Interview: Wolf Alice Talk Romance and Recording

British alt-rock group Wolf Alice are set to head down under for their debut headline show in Aotearoa this coming September. We got our first taste of the four-piece band at their ferocious Laneway Festival 2018 set in January and since then, the group has toured with the mighty Queens Of The Stone Age around the globe. As illustrated on the two albums in their repertoire, My Love Is Cool and Visions Of A Life, Wolf Alice embellishes the fundamentals of hard rock with a dreamy aura to produce an eclectic sound. Calling from East London through a patchy telephone line, softly spoken lead singer Ellie Roswell shared her thoughts with Jean Bell on Queens Of The Stone Age, being a romantic, and making the band’s third record...

Last time you guys were here was for Laneway in January – how did you find playing here?

We had a great time, it was really fun. I didn’t realise we had quite a lot of friends down there and we also had a couple of days off which was nice.

Most musicians tend to have a number of artists who initially influenced them, but looking at what people are making right now - who would you consider an influence who is currently working and making music?

We just came off tour with Queens Of The Stone Age and they continue to inspire us as much as they did back in the day. They're a great rock band, you know, they’re melodic while still being ferocious and hard. They also rehearse every day while touring heavily and keep switching their set around, so it’s more flexible and not so rigid. Also, I really like that they don’t use any (backing) track. I think that’s quite hard to find in a melodic rock band at the moment. I always find this question really hard to answer [laughs]. I don’t know what influences me until I’ve had some hindsight.

Just looking at your Twitter it’s clear you care about a lot of the political rubbish that is happening in our world right now. Will political commentary ever feature in your lyrics?

I couldn’t tell you at this point. It never has explicitly been present in my lyrics because it’s not something I’ve learnt how to put into poetry or lyrics, but that’s not to say I won’t in the future.

Your lyrics seem to deal with both romance and fear of love - would you call yourself a romantic or a cynic at heart?

I think I am a romantic. That doesn’t mean to say I love all things to do with romance, sex and love. I like the romance of everyday life and I find lots of things romantic. The books I like to read or films I like to watch aren’t outrageous stories, they more focus on the little bits in life that add up.

You and the band are gearing up to make your third album. Where does the challenge of making an album lie for you?

I’ve only made two albums and both times it’s been a very different process so I don’t really know what it’s like for me. I think the this one will be the test. I haven’t got a set way of doing things yet as I haven’t done it for that long in many ways. I feel this will be the album of how I find out how I do music and what way I work.

Going off the kind of sounds you’re vibing right now, what can we expect on the new album?

Your guess is as good as mine [laughs]. I feel like it changes every day, you know, sometimes I feel like listening to pop music to feel good and dance and have something I can put on with my friends and have a good time. But then when I go to shows, I want to watch heavy rock music so I guess that’s why our sound is quite complex.

And lastly, do you have any words of wisdom for any aspiring musicians?

Stay true to yourself and work hard. Definitely help others because favours always get returned. I guess learn how to balance having fun and taking yourself seriously.

Undertheradar proudly presents Wolf Alice performing at Auckland's The Powerstation on Thursday 20th September, for more info head along here.