Howling Bells
Live @ Oxford Zodiac
May 20, 2006
Interview & Photography: Steve Bateman
"Howling Bells possess a sound reminiscent of
another town, another time. They'll take you to a place far eerier than
Twin Peaks, and they'll spirit you to the abandoned Old West, to a town
shrouded in snowfall, illuminated by a campfire. In this town, the beguiling
melodies of this four-piece will reel and roll about your head like
desire and anticipation - the twin themes of this, their debut album.
Lurching from addictive blues-fuelled rock to country-folk lamentations,
the album will ring in your ears long past listening." - Online
Review Extract
Indie Noir and even Gothic, are just a couple of the many labels
that have been used to describe Howling Bells' haunting and evocative
music, as both the band and their slow-burning songs, not only have
a deep intensity, but they also have an intriguing aura of mystique
which surrounds them.
Interestingly, this will most likely result in the same kind of
cult fan devotion, that classic bands such as Joy Division, The Smiths,
Depeche Mode, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Manic Street Preachers,
Suede and Radiohead, have, and will always experience. As above all
else, like the very best groups and artists throughout the history of
popular music, Howling Bells are believable, and they are a band that
you can believe in!
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, they are made up of sister and brother,
Juanita Stein (vox / guitar) and Joel Stein (guitars), along with Brendan
Picchio (bass) and Glenn Moule (drums). Comparisons to the likes of
PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Kate Bush, My Bloody Valentine, Mazzy Star, Black
Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Duke Spirit, are inevitable. But what
sets Howling Bells apart from their contemporaries, besides their stellar
musicianship and sound, is Juanita's soulful and silky voice - which
could melt even the coldest of hearts.
Notably, Juanita feels that "there's still a lot of underground
music yet to be recognised in Australia, which isn't just rock, and
Howling Bells would love to think that they're a part of that."
She would also like to see the Music Industry "boast many more
interesting female artists."
Today, is the second time that I've had the pleasure of meeting
the band, having previously photographed them in Bristol - and they
are really, really nice people! Everyone was pleased to see me again
for R*E*P*E*A*T's interview, which the charming and very beautiful Juanita,
kindly did on the band's Tour Bus, following their fine show at the
Oxford Zodiac.
Like many other music fans, you may even have caught Howling Bells
on the recent NME New Music Tour, or when they supported the Editors,
or The Cooper Temple Clause. If not, you'll be able to see them playing
live throughout July and August, on their own Headline Tour, and at
selected Summer Festivals including Reading and Leeds.
Unsurprisingly, they are regarded as, "The Jewel In The Crown
of Bella Union's 2006 Roster," and now that their critically-acclaimed
eponymous debut album, is finally available to buy in the UK - having
been ready for over a year and preceded by the singles, Wishing Stone
and Blessed Night. It has become the fastest-selling release on the
label, with 8,000 copies sold since its release on May 8th!
So if you love music that is inspired, that is rich in texture,
that has a wistful air of melancholia to it, and that is delivered with
passion and conviction, then the deliciously dark dreamscapes of Howling
Bells may just be for you
1. The Rolling Stones famously sang, "I know it's only rock
'n' roll, but I like it." But do you think music is, or can be
more, than just rock 'n' roll?
"I suppose it depends on what you're striving for you know?
What is it that you want, and what is it that you really want to say
to people? But my religion isn't rock 'n' roll - I'm into a lot more
than that! I'm into the mystique and the atmosphere and the strangeness
of music, and there is a lot of that in rock 'n' roll, but (pausing),
I like everything (laughing), not just rock 'n' roll - I LOVE EVERYTHING!
I grew up in a house full of music, so I'd feel like I would be favouring
just one kind, when there's a whole Universe full of love and energy,
and different kinds of music. But for some people (laughing)
"
2. You've recently commented on how passionate you've found British
music fans?
"Yeah! I mean we're passionate about music at home in Australia,
but, the idea of being in a band, isn't taken that seriously. I remember
the first interview that I did in Britain - I was blown away by how
seriously the interviewer took the idea of being in a band, and music
in general. I was like, "Wow, we haven't even put out a single
yet (laughing)!" But, he was talking to me, as though I was as
important as any other band you know, and I was really taken with that
idea. Because it's quite jokey at home - "Oh, you're in a band?
When are you going to get a real job? Blah, blah, blah
"
*I tell Juanita that you can buy a T-shirt which says, 'NO JOB, NO MONEY,
NO CAR. BUT I'M IN A BAND'*
"I've seen that T-shirt, yeah (laughing). And it's kind of like
in LA, where all of the girls with big breasts walk around with T-shirts
saying, 'I'M AN ACTRESS' (laughing). But yeah, it's incredible, and
the amount of passion and energy that the fans give to you, is very
new to us. I suppose Europe as well, we toured there once and it's different,
but there's this level of (pausing), they're very serious about music.
As a musician, you give out a certain amount of passion and energy,
and you want that back, and we get that here - and that's what I respond
to (smiling)!"
3. To give us an idea of some of your musical influences and tastes,
which songs / artists would you play, if you were to DJ at a special
Howling Bells Club Night?
"Oh, it would be a strange night (laughing)! Actually, we did a
DJing thing yesterday - me, Joel and Glenn did it. We played everything
from like, Beat It by Michael Jackson (giggling), to Judy Garland's
Somewhere Over The Rainbow, to some (pausing), we're really into kind
of offbeat electronic bands, from Colder to Wagon Christ, to Sereena
Maneesh - who are a great shoegazer band from Sweden - to Ulrich Schnauss.
I mean there's some beautiful, wonderful music out there, and lots of
bands who aren't afraid to explore different territories. Like I said,
not just play rock 'n' roll you know? So that's kind of what we'd play
if we were to DJ. In terms of influences, like I said, I grew up with
loads and loads of music, because our Dad's a musician - so everything
that he used to listen to, which was like, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, The
Beatles, The Pretenders
all the good old stuff! And then, I adore
soundtrack music! I adore old French films, and that really romantic
notion of music aching and breaking hearts all over a film. I love Wild
West soundtracks too! So yeah, I'm really into the romance of music,
and every time I hear a beautiful song, I know it's affected me, if
I close my eyes, and I instantly imagine myself in the scene of a film.
It's really fantastical for me!"
*As this is R*E*P*E*A*T, I ask Juanita if she likes the Manic Street
Preachers*
"I only know some of their songs, like A Design For Life, but I
would definitely like to listen to more of their music!"
*I then tell Juanita all about the band, about Richey and his tragic
disappearance in 1995, and how much of an Icon he is to true Manics
fans - but she can't believe that he could never really play the guitar
properly. She also asks me if I think Richey's still alive, and I say
that I think he is, and I just hope that wherever he is now, that he's
happy*
4. When I first heard your debut single, Wishing Stone, it instantly
stopped me in my tracks. What was the last song that had that effect
on you?
"Ahh, cool! The last song that did that to me (pausing), I'm trying
to think of the last time that I was at club or something and that happened?
Actually, it was the theme song to an old French film called, A Man
and A Woman. I didn't realise how much it had affected me, until I started
playing it on the guitar religiously, for like months. I was just playing
this theme song, and I didn't realise where it came from - it was so
haunting and so beautiful. It was only when I sat down and I (pausing),
because my Mum loves French films too, and I asked her, "Do you
know where this is from?" So she sparked the memory, and then I
went back and watched it. But the song has the most amazing melody!"
5. As a group, do you feel any kind of music telepathy between you
all?
"Absolutely, yeah! I mean obviously Joel's my brother, so there's
something quite innate and intuitive there, and we've been playing together
for so long now, it's like 6 years or something - just mucking around
and playing different songs and stuff, and also with Glenn, I've been
playing for that long. Brendan's been with us for a few years now, so
in that time, you develop a kind of musical intuition, and for this
album especially, for most of the songs, we kind of locked ourselves
in the house for a month or so. I wrote a lot of the songs in my bedroom,
and so they had no input from anyone, and then I'd take them into this
room and play them to the guys, and it was usually a matter of an hour,
or not even that, before a whole energy just started rolling out. I
can't read or write music (smiling) - but neither can Bob Dylan, and
Elvis couldn't, so that makes me feel good (laughing)! It's encouraging!
But yeah, like I said, I'm very, very visual with the music, so I'll
say to them, "OK, this verse needs to sound like a giant eagle
flapping its wings, or this needs to sound like (pausing), I don't know?
Falling down an avalanche or something." And they know exactly
what I'm talking about!"
6. You've now been based in the UK since 2004, as you see this country
as "the most important place to be, in trying to make a career
out of your music." What do you most enjoy about living here, and
what do you most miss about Australia?
"That's true, but we had a tough time living here, for a long time.
I mean it's vastly, vastly different from home, and to be fair, that's
exactly why we moved here, because Sydney is really easy. The people
are so friendly and the lifestyle's so easy going - we grew up near
the ocean, and so there's a real sense of, "Everything's going
to be OK" you know? If you fall over, people will pick you up,
and if you crash your car there, everyone will stop for you. The food's
amazing and the coffee's amazing - I mean everything's just great! But,
understandably, we were like, "Well, if we're going to make the
record that we want to make, then we've got to get the hell out of here,
and really challenge ourselves." So when we first moved over here,
for at least 3 months, we were just blown away with the City. I mean
it's just so hard. Man it's hard. It's tough! We were living in the
shittest part of London, which was Acton, and we were sharing 1 room
between the 4 of us, with Glenn's sister, so that was 5 of us! But there
was just no end to the misery and the hardship, and we all had to get
shitty jobs. So for me, everyday riding a bus through this part of town
and looking around, and seeing these poor migrant women, just dragging
their babies down the road (pausing), I'm not doing any favours for
it am I (laughing). But I'm just trying to make it obvious, how big
a contrast it was. It's really miserable you know? It's really hard
for people to live there, and I think in a way, that perhaps subconsciously,
it contributed to the sadness at times, or the edginess on the album
that we made. It just built up in us for a long time, and a lot of artists
and musicians are intensely sensitive, and I just found myself crying
sometimes in the middle of the day. It's just sad you know? It's really
tough, and we vented a lot through the music. So there you go (laughing)!
Having said that though, I do like the history of this country - but
some places are heavier with history than others."
7. What's the best advice you've ever received?
"I'd love to be able to put it down to one phrase, one witty phrase,
but essentially, it's (pausing). Just watching my Dad - he's been a
struggling musician for like 40 years now or something, and he left
home when he was 14 with a guitar on his back, and he's never, ever,
ever, ever given up! He's never stopped you know, and the last song
on our album, is his song, we covered that - I'm Not Afraid. So essentially,
that's it - Don't Be Afraid! That whole song (pausing), that's the song
that summarises how he's brought us up, to not be afraid, to be fearless
and to have conviction. He would many, many times just look at us, and
no matter how hard it would be, just tell us, "If you feel this
innately, then why are you even talking to me" you know? Like,
"What are you doing here? Get the fuck out of here - GO!"
So that's it, yeah!"
*I say to Juanita, that her Dad must be very proud of her, Joel and
the band*
"Oh yeah, he is (smiling)! I mean as I said, it was hard for us
for a long time here, and he'd hear that in our voices which was hard.
But you know, we're sending him home reviews and lots of people love
the songs we wrote, which makes us really happy in return!"
8. Musically, Howling Bells evolved out of your previous band, Waikiki,
as you longed to create songs that had "atmospheric and filmic
qualities"?
"Yeah (pausing), I mean Joel doesn't like to talk about it - Waikiki
- at all. He likes to think that Howling Bells is a new thing, that
it's not necessary. But you know, you can't pretend that you didn't
exist before with certain lives. But it was just a natural evolution,
it was like (pausing), you get older you know? You go from being a girl
into a woman, and that's exactly what happened. I was 16 or 17 when
I wrote some of the songs in that other band, so essentially, they were
very poppy
"
*I tell Juanita that I've just ordered a copy of Waikiki's debut album,
I'm Already Home, as well as 2 EPs, from an eBay seller in Australia*
"Oh really (surprised)? Oh wow! It's really different (giggling),
it's a lot poppier! I mean you might hear some kind of reference to
maybe where it was going to go, do you know what I mean? But yeah, it
was just natural. The catalyst if you will, was when me and Joel went
to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club back in Australia, 3 maybe 4 years
ago? We'd spent so long talking about it, and I remember watching them
from the side of the stage, and they were just shrouded in red lights.
It was so dark and beautiful, and that definitely pushed the scales
that far, and I just looked at Joel and I was like, "OK. ENOUGH
- this has got to change (laughing)!"
*Glenn knocks on the door to ask if he can get the keys, for the guys
to start loading their equipment into the back of the Tour Bus*
9. Do you believe in destiny, or do you think you make your own path
in life?
"I absolutely believe in destiny, yeah! However (pausing), I think
it was Björk who once said - they asked her the same question and
her answer was, "I don't believe in destiny, I believe in beautiful
chaos," and I like that idea too! I like that we came from (pausing),
I mean we made this ourselves you know, and we faced many, many obstacles
and challenges, and had to go through a lot to get here. So there's
a part of me that wants to take credit and go, "No, we did this
all ourselves - the World is chaotic and fucked up, but we've paved
our own path." But, I'm quite spiritual and religious, so I can't
take the credit, because I believe in a God and I believe that there's
a reason for everything. I don't always have the answers, but that's
how I feel."
10. What's the story behind your name Howling Bells?
"Me and Joel were watching a TV programme one time, and there was
something that came up on the screen that said, 'Howling at the Moon'
- and we were in the middle of discussing what we should call the band.
The minute we saw it, it just struck a chord with us, and we kind of
worked on it and I guess developed it from there. Howling, is essentially
the haunting element of the music that we were writing at the time,
and I love the idea of Bells - I just love that their chime is so lonely.
They're always at the top of these churches or chapels in the middle
of these Ghost Towns, and they're just ringing. So yeah, Howling Bells
= Melodic and Haunting, and all that stuff (smiling)."
11. You said that in the past, the words you wrote were "coded
and disguised," but that with this album, it's "heart all
out on the table"?
"Yeah, it is, totally! And it's all part of developing as a person.
I was a very, very secretive teenager, and I think a lot of teenagers
are (pausing), some are obviously more extroverted than others, but
I didn't play anyone a song I wrote for years. I mean I just had my
door locked, and I (adopting a whisper) played so softly, so that nobody
would hear me (smiling), which is why it took me so long to raise my
voice on stage. The first few years we played in the band, we had so
many problems with the sound levels, because I couldn't sing very loudly,
as I was so used to being behind closed doors. So essentially, I spent
years (pausing), I was too shy to tell people what I really thought.
I went to an extremely religious school, and I totally rebelled against
that for a long time, but I think that that played a really big part
in how secretive I was. Because you know, most religions are (pausing),
you're taught to kind of disguise your feelings - your sexuality, your
happiness and your sadness. It was very repressed and I felt like that
for years - I wasn't allowed to say what I really thought. And then,
the older I got and the more I rebelled against it, and the more times
I had my heart broken, eventually you sit down one day and you write
a song, and it's all fucking out there! It's just like, "Argh,
this is how I feel!" And that to me, is what Howling Bells is all
about!"
12. Are there any particular lyrics that you've heard, or any lines
of poetry that you've read over the years, that have always stayed with
you?
"Yeah, God (thinking). I mean growing up to Dylan, there was just
like mountains and mountains of stuff, and it just dribbles out of his
mouth. I remember hearing lyrics as young as like 8 or 9 years old,
and not having any clue as to what they actually meant. But it's wonderful
growing up and slowly decoding all of the lyrics, and figuring out what
they do mean! Oh God, I'm trying to think (pausing), it's a great question
and when you want to remember these things, you can't (laughing). But,
I guarantee you that I'll be riding on the Tour Bus tomorrow, and I'll
be like, "Damn (clicking fingers), I should have said that (smiling)."
Um (thinking), well poetry, I don't read a lot of poetry - I'll get
there, but it's something I think you've got to find, and there's enough
poetry in music to last a lifetime."
*I recommend Sylvia Plath's poems to Juanita*
"I've been told to start there, yeah! I mean I did literature at
University - that's what I studied, and so I should know this (smiling),
I mean I should be able to roll them off my tongue (laughing). But,
I was a pretty shit student, I didn't read all of the books. The last
lyric that I heard, that I really connected with was (pausing), it's
a PJ Harvey song, and I love how stark and raw her lyrics are. She has
this one song on her album, Stories From The City, Stories From The
Sea, called Big Exit, which goes:
I walk on concrete
I walk on sand
But I can't find
A safe place to stand
"I love that idea! And you know what else (excitedly)? I just
thought (laughing), there's another song that I've been listening to
so much lately, it's a Dolly Parton song, and it's called False Eyelashes.
The whole song, I just listen to it all the time on the road, and the
words in the chorus are (pausing), I mean it's not particularly profound,
but it makes sense to me. The chorus is:"
A pair of false eyelashes and a tube of cheap lipstick
A pair of worn-out high heeled shoes and a dress that doesn't fit
These are all of my possessions, all I have to my name
And a record played in my hometown, is my only claim to fame
"I love that! She sings it with (pausing), she's so young and
it's so like, "I'm trying really hard to make this work" you
know? She's adorable!"
*I mention that I saw Dolly Parton being interviewed on TV once, where
she spoke about her own theme park in Tennessee, Dollywood, and then,
in reference to her appearance, famously joked, "It takes a lot
of money to look this cheap!"
"Exactly (laughing)! And it's so weird that you've said that, because
I sent my friend a Birthday Card, 2 weeks ago, with her on the front,
and that quote was underneath the photograph (smiling) - "It takes
a lot of money to look this cheap!" Yeah (laughing)! Does Dollywood
really exist (surprised)? Wow, I never knew that (smiling)."
13. What are your Tour Bus Essentials?
"Our Tour Bus Essentials (giggling)? Space (laughing)! Oh you know,
photos of friends and family - we're actually going back to Australia
in June for a month, which we're all really looking forward to, and
I'll get to see my dog as well, who I really miss, it's a Shar-Pei.
Our other Tour Bus Essentials are, the iPod, and I don't know how we'd
survive without this thing (pointing to the TV), I mean it just keeps
us alive - we just watch movies all day, that's it (smiling)!"
*I ask Juanita which films the band like*
"Well, I just got Rosemary's Baby, so I'm really looking forward
to watching that again! Close Encounters - we watch a lot of old Speilberg
movies, like Poltergeist and E.T., stuff like that. Jean-Luc Godard
movies, Luc Besson movies, David Lynch movies. Amelie
films just
keep us going!"
14. When you do have some free time to yourself, how do you like
to spend it?
"Um (thinking), films (laughing)! It's the closest thing to music
that I feel homely with, and I'm also really interested in DVD extras.
So films and shopping - if there's good shops, and I love markets! So
just, you know, hanging around."
15. Is it true, that you chose to sign to Simon Raymonde's Bella
Union label, as they're "more concerned with how genuine the music
is, as opposed to how commercially viable it might be"?
"Absolutely, yeah! They're a wonderful bunch of people! I mean
you can tell just from looking at the roster of bands that they have.
They're not necessarily bands who sell millions of albums you know?
I hope they do, but it's like looking at someone's record collection
- you can tell if they're genuine about music or not, and Bella Union
are definitely genuine about what they do, and which bands they want
to have a relationship with. That was a very big factor for us, in deciding
who to sign for."
16. You seem to have a very strong sense of self, and have clearly
taken great care and consideration over the band's style and artwork.
Is this important to you?
"Yeah, it is. It's as important to me as film clips, because it's
all of the accessories that go with the songs. From the way the band
looks, to the artwork, to the expression - to everything! You want the
artwork to be a really clever and inspiring representation of who the
band are. Mikko Rantanen (www.mikkorantanen.com),
who did all of the artwork for our album (pausing), I was flicking through
a magazine in London when we first got here, and I saw (pausing), there
was one particular image - it was like a river and it was very old,
it was almost like Middle Century. But there was this couple who were
rowing a boat in the middle of the night, with a full moon, and they
were ghosts - you could see through them. And I looked at it, and I
just thought, "That is our music - that's what our music sounds
like - so to me, that's what it would look like!" So we got in
touch with him, and within in a week he decided to do it, and he created
all of the artwork specifically for the album!"
*I say that the artwork, reminds me a little bit of The Smashing Pumpkins'
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album + the Tonight, Tonight
video*
"Yeah, yeah, I hadn't thought of that, but now that you've just
said that, yeah, you're right! It's romantic (smiling)! I'm not sure
if we'll be working with Mikko in the future, but Brendan's also an
artist - he created the sleeve for Wishing Stone - so if we use him,
it will be cheaper for us as well (laughing)!"
17. One of the most outstanding aspects of Howling Bells' music,
is your extraordinary voice - but which vocalists do you find inspiring?
"Ahh, thank you. My favourite vocalists are the ones that bleed
you know? God, that put it out on the table! The first vocalist that
just really, really killed me, was Björk. Like listening to the
Sugarcubes, and then when she came out with Human Behaviour, I was just
like, "What is this (smiling)?" It was just the concoction
of the image and the music and the vocals! So her, and I adore Dusty
Springfield - so smoky man! Harriet Wheeler from The Sundays has a gorgeous
voice. Juliana Hatfield. Kate Bush. Hope Sandoval has the most beautiful
voice. But then there's (pausing), I adore Blues Music, so there's like
old Gospel singers and Blues singers. It's just generally voices that
don't have any gates around them you know? They're not afraid, and they
develop their own magical style of communicating!"
*I ask Juanita if she would like to meet any of the artists that she
admires*
"No, not really, because my Dad met Bob Dylan once, and he wasn't
very nice to him - which he found devastating. So I'd rather not meet
people that I admire, just incase they aren't very nice, because if
they weren't, I know that I wouldn't want to play their records again."
18. Do you have any special memories of places you've visited, bands
you've met, or standout gigs / festivals so far?
"Well, recording the album is my first beautiful memory of this
band. In terms of other bands, the first band that we toured with was
the Editors - we supported them on their European Tour, and that was
the first lot of gigs that we ever did, and the first tour we ever did!
We got on with them so well, and they were just so cool to us, and we
really grew to love each other as bands you know? So I love them! We've
met some bands recently, like The Cinematics, and we just did the NME
Tour, and all of the bands on that were lovely. We only did 3 of those
shows, but on the last night, in Wolverhampton of all places, we ended
up at this strip club and we had a wild night! It was just so random,
we didn't even know (laughing). So that was very, very memorable - in
a good way! It was a lot of fun (laughing)!"
19. Being on stage is "what you love more than anything."
But what type of experience do you hope that you give to your audience?
"I think about the bands that I've connected with live, and what
they've given to me, and I hope that I do the same thing for our audience.
Sometimes, I've gone to see bands - and it doesn't happen very often
- but when you see a band or a solo artist, and you just want to get
lost you know? I want to get lost in the music and I want to cry sometimes,
and I just want to lose myself. I hope that there are parts of our set,
where people feel like that and get taken away to another place, because
that's how I feel on stage. If the gig's good, and you're not breaking
strings like tonight (laughing), essentially it's all about (pausing),
sometimes I forget that there's an audience there you know? So it's
about being as raw and unleashed, and as uninhibited in your own way,
as much as you possibly can. So that doesn't mean Courtney Love style,
tits all over the place (laughing). It means however YOU unleash yourself
onto an audience. It's how YOU do it, and if they feel it - then it's
working!"
20. You recorded your debut album with Ken Nelson, which you described
as a "lengthy and emotional process." Looking back on this
experience now, how significant do you think this collaboration was
to the band's development?
"He to me, stands out as one person who was very instrumental in
the development of the band. We made a wish list - we were told to make
this wish list - and there were like attainable producers and unattainable
producers, and Ken was on the unattainable list. We were like, "There's
no way, but we'll put him down anyway." We sent him a bunch of
demos, we had like 20 songs or something, and his manager got back to
us straight away and said, "He's really interested and he'd love
to do it." We were like, "Wow, that's amazing!" So it
kind of went from there. But I mean we wrote to him, because Coldplay's
A Rush of Blood to the Head, had just come out, and I thought that it
was such a beautiful and well-produced album. It was just so warm, and
there seemed to be such an emphasis on melody, and it was very organic.
As a band, we have a tendency to get really carried away with ourselves
- we layer hundreds of harmonies, and so it gets very chaotic. So we
wanted someone specifically to make it organic, because we knew that
between our fantasy, and say his reality, we'd combine ideas and make
something really beautiful (smiling)!"
21. What are your biggest hopes for this record, and for Howling
Bells long-term?
"Well, you know, I guess every artist wants their record to be
successful. And I want as many people to hear it as possible, and to
respond to it in a passionate way, and for it to inspire other people
the way that others have inspired me. That's the dream for us I guess.
We grew up listening to bands like (pausing), having our lives changed
by music you know? So new bands like Radiohead, or for me, Björk,
stuff like that. So in the long-run, that's what I'd love - I'd love
kids to go, "Yeah, I'd love to make an album like Howling Bells,"
or something like that, and that's what you want I think (smiling)!"
22. Lastly, chips or cream buns?
"Can I choose fruit cake? Because I really don't like chips, which
is a bad thing living in England (laughing), because that's what everybody
eats - and I hate cream. So I'll opt for my favourite kind of treat,
which is any cake or dessert with fruit in it - like strawberry tarts,
or something like that (laughing)!"
A very special thanks to Juanita, Joel, Brendan and
Glenn, to Howling Bells' Tour Manager Scooby, and to Duncan and Paul
@ Bella Union, for all of their time and help.
I've been where the sun don't shine
I've been where the trees have all died
I've been where there's no pathway or door
And I'm not afraid anymore
- I'm Not Afraid
www.howlingbells.com
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