Wolf Alice seem like reluctant stars. When I first meet them, we’re sitting in a sweaty dressing room, and the band members are all tucking into plastic dishes of Ramen noodles. They mess about and crack inside jokes during the interview, and seem eager to shift the focus away from themselves. I’m told around half way through that they should be interviewing me, as, quote, I’m “far more interesting.” When I tell them the interview is for a student newspaper, guitarist Joff Oddie says “if bands were universities, then we’d be Scunthorpe Polytechnic”.
But they’re doing themselves a big injustice. The Hype Machine and BBC Music labelled them the most blogged about artist of 2013, having won the hearts and ears of music buffs with their loud and proud grungy rock, melodic enough to sing along to and tough enough to bash your head to. After releasing their second EP, Blush, last year, the band have been looking more and more like ‘the next big thing’. Since Blush, Wolf Alice have got tighter, more confident, and louder, and are about to drop their second EP, Creature Songs, on Chess Club Records, the label responsible for the likes of Swim Deep and MØ.
I ask what Creature Songs is about, but Theo Ellis, bassist, seems a bit bemused by the question. “It’s just a collection of songs, there’s no narrative”. Joel, the orange nail polish wearing drummer adds, “it’s not a concept EP, if they even exist.” The band then erupt into giggles, scoffing at the idea. This seems pretty characteristic. They are incredibly chilled, both in an interpersonal way, and when it comes to their music. Joel suggests the record almost came together by accident, saying “we had these four songs that weren’t quite an album, but we took them into the studio and they took on a life of their own. We started with ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ which is the new single, and then we came up with ‘Heavenly Creatures’, and then ‘We’re Not The Same’. Joff had this idea on his iPhone for a song called ‘Storms’ that has this huge riff, which we just started messing around with. Then Catherine Marks, who pro- duced it, came onboard and it had a whole new lease of life. Those songs would have originally all stood alone, but they all sit together quite well.” “It’s thematic but without a theme,” adds Theo, ambiguously.
According to vocalist and front woman Ellie Rowsell, the music of Creature Songs is “similar but hopefully better” than that of Blush, but Joel tells me that they’re “willing to say things to each other in the studio that [they] weren’t before”. Theo, however, looking to turn the tone more towards the crass, adds,“we’re more musically liberated to tell each other we’re shit”. The band laugh as he shakes off the comment. “No, I’m joking. We like each other much more”.
Audiences seem to like them much more too. This year has seen a big step up for the band. It’s revved up tenfold, and they’ve gone from Fieldview to Glastonbury. But Theo is embracing the fast lane. “The pace has changed dramatically, but we didn’t want to get signed and not have something to do everyday”.
Creature Songs EP was released on the 26th of May, on Chess Club Records.
