Singer Ellie Rowsell by Wolf Alice: Big concerts can be “scary”

After four years, the alternative rock band Wolf Alice returns with a new album. “The Clearing” will be released on August 22nd – a long -awaited moment for the London band. “We have wanted to show this album in the world for a long time. It is all the better that it is finally that far,” says singer Ellie Rowsell (33) in an interview with Spot on News. “I am excited every time an album appears and I listen to it. For me it feels like I’m hearing it for the first time.”

The fourth studio album wrote Ellie Rowsell, Joff Oddie, Theo Ellis and Joel Amey in Seven Sisters, Nordlondon – her “Heimat”, as Rowsell explains. This environment also shaped the music. But not only the place served as inspiration. For the song “Bloom Baby Bloom” she took Guns-N ‘-Roses front man Axl Rose (63) as a model. “Axl Rose is part of a purely male rock band and probably sings about very male -shaped experiences, but he often uses his falsetto voice,” says Rowsell. She took an example of that. “I wanted to use my voice in a way that indicates the hardness or aggressiveness of rock music, but does not sound like classic vocals.” You are constantly looking for new ways, singing and songwriting.

It is “the most important” – and that is still the case with the band. “We have a strong connection,” said the singer. Ten years after the debut album “My Love Is Cool”, she could proudly look back on the development of the band.

With the new LP, Wolf Alice will go on tour in the coming months. In June they were still on the Glastonbury stage. It was nice, but also scary, Rowsell recalls. “If you haven’t played a show for a while, it is intimidating and actually not a good idea to perform in front of thousands of people.”

But they also love festivals for a certain reason. “At a concert you already have the audience a bit on his side. After all, people paid you to see you,” she explains. At a festival you have to inspire the audience first. “And that is exactly what keeps you awake and trot. It can be really fun.”

The band also wants to continue playing smaller shows. But a small hall is not automatically synonymous with an intimate atmosphere, emphasizes Rowsell. “If you play in front of a larger audience, you try more to connect to the people because you know that it is more difficult,” said the singer. That is why a bigger show sometimes even feels more intimate. Regardless of the size of the show, the concert goers are the most important. “There is nothing better than playing in front of an audience that is attentive and has fun. It just feels good.”

Writing a new album after the tour is currently not a debate for Rowsell. “You have to relax a little to write good music,” she is sure. Nevertheless, she “never stop thinking about music”. To a fifth album, however, she says: “It has not yet been written, so it will probably take a while.”