Poppy and The Jezebels: Q & A

Girl groups are a hard one to fathom.  They either seem to be pop-manufactured princesses fresh off the major label conveyor belt, or were last seen delving into the more abstract realms that exist outside pop music’s hallowed halls to little avail.  

Outside of saccharine-infused pop music, what all-girl bands have recently generated large followings by simultaneously crossing over into ‘scenes’ as well as causing mainstream mayhem through littering the UK charts with their self-penned tunes?  And all the while doing that without triggering one to raise a cynical eyebrow, comment ‘here we go again’ and promptly channel hop from Radio 1 in favour of something more discerning and a tune that doesn’t induce the overwhelming desire to stick pins in your eyes as a desperate attempt to circumvent your hearing through pain.  Those non-extremists amongst us could always switch off and read a book I suppose.

Recently however, there has been an injection of new blood spreading through the veins of the UK music scenes, bringing a lifeline of sorts to the once celebrated plethora of girl groups that have existed in the past.  Lest we not forget to pay homage to the girl groups of the 50’s and 60’s like the Shirelles or The Ronettes who revolutionized the way in which women were seen as artists; and then to the sass and grit of the bands continuing the trend through the eponymous Motown and disco era’s of 60’s and 70s, again typically dominated by men.  All this led us nicely into the 80’s when bands like The Bangles progressed the field even further with their modern take on what would later become known as girl power, before “extreme” movements such as riot grrrl inspired women around the world in the 90’s.  And then the Spice Girls happened.  And subsequently their manufactured formula has replaced the way in which girl groups formaly became a part of musical iconography, all because talent has been replaced with high-end production values and copious amounts of record label money.

But, Poppy and The Jezebels might just be the ones to change the tainted perception of modern day omnipresent girl groups, as yes, they do write their own songs and no, they don’t need to rely on the merits of auto-tune in the studio to capture their sound. 

Birmingham born and bred, Poppy and The Jezebels are a 4 piece all female group who are all still in the throws of their teenage years and who musically refuse to conform to type.  Favouring influences such as the Slits and The Shangri-La’s over Destiny’s child and The Pussycat Dolls, they have styled an instinctive sound that has gleaned the best bits from the edgier outskirts of the pop genre, whilst introducing elements of indie and a wave of danceable yet cooler than thou 80’s sounds, making up the quintessentially individual Poppy and The Jezebels noise.

Label Mute Irregulars, synonymous with their association with the underage scenes and also their eclectic and revered mixture of artists saw potential with this Brummie quartet early on in their careers and released their 3rd single ‘Rhubarb & Custard’ in May this year.  And the subsequent praise that has been lavished on them from all aspects of the music media machine culminated in the ultimate accolade when Blondie producer Mike Chapman personally asked to contribute to a remix of the single.  Anyone with a semblance of knowledge of Chapman’s previous work will understand what a huge deal this would be for anyone, let alone a group of girls who were not even around when Blondie were pioneering new wave and the punk rock scenes in the 70’s.  And the result of this exciting collaboration is soon to be available as part of Mute Irregulars ‘Underage’ Compilation later this summer.

Young, gifted and talented with their fingers on the pulse of youth culture and a seminal awareness of the influence of fashion on music and vice versa, Poppy and The Jezebels most definitely are themselves pioneering lyrically astute and versatile pop music as credible artists themselves.  Age is merely a number in this girl groups make up for their musical maturity is far more diverse than fellow counterparts and most importantly of all they look like they are having a blast doing it.

Poppy and The Jezebels are Miss Mollie Kingsley (Vocals, Percussion), Miss Amber Bradbury (guitar), Miss Poppy Twist (Drums/Theremin) and Miss Dom Vine (Keyboards) and they recently spoke to 4or The Record to explain what their attempt at shaping the current pop scene is all about.

4TR: Great name, but why did you call yourselves Poppy & The Jezebels?
Poppy: Well, at the time there were no other ‘someone and the somethings’ type names… I actually think we were the first since the punk era.  But once we started playing in London and our name got about, then they all seemed to spring up……actually most of them are fake session bands anyway…

4TR: In your own opinion, how would you describe your sound?
Dom: Lethally Sweet!
Poppy: Our last two singles have been pure pop and people say they have a definite 80’s undertone, but we have plenty of other sounds in our bag that will appear unexpectedly and over time!

4TR: Was that the sound you always aspired to create when the band formed?
Poppy: Creating a particular noise or aspiring to a certain genre was something that never appealed to us. I seriously believe we shaped our sound instinctively.

4TR: What influences you as a group musically?
Poppy: Pop culture and Teenage drama… the wise words of Nick Cave and Patti Smith.
Dom: Anthony and The Johnsons, Neil Young…
Mollie: Blondie, Madonna… The Beatles!

4TR: The Guardian has described you as “The Freshest girl group pop sound since the days when Destiny’s Child were still good” and the national music press has been behind you since your early releases, does that inspire you or do you take it all with a pinch of salt?
Poppy: Praise and criticism in the press is all part of the swing of the music industry and to an extent you have to take it with a pinch or you’d slavishly be following and that’d be so unhealthy…  it’s just as wonderful when someone online or at a gig says how much they love our music.

4TR: You recently released single ‘Rhubarb & Custard’, is that a metaphor for something else, or is it quite simply about the dessert?
Poppy: ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ is a metaphor for the bittersweet – how we often feel you have to make compromises or be something you’re not to get where you want in life. It was written at a time when the monotony of the education system was killing us all! Ticking boxes to convince people that you’re worth something…

4TR: You are working with Mute Irregulars on the single, how did that relationship come about?
Poppy: Ok this one goes back so far that a lot of the connections are probably lost in time… but let’s play degrees of separation... We played some early shows with a band called The Nightingales, they were supported by a band called Manic Cough who featured a wonderful lady called Delia on bass. Delia mentioned us to Sam who ran the Underage Club (and is now in S.C.U.M!), where we played supporting The Horrors and were seen by Barry (who is A&R for Mute) and he introduced us to everyone else at Mute. 

Everyone at Mute seems to ‘get’ what we do and they are always ready to offer help and guidance. It is so cool that Daniel Miller supports a label that can react to young acts while they are still fresh and formative – he just gets the stuff out there!

4TR: Label-mate wise there are some great bands working along side you, is there any one in particular you rate?
Poppy: We wouldn’t be on Mute Irregulars if we didn’t think we were in great company. Spider and the Flies and XX Teens are both brilliant and interesting musically, as are some of the acts on Mute - Nick Cave being our personal favourite!

4TR: Blondie producer Mike Chapman requested to contribute to a Poppy and The Jezebels remix, and has been involved in mixing your newer material, was that a big deal for you?   
Poppy: Mike Chapman is a legend and we were listening to his songs and productions when we first formed… When we were writing our first songs… and always when we DJ!! when he contacted us and told that he thought we were amazing… it was such an honour… and pretty fucking surreal to be honest.  You’re singing along to ‘Heart of Glass’ one week and chatting to the guy who made it the next… 
   
4TR: Your first 7-inch single sold out in a week and you released a mini album last year to acclaim, but how would you say your sound has progressed if at all since your early recordings?
Poppy: Our early recordings were a younger, more lo-fi version of us. We were learning, it wasn’t a conscious thing to be “early Rough Trade” or whatever.  These days we’re aiming to make ever bigger and better Pop records. The world is still missing a truly successful and credible female band, and we’re it!

4TR: When can we expect an album?
Poppy: Our album is growing as we speak, but who knows when it will be released?! The surprising and spontaneous side of the music industry seems to be all part of the fun!

4TR: Because of your young age, especially when the band started, you have been linked with the underage scene, but is that something you want to now get away from, or do you prefer being in that niche?
Mollie: We’re not going to be this young forever, so it’d be foolish to rely on that.
Poppy: Oh, it would be wonderful to never grow old, but now I’m 18 it feels like time to move on.  We’ve been together for 3 and a half years and our lead singer is still only 16! So it’s something we’ll have for a while yet I guess!  It’s just so bizarre to us that at some point it seems to have become a novelty that young people are making pop music...the medium is OURS! We want it back!

4TR: You have created PopScene as a way of documenting what you have been up to; why did you decide to do that and have you found it’s been a successful and popular way of communicating with your fans?
Poppy: ‘PopScene’ was created to document of all our adventures and it’s presented in the style of old American fan magazines like ‘Rock Scene’.  We love their breathless tone and the in-jokes, the stock phrases they always use – what is a candid portrait anyway?. It’s a fun way to show what we’ve done and where we’ve been and a little bit of cool self-mythology never hurt any band… We’re amazed no one else has really exploited the MySpace layout in a similar way, the typical page is such a bore…

4TR: Have you been particularly influenced by any girl bands of past decades?
Poppy: It was probably The Slits that taught us you could be a female band and not let it become all that defines you. Some people seem
surprised that we don’t make the expected ‘riot grrl’ sound. The Slits music didn’t fit any genre – it mixed up kraut rock and dub… it certainly wasn’t generic buzz-saw punk with ‘attitood’… The Shangri Las were tough and young and made the most fantastic sound…
Dom : Martha and The Vandellas – I’ve been discovering the whole Tamala Motown thing at the moment…

4TR: How important is your image to you as a band? And do you see fashion as an important way of representing Poppy and The Jezebels alongside your music?
Poppy: Fashion, like music, is a Jezebel obsession. These days so many bands are terribly dull looking.  It’s like some boy bands are scared to look different, or think that it will detract from their music. Sadly, usually their sound is just as dull. It’s not about being style over substance - the two should naturally go hand-in-hand. It worked for David Bowie…

4TR: Are there any female icons of music in the past whose style you would love individually to emulate or who inspires your fashion aesthetic?
Poppy: Nico in a white suit, Debbie Harry in Stephen Sprouse, Patti Smith in a baggy t shirt and boxer boots, Poison Ivy in Gold Lame… women with a style all of their own who never gave a fuck what anyone thought…
Dom : but we don’t try to look like any of them… that would defeat the whole point.

4TR: Its been announced you are playing the Isle of White festival this year, is going to be an exciting moment in your careers to date and are you booked for any other festivals this summer?
Poppy: We’re really looking forward to The Isle Of Wight, It’ll be great to meet up again with some friends – Tim Burgess is a fan and S.C.U.M and The Horrors are genuine people who make a very cool noise.  Actually we played ‘Underage’ in Victoria Park last year, so it won’t be the first time we’ve stepped out in front of a big festival crowd.  There's no others announced just yet, but watch this space!

4TR: What can we expect for the rest of 2009 from Poppy and The Jezebels and what is your ultimate dream?
Poppy: The night is young and full of possibilities!...

Words: Francesca Strange

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