Ladyhawke
"This lady... Did she perhaps have a name?"
Location: Wellington
Website: http://www.ladyhawkemusic.com/
Bio: Uh so, I don't really know what to write here..
Bio's always seem to be blags about life, making it sound really awesome and listing all ... (more)
the really cool shit you've done.
Kinda like patting yourself on the back for all the "notable" things you've achieved in your life to date.
Well Im not about to start patting.
It is what it is really.
My list may not be full of scandal, celebrity parents, and multiple juvenile offenses, but its honest.
I'm from New Zealand.
I've been playing music in one form or another since I was 11.
Why 11 you ask?
My stepfather is a jazz drummer and my mum a singer so I was introduced to music very young.
11 though, was the age when I first saw my step-dad play the drums. He gave a demonstration to my class. The kids were in awe.
From that moment on my whiney voice was in mums ear 24/7 BEGGING her to let me play.
She caved. Drums it was.
The louder, the better as far as I was concerned.
My neighbours were not stoked.
Then at around 14 I got frustrated with only playing drums and taught myself the guitar, bass and synth.
Once again, neighbours not stoked.
In a moment of complete desperate ambition to hit more stuff,
I joined our towns brass band. As the percussionist.
My step-dad was the band leader, and my sisters were scattered about on various other instruments.
Not very cool I know, but I didn't give a shit.
In my eyes it was some serious fun!
Hitting stuff and going on trips to hit stuff in other towns - what's not fun about that??
I used to wear a uniform that was like 5 sizes too big for me.
It was the smallest they had.
I found it entirely novel to be playing in a band where the majority of the members were 50 to 60 years older than me.
Some looked like they were about to keel over every time we finished a song.
I digress.
By the time I turned 16 I wanted to start my own band.
Once again, the louder, the better - being in tune didn't even matter.
So I played in a couple of heavy grunge bands at school.
I turned 18.
Finished school, and moved to Wellington.
Herein begins a tale of rockdom, brokedom, dingy bars, and stinky boys.
Me and my buddy started a band called Two Lane Blacktop.
It was like Iggy and The Stooges meets The Clash.
I played lead guitar and was the only girl.
We did lots of touring and stuff, got ourselves quite a following in New Zealand.
I spent a lot of time in the back of a clapped out old van called cherry with 4 smelly boys.
Getting carsick.
Sleeping on couches and floors.
Driving through the night.
We played in Australia lots. That also required hours and hours of driving in a shit van - only swap the
cool New Zealand bush-land with 40 degree dusty australian desert.
We even drove past a massive bush fire once.
Those days were fun.
We managed to make it over to the states for some shows.
I can actually say I have played CBGB's.
I stood and played on the same stage deborah harry, joey ramone, and many other idols of mine have played. Rad.
Aside from New York we also played in Los Angeles. That was heaps of fun.
On our return to NZ, we started having personal differences in the band.
A big tour was booked for australia with a band called the Modey Lemon.
We were then due to fly on to South By Southwest which we were supposed to be playing at.
Literally two days before our flight to Australia, our singer decided to quit the band.
Our drummer followed suit.
I was left, devastated, bitter and angry.
So in a fit of impulsive spontaneity I thought 'fuck it, Im getting on that damn plane with or without my band' and I did.
No money, only my suitcase, a guitar, and three empty seats beside me.
I arrived in Melbourne.
I was homeless, penniless and band-less.
A guy in Sydney called Nick Littlemore had just started a band called Teenager.
He caught wind of my move to Melbourne and asked if I wanted to join the band as the guitarist.
I liked the music so started playing with him.
We played together for a couple of years. I relocated to Sydney so as to be closer to all the people I write music with.
Ladyhawke slowly started to take over my life and my head, all my time became consumed by it.
Nick continued Teenager, its an on-going personal project for him.
I started Ladyhawke out of a desire to do my own project where I could completely express myself in any way I wanted without having to answer to bandmates!
I wanted to make music that could put a smile on peoples faces and give them a feeling of nostalgia even though they may be hearing my songs for the first time.
I love how music evokes memories of a certain time, I wanted to see if I could find a method of songwriting that would evoke those feelings from me on writing the song and then on the individual when listening to it for the first time.
I draw massively from many many influences. You could definitely say I wear them on my sleeve. But what I have
tried to do is really recreate the same vibe that so many amazing records of the 70's and 80's produced.
Vintage Synths have been used. I've wanted to keep simple hooky guitar riffs throughout the tracks, but
at times let loose with a solo every now and then. (my self indulgent moments ha)
I wanted to capture the "happy sad" vibe that so many eighties classics had.
Music that came out of the eighties had such a unique and definitive sound. Big production, big synths,
and big guitar riffs. The songwriters were incredibly significant, and the whole musical era left an
everlasting impression on me.
I feel though, that the vast amount of influences I draw from mesh nicely with my "modern" upbringing.
I am not only influenced by music of a bygone era, I also draw hugely from pop-culture, not just musical
pop culture, but in art, media, television, movies, everything that bombarded my senses growing up
and to this day. That includes modern music makers. Bands and producers of now who inspire me.
I'd like to think that my obsession with musical heros of the seventies and eighties has blended with
my exposure to music of a more recent date, to create quite a new, interesting and relevant sound.
Me and Ladyhawke are two sides of one coin.
She is an incredibly important part of my personality.
As primarily, above all else, a songwriter, I only ever wanted to create something that evoked feelings.
I hope that Ladyhawke does.
We were all once teenagers, listening to music at full volume, jumping on the bed with the door shut.
PIP BROWN, FEBRUARY 2008
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