Words originally for Vapour Trail Blog
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| L-R: Joff Oddie, Ellie Rowsell, Theo Ellis, Joel Amey |
You know who Wolf Alice are. A staple
feature of the UK’s indie landscape since they came kicking and screaming onto
the scene in 2012, their short but expansive career has seen them cover huge
ground both literally and figuratively. Countless live shows, two phenomenal
EPs and one chart topping debut album later, they’re in the midst of their most
important tour yet. With a hugely successful awards season under their belts,
and four sold out nights at Kentish Town Forum on the horizon, we were
desperate to hear some words of wisdom from the kids themselves. Backstage at Norwich
UEA, that’s just what bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey gave us.
How was Manchester last night?
Joel Amey: Manchester was amazing. It
was the biggest show we’re going to play until our next record capacity wise,
because The Forum [Kentish Town] is slightly smaller. We played there a couple
of years ago with The 1975 and we were first on, and ironically Swim Deep were
second on an they were second on last night, so I can’t believe we went back
and sold it out. Big things for little Wolf Alice. The crowd were a beautiful
bunch.
Do you remember playing this venue on
that tour?
JA: Yeah, that was probably a less
successful gig. I do of course remember. It was a mess really wasn’t it? It was
fun, but the thing was, it was probably the third time that had happened on
that tour. Or maybe it was the first of three times. There’s a video of it
online actually. I think I said something like “sorry we were shit” when we
went off stage. I hope I don’t have to say that again tonight. I think we’ll be
great tonight actually; I walked past the stage earlier and there was a cool
light show going on. We’re playing pretty well at the moment, actually. Seeing
how we haven’t really rehearsed for a little while, I’ve been really enjoying
this tour.
Theo Ellis: They had a double
booking. They’re doing some uni ball or something, which was just an obligation
that they had before we asked them to play. But there is the incredible Crows
who will instantly become your new favourite band. And the BK bad boys.
JA: This tour is just literally us
and our best mates. If I’m not playing a show I’m either with James [Cox] from
Crows, Sam Conway from Bloody Knees or… just the people we always drink with
who happen to all be in amazing bands.
Didn’t you used to be in a band with
James Balmont from Swim Deep?
JA: Yeah, and a chap called Cameron
Knight who’s in Alt-J now. We were in a band together when we were teenagers.
Are you aware of how much the EPs
sell for on vinyl?
JA: Yeah we are. I always get
screenshots sent to me of people selling the vinyl for like a grand.
TE: People reselling them can fuck
off. It’s bullshit. It’s people who buy limited copies of things as prospective
investment in case the band get big and then try to fuck kids over for money.
We did limited runs because at the time that was the position we were in and
that’s what you have to do. It’s got nothing to do with us.
JA: And the thing is, if we repress
it, to those people who did buy it
for £400, anything that was special is now lost to that fucking dick on eBay.
TE: I’d rather people illegally
download the EP than buy it for £400.
Do you have any vinyl you cherish
that much?
JA: I have a copy of George
Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. It’s
something my Mum had, and it’s a beautiful bit of kit. I don’t think I’m very
good at collecting vinyl. I love it, but I just never get around to doing it. I
do buy pieces that I’m really interested in, like certain Fugazi records that I
have, Replacements vinyls which I’m really into.
TE: I’ve got shit loads of records
that I love and I’m very protective over. I have a Kraftwerk album on
translucent vinyl, a really old pressing of Queens of the Stone Age’s Rated R, loads of different bits and
pieces. I actually have almost every Nick Cave record, except for The Good Son I think. So if anyone out
there has a copy, throw it at me.
JA: Apparently at the moment people
think throwing shit on stage is cool. People keep throwing demo CDs, which I’m
happy to go and grab because we’ll come outside afterward, but it’s just… it’s
a disc. I saw one hit Joff yesterday.
Why are none of your EP tracks on the
album?
TE: Both of those EPs were bodies of work,
which have their own structures, and for us they have a place and a world which
they live in, whereas the singles we made earlier when we didn’t have much
money or time, so we wanted to give them the best showcase or best outfit to
wear in terms of production. So it was just an opportunity to have another go.
JA: I think we might be the only band
I know who put out a single and then did a tour for it. We did the Bros tour, which was maybe thirty dates;
no one was there, which actually in hindsight probably did us some good.
TE: Obviously it’s a lot easier. It’s
really difficult for young bands to fulfil their touring commitments when
they’re working as well and it can really put a strain on you. If you’re able
to balance the two then the touring side eventually takes off and becomes your
world, and that’s really lucky. We’re so grateful for it. And now we’ve got a
TV mounted to the side of the wall in the tour bus. We have video games, I
don’t think I’ve actually watched anything on it yet. But it is so difficult sometimes,
even if you’re studying, it’s not just work. And then you also need to eat and
you probably need to pay rent because you’re an adult. Life! What’s that all about?
What’s your relationship like with
Dirty Hit?
TE: We have to contractually stick
with them! Dirty Hit were the only record label to show up after our show in
Cambridge supporting Swim Deep and they said “we want to sign you, we’ll do it
tomorrow”. They’re, in my opinion, the best record label in terms of the things
they’re putting out. They’re so ambitious and creative and they give creative
license to their artists properly.
JA: They got a number 1 in the UK and
the US with a guitar band, who Jamie [Oborne] was told would never amount to
anything in ten years. Other bands who have done that are like Led Zeppelin,
The Beatles, Adele, Radiohead with Kid A.
Five people work there. It’s amazing, we’re so proud of what Jamie’s achieved.
TE: They let us make the record,
which we wanted to make, which is amazing.
The name Wolf Alice comes from an
Angela Carter story. How did that happen?
JA: I didn’t study it but everyone in
London seemed to have studied it at school. I did Wise Children.
TE: Ellie needed a name for a MySpace
profile for a band, and her Mum suggested it. And also it’s quite fitting. Have
you read it? It’s only two or three pages.
You did a lot of awards ceremonies
lately too. Which was your favourite?
TE: The NMEs. Because we won.
JA: NME is just a really wicked party
and all our friends were there. The Grammys is something I’ll be able to tell [TE:
someone else’s grandkids!] about because it is a massive thing. It’s kind of
mad. If, when you’d seen us the last time we played this venue, you said “one
day they’ll be nominated for a Grammy” I’d be like “fuck off they are”. So
that’s crazy. And we were the only band on an independent label at the Brits –
TE: No, you’ve got Courtney Barnett.
JA: Fuck! Only band.
TE: Tame Impala.
JA: No, they’re on Fiction.
TE: Is that not a major?
JA: Anyway. Basically, whatever we
are we were there. Grammys and NMEs for me were great because I was in Los
Angeles and we won, Brits are at the bottom.
Which bands made you want to play
music?
TE: Queens of the Stone Age, Nick
Cave.
JA: The Horrors when I was younger. That
was the first gig I ever went to by myself, when I was 15. It was in a venue
called The Coronet, which is closing down, in Elephant and Castle. It was in
the top room at a gig put on by a young lad called Sam Kilcoyne who started a
night with his dad called Underage Club, where you could only get in if you
were under 18 [which became a festival running from 2007-2011]. I went with
James Balmont from Swim Deep, it was our first gig by ourselves, and it changed
me because for me it was one of the most punk things I could see, because it
was just three chords and a bunch of kids in a fucking room and it felt like
something was happening. It was the first time I felt like I was involved in
something that could change my life, and it did actually.
Do you think that you guys have done
the same for people going to Wolf Alice gigs?
TE: I don’t think we could assume. Fingers
crossed that it’s done that.
JA: People have definitely said stuff
to us that has been incredibly warming and flattering.
Tour manager Piet signals it’s time to wrap things up.
Final question is, have you got new
material in the works?
TE: If you watch the show this
evening, at the beginning there’s a weird thing that happens and we’re not
really sure if it’s a song or what. We are trying to write some new songs because
all we’re thinking about is how we want to write a second record really fucking
quickly. We don’t want to disappear, we don’t want to go away, we want to keep
doing this because we’re really enjoying it and we can’t afford to miss it.
Also, we have to pay this guy to stay on the road with us!
Portraits are taken and Wolf Alice head off to do whatever it is
rockstars do before a show.
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