Goat Girl

Goat Girl make raw, honest music with a message – the message being that we’re all in this mess together. Named after Bill Hicks’ Goat Boy alter ego, they’ve only been together a couple of years but are making serious waves in the industry after a few exciting early releases. Lead singer Lottie’s deep, sensuous, rich voice has to be heard to be believed, and if the clapping on Crow Cries doesn’t float your boat, I don’t know what will. I spoke to her about their first headline tour, what they learned from supporting The Fall and her feelings on Bowie’s music.

How did you meet each other, and were you in bands before Goat Girl?

We met through the normal process of mutual friends and schools. Growing up in London it’s quite easy to find a group of people that you share similarities with. I wasn’t really in a band, I was doing a lot of solo acoustic singer songwritery type stuff and I always found that the crowd that brought in wasn’t really for me.

How do your various musical influences affect the music you make with Goat Girl?

I think the wide range of music we listen to feeds in through different ways. I personally like a lot of experimental electronic music, as well as quite highly produced pop which I think feeds into the way I think about melody and structuring. We also have a mutual love of dissonant scratchy guitar music that I guess influences our weird harmonies and rhythms.

You’re unafraid to sing about the realities of living in modern Britain. Do you feel like you are trying to educate people about what it’s like to be you, alive now, or are you trying to encourage others who feel like you to feel like they’re not alone?

I don’t think its necessarily about educating, it’s more to act as social commentary that forms awareness. I’m not trying to dictate how someone thinks and create change, but to act as a responsible person in noticing the struggles that exist around us all.

You write the lyrics, but what’s the process you generally go through when you’re writing a song?

I usually write the lyrics and songs in their entirety which act as foundations that I then bring to the band. I’ll play through a song and together we can think about how parts can work alongside one another and how certain moments can change, basically evolving the song’s initial sound.

There’s a new wave of feminism happening right now – have you experienced any issues as a female band in 2017?

I think the main issue we struggle with in being in an all girl band is exactly that label - feeling as though our successes rely on the fact of our genders. I think the music industries focus on this condescends the abilities we amongst other women attain as artists, and groups us together, as though we have no differences.

Which other bands would you love to be on a bill with?

The list is endless, current bands probably Beak>, Blonde Redhead and Jane Weaver

Which other musicians have you met so far who have left an impression on you?

Ben Wallers - he’d already left an impression on me before meeting but even more so now.

You’ve been on tour for much of the last couple of years, supporting the likes of The Fall and Parquet Courts. What have you learned from these other acts?

I guess the actual performance side of playing the music, like how to control your position on stage as well as developing our abilities as musicians.

You’re heading out on your first headline tour this autumn. Are you nervous?

Yeah, but I’m also really excited. For this tour we’ve planned it in a way that parallels the sound of our album, instrumentation wise. We’ve never really expanded outside being a four piece and I feel like it’s going to make the whole live sound a lot bigger.

Is there a particular venue that you’re looking forward to playing?

I’m looking forward to playing Broadcast in Glasgow. Glaswegians always give us a great reception, there’s always an eagerness and appreciation for new music.

You’re all from London – to what extent do your surroundings affect your songs?

Massively. There’s a lot of injustice as well as inspiration that exist in London and this always affects the topic matters of our songs.

Do you have plans and hopes for the band, or are you taking it day by day?

We never really plan anything, I don’t think you can. All you can do is learn as you go along, realising what works and what doesn’t. But I hope that we can continue working with the amazing producers and artists we’ve had the pleasure of being around.

Finally, can you each tell us what song in the world means the most to you, and why?

Something David Bowie, probably The Bewlay Brothers, maybe because I used to listen to a lot of Bowie growing up so it has a subconscious affect. I always just think his music feels so timeless and something I can play at any point.

Goat Girl plays as part of Norwich Sound & Vision at Norwich Arts Centre on 12th October, alongside Diet Cig and Sink Ya Yeeth. Tickets available from norwichartscentre.co.uk