Villanelle & The Northern Wonder are Manchester based 5-piece band. Following the release of their debut EP ‘Dark Days at the Grand’ the then duo, (Kieran Greville & Dan Shaw) set out playing gigs to support the release. During this period the pair realised that energy between them and fellow musicians Katie Goodall (Keys & Backing Vocals), Zach Tyler (Bass & Backing Vocals) and Ana Larby (Drums, Percussion & Backing Vocals) was something you don't find everyday, and thus Villanelle & The Northern Wonder evolved again, this time into a something more; a group of amigos, a bunch of outlaws, a cult, a family but most importantly, a band.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Villanelle & The Northern Wonder, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey, thanks. It's obviously different for all five of us, but I feel we all had someone in our lives who introduced us to types of music that resonated with us, and those types of people are so important for turning our experience of music from background Abba on car journeys to something super emotive that makes us want to spend hours learning songs on the guitar.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
It's such a difficult balance for sure, but it's so useful setting aside dedicated time to be able to get into the headspace for writing etc without still being switched on thinking about other things. Rehearsals, however are always so cathartic and instantly get your focus and attention - great after some of us have been working.
Your latest song is 'December Bloom'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
We took a week to head down to London to record with Dave and Oscar of Sunglasses for Jaws (who produced Miles Kane's last album) and that was such a great experience, experimenting with sounds and textures and making the most of the full band now it's not just the two of us, adding surprising vocal harmonies. One of our AirBnBs was in an artist's studio and that was intense, so many things stuck to walls, such an incredible space.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
As we mentioned before, those types of people who introduce their friends to music are so key to everyone enjoying life so much more. If you think someone you know would also like our music, and the vibe we're aiming for, then let them know. We'd also love to know if you find other bands that you think we'll like.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
We have so much leftover poetry and prose that doesn't quite fit into songs quite yet. It would be great to explore a Nick Cave style novel or collection of writings.
How do you know when a work is finished?
Kieran mixes the music himself, so we have access during the full mixing process to make the artistic decisions. We have so much back and forth, trying the mixes on different systems, listening to it in the car etc etc. We've decided a song is finished when nothing jumps out at us during a listen that's annoying but that we're still excited by the song, that we haven't played it too much or tweaked away any of the character or energy from the studio.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
We're such a mixed bunch, there's outdoorsy, hiking, climbing types, and artistic or theatrical types, so we've all got a wide range of experiences and interests to draw inspiration from.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
One of our bandmates, who will remain nameless, once described playing music with other people as the closest thing they'd experienced to sex - in terms of rhythmic feel, non-verbal queues and the satisfaction when everything just clicks - and we'd tend to agree. It's something that can take you out of your head and make you super present, and allows all kinds of expression.
Who is your favourite musician?
We love Nick Cave, Father John Misty, Leonard Cohen, Alex Turner etc. All great lyricists with their own vibes and view of the world, and we definitely try to incorporate some of their approaches to music.
What are your plans for the future?
We've got so many songs ready in the pipeline to release and record throughout 2023, with another song, Popcorn out on 27 Jan, and the rest of our EP out on 3 March. We're also looking forward to playing as many gigs as possible, seeing as many new faces as possible, and making an impression on people.