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Savages – [lead singer] Jehn’s gain-friendly post punk band with musicians Ayse Hassan, Gemma Thompson and Fay Milton – have whipped up a storm of buzz in recent months, grounded almost utterly on word-of-mouth, some guarded press coverage and a clutch of otherworldly, sublime live performances that seem to have intoxicated audiences.

Singles “Husbands” and “Flying to Berlin” are pointed, confrontational brooders – simmering at the seems with sexy, heavy-browed angst. The project started back in January 2011, when Jehn sent an email to founding member Thompson – who had played live with John and Jehn for the Time for the Devil tour – asking whether she could join the band. “She took two days to reply… I fully knew I wanted in after hearing the name. I knew I wanted it to be dirty, speedy, repetitive music.”

Had Jehn fancied herself as the band’s frontwoman? “No, I was too shy to begin with, I didn’t want people seeing me sing the words “hit me” – but I’d always dreamed about it. My musical education was listening to Iggy Pop, Bowie, Lou Reed. I remember at some point simply knowing that I wanted to front it. I was reading lots of poetry when I wrote our lyrics – lots of English shorts about the French Resistance and war; something fragile and precious being assaulted by an evil force.

“I wanted the music to reflect these ideas, too – we were listening to a lot of Black Sabbath and really wanted to create something tight and loud and very precise; something that could propel us through any wall. I see music as an armour: it has been written so precisely and so consciously, that you’re somehow protected [behind it].”

The main reason Savages’ rise has been so overnight is that the band’s breakout gig – supporting British Sea Power in Brighton venue The Haunt – was also their first. BSP’s Scott Wilkinson contacted the foursome to ask if they’d play a show later that day. “He called at 12pm, so we immediately started organising. It was like an adventure and turned out to be the best show we’ve done. When we got there, John asked the band’s manager how much he’d pay us for it, if anything. He said; ‘Let’s see how good they are, shall we?’ As soon as we started, I could see them frantically negotiating a price! [laughs] £110 was what we were worth that night.”

Though “Husbands” has solidified their position in the limelight – and has gone far in fleshing out the Pop Noire team’s contacts book – you get the feeling the project never needed justification. They won’t be signing a truckload of bands any time soon – John and Jehn alone have experienced the oily inner workings of labeldom, and quite vividly – but for a team bound at its core by such pedal-to-the-metal principles, let’s just be thankful they’re doing what they’re doing – Viva La France.

www.savagesband.com

Words: Jack Mills
Images: David Shama

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Are you please with Through the Night’s reception?

Yeah, really pleased and quite surprised that it’s been accepted. Feedback has been stronger than I thought – not just from critics but from everyday people as well, which is just as important if not more.

It’s been roughly a year since your accident [Harvieu was injured at a party in Manchester, were she was born]. How have you gone about recovering from it, emotionally and physically?

I feel positive about it, but it’s been a year and I’m still not mended. I feel a little bit weird about it all, but it could have been worse, so I’ve just got to try and stick to the positive side. It’s really easy to start being bitter.

Johnny Marr offered his support – how and when did he get in touch?

It was through a mutual friend – he’d been listening to a singer called Lauren for ages and he didn’t know we were the same person. So he was like “you’re Ren, you’re Lauren?” He was a massive inspiration for me growing up, so it feels like you’re getting a pat on the shoulder. He was saying he’s been blasting my tunes in the studio.

How did you feel about Nas getting in contact with you, too?

He’s brilliant. My mum’s a big fan, which is a bit weird. I went to see him in Manchester and sat on the side of the stage next and I was dressed like a full goth. I went to his backstage area and there was all these women outside and I crept in, they were all like “who’s that?” It was surreal. I just accepted that it was a strange situation and had fun with it.

Any other celebrity reach-outs?

Andrea Bocelli, which was weird! Say what you want, but the guy’s got pipes. That was odd and I thought that was a massive compliment, because he’s so skilled as a singer. There have been other people down the pipeline.

Tell us about the video for “Tonight”. You worked with Olly Murray for it – did you conceptualise with him?

I’m quite a visual person, so when I initially had a conversation with him it was about colours. I wanted it to look rich. Like this old quote someone said about Marilyn Monroe – she was so radiant it was like you could reach out and touch
her face; you could feel it on the television.

What kind of reference points where you thinking of for it? Are you into films as much as music?

I like a lot of animation and things like that. So initially I wanted it to be a little more gothic, but I think things like that can come with time. At the beginning I said I’d quite like to play some kind of Tarantino villain, you know, “femme fatale”. A lot of women in music today are submissive and it really bugs me. Like, why can’t we have women who are strong and still sexy? But you have all these massive ideas. I was really happy with that, I had a lot of fun.

What are you working on project-wise?

I’ve got to do my next album. I’ve got a lot of ideas of what I want it to sound like, I’m very particular about what I like. I’m going to get better on the guitar and study different styles of singing – opera and things like that and just see how far I can take my voice. I’ve never had singing lessons, so I’d quite like to have singing lessons.

What kind of music are you listening to lately?

I bought The Roots of Goth a double CD recently. My friend is into Egyptian death metal some of it I quite enjoy, but most of it I’m like “get it off”.

Words: Jack Mills

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Describe “Dust in their Eyes”. What themes does it explore?

I had a few different ideas I wanted to pursue – what linked some of them was an element of the veil, a fragile barrier between oneself and the others. “Dust in their eyes” was just a phrase that came into my mind.

What references – art, pop culture historical or otherwise – were you looking at?

They were themes I’ve always been interested in from psychological perspective, but the bubble gum aspect definitely started to take over and injected a pop/ candy colour element into it.

When did you first start developing this style?

The style has been evolving over past 15 years – to point where I’m almost done with it now and want get some different kind of result!

Growing up, what influenced your work? What about now?

There were always a lot of posters around the house – theatre, art exhibition and fashion show posters that my mother had loved and kept framed. If I look at the flat, block, colours I seem always to end up creating, I can see a direct link back to that screenprinting. Also photography – those highly stylised and dramatic Guy Bourdin images from the 1970s, I still love those.

What’s next? Any projects planned for the summer?

It’s been a really busy year and the summer has been dangling there ahead of me as reward – I’m hoping I just get to mull stuff over and maybe get some new ideas.

“Dust in their Eyes” opens on June 22 at Eleven Gallery, 11 Ecclestone St, London SW1W 9LX

Words: Jack Mills

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Who is Nancyboy? Is he still alive?

Sadly not! It’s a case of who was Nancyboy. He passed away at the end of 2009. But he’s left a lot of work behind and although I miss him dearly he’s still in my thoughts and remains a very strong influence. It was well over a decade ago that he started using the internet in a way it hadn’t really been used before and really
made art democratic. It was like an early social network around art before such things existed.

When do you feel your art started to deveop its own voice?

When I was 19, I had a really terrifying thing happen to me – I ended up in hospital and I had a really weird near death experience, I actually died for a bit. I was left in a real mess with way too many questions about how everything worked and how I felt. So I found myself really leaning on my art and painting. Immediately after that experience those pictures became really personal and for me had an important function in making me feel alright about the world. So I think looking back those things were really me trying to find my way of describing what I was going through to myself. So that’s when it started, but it doesn’t end.

Are you surprised/delighted/upset/all of the above that celebrities such as Gaga are fans of your work?

It really depends – if people connect with what I make, that’s amazing. I mean one of my first ever proper canvases I made when I was a teenager Debbie Harry bought, and that was absolutely unbelievable because I am a huge fan. I still can’t believe it. When it’s a hero of yours that’s amazing, otherwise I’m not that bothered. It means more to me most of the time when a teenager comes to the show, and spends hours in there drawing everything and really connecting with it. I make the work for people and it doesn’t matter who they are. It means the world to me when people understand what I’m talking about in the work; that means I’ve done my job right.

The Aubin Gallery is one of London’s most regarded independent arts spaces – when did you first develop it? Any plans to expand the project further?

Oh wow, thank you! I’m glad it’s got that reputation, it’s not really me though. I suppose I kicked it off and steered it, but an awful lot of people have contributed in one way or another. We are all so proud of it, it’s one of those true DIY labour of love things. To be honest, I don’t know where it’s going to go next. I’ve just actually stepped back from it, because I feel like it’s on the right course and it’s set up. It’s at the point I wanted it to get to. It took over 2 years of hard work to get it where it is but in a lot of ways the job is done.

What are you planning on exhibiting in October? What projects are you currently working on?

The London show, War in a Babylon at The Fine Art Society Contemporary is the main focus, it’s been a while since I’ve shown here – so I’m excited about October. Otherwise, there’s some collaborations on the horizon. A few more bits and bobs with Officers, the band I do the arty stuff for, working on a music video with them and Gary Numan. I did one of the BT ArtBoxes that will be all over London this summer and mine’s going to be at Speakers Corner. But really it’s going to be a long summer ahead of painting and making I hope.

Post Adolescent Idealistic Phase: Stuart Semple + Nathan James runs from 31st June – 11th August 2012. Neubacher Shor Contemporary, 5 Brock Avenue, Toronto.

Words: Jack Mills

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Tell me about your role in Payback Season?

I was going through a stage when I was getting loads of the same scripts in the post and this one was different. It was just a regular kind of guy, a good character rather than a drug dealing loud, hype character. It’s very different to Anuvahood that I just finished with Femi [Oyeniran] and I just wanted a change and that’s why it kind of appealed to me; he was quite a different character.

There’s a cameo from Geoff Hurst in it…

It was a bonus, I didn’t know when I went to film it that he’d be involved. It was really nice to be around a legend, he’s a really nice guy. Really nice to be around, he’s a humble guy.

How did it feel winning the BAFTA Rising Star Award in February?

It was amazing it felt really surreal. It felt like finally, I’ve been acting since I was twelve years old. You know getting that level of support from the community but not really from the mainstream. It felt really nice to be recognised. Thank you to everyone that voted, it was amazing.

Victim is coming out this month; tell me about your role in it.

I know Mike Maris and Ashley [Chin] the writers. They called me up and asked if I could do a quick cameo in it. It wasn’t something I really thought too much about more like a mate calling up. It was quite a nice little cameo part – it’s quite a nice little comedy moment. I haven’t actually seen the film, I wish Michael and Ashley the best with this one.

Are you surprised that the ‘hood series has gained such a strong cult following?

Kidulthood was one of the first authentic street films of the time. You had Bullet Boy before that, but before Bullet Boy there wasn’t anything else. I worked really hard myself to make it authentic. I felt that there was a real connection between the people and the film.

It feels like a modern day classic.

I felt really proud, I worked so hard to change up that film, get the right music in, change up the dialogue, make sure it was authentic. I felt really proud, even though it wasn’t my film I was very hands-on; it felt a real achievement that one.

How is your music career coming along?

Yeah I’ve been in the studio loads. The last two weeks I’ve been in the studio every day. I’ve got a mixtape I’m looking to put out at the end of June. I’ve got a lot to say right now, so that’s all coming into place.

You’ve struggled in the past with typecasting – how has winning the BAFTA changed things for you?

It opens up a lot more doors and puts me in a very privileged position. Anuvahood did very well, it meant I’m getting the chance to go off and write new films, new ideas. I’ve got a lot of new ideas going around in my head – sometimes it’s probably too many ideas. I have to work out what I want to do, but I feel very privileged right now to be in the position I am. I just finished a documentary with the BBC.

What was that?

It’s called Can We Trust the Police? It comes out this month; it’s about people’s perceptions of the police. It’s quite a personal story for me because one of my friends was attacked [by police-people] seven years ago – it was an identity incident and he was affected by that.

Payback Season is out now on DVD and Blu-ray through Revolver Entertainment.
Words: Jack Mills

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Describe “Black” in a sentence.

The Black cover is basically the second issue of If You Leave (White being the first). In the end, If You Leave will count three installments that differ in colour but not in name. In case I completely misinterpreted your question; black is matter that absorbs any light.

When did the idea for If You Leave first come about? What is its key artistic ambition? Traits?

If You Leave started out as a personal Tumblr blog, a mix between my personal visual diary and found images that were inspiring. When post re-appeared on Facebook or Twitter, people commented as if all images where mine (though properly credited). So I decided to split the blog… with If You Leave being inspirational only. I started coming across a lot of work from a lot of different photogs and then came the idea to focus on a single image rather than to feature a photographer. I guess from this you could say its artistic ambition has always been to create a strong, homogenous collection. Its traits are as apparent as its title might suggest: melancholic, solitary, exploring, neo-romantic, impressionistic.

Did you study photography formally?

I took film and photography as a full course while in high school in Antwerp and went on to study the same thing at uni in Ghent (where I was forced to drop out… long and pointless story). After that I started working on film sets, meandering between different sorts of functions, before moving to London where I now work as an editorial photographer.

Explain what’s happening with the pop-up exhibition at Motto? How did you find the space? How will it be used?

We’re using the space in and around the bookshop to showcase a selection of prints from the book. The prints will be up in the stores, but also in the street nearby, behind these really cool fluorescent-lit windows.

Which emergent photographers are you currently watchful of?

At the moment I’m really enjoying Yugo Jeberg’s work. His images are like stills from a road movie you’d like to be in. Lukasz Wierzbowski and Ana Raš also stand among my favourites and more recently I’ve discovered the work of Brigette Bloom, whose blog really sucks you in.

Words: Jack Mills

The post IF YOU LEAVE: Black × Motto, Berlin appeared first on Wonderland.

When do you feel you started taking photography seriously?

It seems like photography has always been in my life, ever since photo classes in school when I was 12 years old. That led to art school and brought me to NYC when I was 18. I’ve always wanted to tell stories; to push the boundaries of documentary photography, the reality of the every day is such great material.

What photographers, dead or alive, would you say inform your style the most?

W. Eugen Smith was the first photographer’s work that blew me away, the signature style, powerful subject matter and passion for his photography were all very moving when I discovered his work at a young age… Now I am influenced my friend’s work, photograhers such as Michael Schmelling, his Atlantic book is amazing… Darin Mickey, Mark Mahaney, Guido Vitti, the list could go on and on, all passionate photographers with their own voices.

How long was “Construction” in the making? Where is it set?

I photographed “Construction” over a two and a half year period in the NYC area. A lot of the time it was showing up at job sites and simply looking around. I know I’m not making it sound too thrilling, but it is the reality of being there. It was a different process: instead of all this activity unfolding in front of me, as is expected, it was mostly exploring around these jobs sites and searching, and a lot of the time not finding anything at all but then coming back another day or week and seeing the site completely changed; some giant new steel structure to climb around.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a project about the U.S. Marshals, about how we police ourselves. Been photographing them capturing escape convicts, running sex offender round ups, warrant weeks, basically it’s my own version of the TV show Cops.

“Construction is out in September.
Words: Jack Mills

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Describe the collaboration with PONY – what does it involve?

It was a combination of the two of us, it was almost like two fish finding each other in the ocean once we linked, we were locked in. They came to NYC last fall with samples of sneaker models, fabrics and what not, I described what I personally would like in a sneaker and we blended like a serendipitous parfait swirl. One thing I love about my PONY sneakers is that they’re “animal friendly” …They’re made of canvas rather than leather or suede… I love animals.

What interested you about the project?

Well, I liked that PONY is the only sneaker to come out of Brooklyn and I love that they originate from NYC. PONY actually stands for Product Of New York. We’re perfect for each other, and I like the new team at PONY – very cool peoples. They even sponsored my big 50th birthday photo exhibition, ‘The Rickford Institute All Star Classic” at MILK Gallery in December. It was utopian!

What are you designing for the project?

Well I was very fortunate to be involved in the Def Jam fam’. I liked the music and the artists, that’s what I followed as a fan and happen to have access to as I always went to shows and things, so it all just clicked for me, I guess. As far as Adam Yauch passing, It’s sad he had a lot going on, but I hadn’t been in touch with him for like ten years.

You’ve done a lot of work for Def Jam’s roster and are a fixture in New York pop iconography – you must have been asked this question quite a few times recently, but how did you react to Adam Yauch’s death?

When I heard of his death, it was like hearing of an old friend passing. Someone text me early in the morning that he died and I was like “wow.” I later went to cover an art show in Brooklyn. The iconic NY graff crew RTW (Rolling Thunder Writers) and people were talking about it there. A lot of people hit me up on Facebook expressing their condolences to me. It was weird, like I mentioned before, I haven’t spoken to him or any of the Beasties in years. We went our separate ways. But I have a lot of respect for Adam – he inspired and influenced me in different ways and I care to just appreciate the good times and laughs we had between 1985 and 1998. I’m like a lone wolf, clique-free. I’ve had a number of friends pass. As JFK once said, “life isn’t fair”. I had a close call in 2000 myself, and I sort of consider my time since then “bonus time” given to me. Having achieved a lot of growth and success in the time since, as well as a lot of unexpected struggles. I’ll say this though; Adam has left behind an infinite legacy and that’s something to be noted and proud of. Respect.

Words: Jack Mills

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What reptilinous creatures would you compare each member to?

I can’t say really, because Anna looks like a moose, Robin is a bat, Marco is a giraffe and I am the walrus.

What’s your current pick of tour bus music?

The Legendary Hearts – Hermannplatz Katz album.

What kind of antics can we expect to see at the boat party (launching Endless Flowers) in London next Thursday?

Hopefully a handful of nudity and an infestation of dysentery.

What do you love about living in Berlin?

The ice cream, the cheeseburgers, the parks, the rivers, the ROTTEN ROSE.

What’s the worst and best thing to have happened to the band on tour?

The worst thing to happen on tour occurred in Baltimore when our tires were slashed and we were pissed on from the third floor of the building. When the tow truck worker arrived, we invited him into the van for a drink and eventually he was too drunk to do his work. We had to call for back up. This was also the best thing.

How is Endless Flowers a progression from your previous work?

It’s the third album. The album prior was the second and next year we will record the fourth album.

Crocodiles play Field Day on the 2nd – Endless Flowers is out on the 4th, via Souterrain Transmissions.
Words: Jack Mills

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