in the car with her Mum – “stuff like The Beatles, Amy Winehouse and Destiny’s Child” – before she discovered rock music in her early teens. For Tallulah, it began with a love of Lady Gaga, before her Mum played Blondie’s Parallel Lines album at a family party, and she became totally obsessed with it. “I was listening to that album for a whole month,” she smiles. “I remember feeling kind of guilty about it in a way, that rock music was ‘bad’ – I don’t know why? I was quite an anxious child. I was like, ‘Oh, this feels really bad, but it’s really good!’. That’s probably when I got into heavier music and was inspired to play electric guitar, rather than acoustic.”

Through these eclectic influences and an endearing rebellious streak, Lola and Tallulah wrote the eponymous track from their upcoming debut EP, A Thousand Times. “The reason why we called the song and the EP ‘A Thousand Times’ is because Lola and I have gone through complicated relationships together, but it’s also about being just everything to each other,” Tallulah explains. “It’s sort of like we’ve had this argument a thousand times. It’s all about growing up and the things that come with that. Dramas, arguments, heartbreaks, everything. It’s celebrating us growing older and still being friends.”

The track is now a staple in the band’s live shows, but it took a while for it to sound the way that it does now. “It took us ages to record it,” Lola explains. “We didn’t record it until Alfie was in the band. The music video for it is made up of clips from then until now. So it’s like this photography project. With the song and this EP, it has been a collective effort from us and our producer as well. I’m really happy with it. I think that we went into it with the view of ‘this is what it sounds like now, live’, then we when you go into studio, you have more options of where the song can go and it can end up sounding different, but in a good way.” The band worked alongside Kid Kapichi’s Ben Beetham to bring their record to life. “He’s a great producer, he was so enthusiastic,” Alfie adds.

With their debut EP released in just a few days (May 19th), some stellar live shows lined up, and their recent signing to Transgressive Records, I ask how the band are feeling about these impressive feats. Tallulah is quick to respond: “It’s weird. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and I’m so happy, but everything’s happened so quickly. It’s kind of hard to process it and not to feel the pressure a bit. We’re writing our second EP and it’s like ‘Oh, people are actually going to hear these songs now,’ it’s a weird shift from just being a small town band. Yeah, it’s quite overwhelming sometimes.”

“It’s not just us that we have to impress anymore,” Lola adds. I caveat that with the fact that people seem to already be deeply impressed by what they do, which they smile at. We close our conversation with some recommendations on what to listen to. They all chime in enthusiastically, especially Alfie: “There’s a band called Lime Garden who we really like, they’re from Brighton. Kid Kapichi are really great. We’re good friends with a band called Mindframe, they’re really cool. Our local music scenes are great. We also love a band called Congratulations and Honey Badger too!”

Watch the video for ‘Rip It Out’ below.

HotWax Live Dates 2023
17th May – Brighton, The Prince Albert (Pearl Harts tour)
18th May – Portsmouth, The Edge of the Wedge (Pearl Harts tour)
19th May – Bristol, The Lanes (Pearl Harts tour)
20th May – Hastings, Printworks (support from Snayx and Borough Council DJ set)
1st June – Manchester, 33 Oldham St (Alien Chicks support)
2nd July – Newport, Rebel Fest
7th July – Madrid, Mad Cool Festival
22nd July – Hackney, Visions Festival
25th August – London, All Points East Festival
9th September – Torquay, Burn It Down Festival

Follow HotWax on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Holly Whitaker

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

 

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LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio: Great Escape Festival Special with SPIDER (01.05.23)

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves for a special show dedicated to women and non-binary artists who are playing at The Great Escape Festival this year! The pair enthused about the eclectic mix of artists on the line-up, and played tracks by Alice Longyu Gao, Witch Fever, JFDR, Brimheim, Seraphina Simone, Cristale, Delilah Holliday, HotWax, Coach Party, Problem Patterns, ARXX, Debby Friday, CLT DRP and more! Mari offered some of her suggestions too, including Whitelands, Lambrini Girls, Human Interest, King Hannah and Pool Kids.

Kate and Tash were also joined in the studio by alt-pop artist SPIDER. The Dublin-born, now London-based musician spoke about the inspirations behind her latest EP, HELL OR HIGH WATER, her anticipations for her hometown performance at Academy 2 in Dublin for Road To Great Escape on 8th May, and for her show at Green Door Store in Brighton as part of The Great Escape Festival on 11th May. She also spoke about the challenges she has faced as a young, female artist of colour sharing her music on the internet, and how it’s made her more determined to make her mark in alternative music scenes.

Listen back to the radio show below:

 

Grab your tickets for this year’s Great Escape Festival here

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 29 May at 12pm!

Tracklist
Arlo Parks – Weightless
JFDR – Life Man
CIEL – Baby Don’t You Know
Whitelands – Setting Sun
HotWax – A Thousand Times
Coach Party – Micro Aggression
Alice Longyu Gao – Come 2 Brazil
Moonchild Sanelly, Sad Night Dynamite – Demon
Cristale – Morgan
Seraphina Simone – Milk Teeth
Ruti – Luh Luh Love
Delilah Holliday, Baxter Dury – White Coats
Human Interest – Cool Cats
Hinako Omori – Spaceship Lament
CLT DRP – New Boy
DEBBY FRIDAY – Good Luck
SPIDER – GROWING INTO IT
**Interview with SPIDER**
Charlotte Plank – Lost Boys
ARXX – Ride Or Die
Pool Kids – That’s Physics, Baby
Phoebe Go – We Don’t Talk
King Hannah – Creme Brulee
Maeve – Hounds
Sans Soucis – Merchants
Witch Fever – At The Core
Problem Patterns – Who Do We Not Save
Lambrini Girls – Lads Lads Lads
Brimheim – This Week’s Laundry
Jessica Winter ft. Lynks – Clutter

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