Interview: Karly Jewell

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What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

My love of music comes from my Grandfather from a very early age so it’s been a whole life time with music, kind of like breathing it’s just an everyday part of life. I’ve thought about this a lot if I didn’t do music, I’d be saving animals I guess or the planet in some way. 

What do you like to do when you’re not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I love to travel to new places, hanging out with my furkid fluffington Von Winkle he’s my favourite soul in the world. I’m like the Aussie version of Freddie Mercury and his cats I video call when I’m on the road and bring him home gifts.  I’m pretty chilled out like to hang in the garden. Meditation I do this daily as a way to just stop, breathe and focus just to have control I think that helps me with writing also that control of being able to shut the world out when it’s time to make music and turn the hard work on. 

How long has your band been around? 

Close to 11 years now 

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Melbourne, Australia 

I think being in such a place as Melbourne with a great scene it definitely has that influence for you to be your best and play more live shows. With so many international bands coming on tour right in your city that also really drives me to do the same thing. ( WELL BEFORE COVID ANYWAY)  Like it can happen you just need focus, put the hard work in and don’t wait for things to happen you have to get out there and just go for it.  I think the greatness in this city and being around so many amazing artists inspires us to do more as band and as individual artists we kind of have that sound already in us we grew up with, our own signature soul sound when we write so I guess that all comes together when we write and we just are what we are.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

 Karly Jewell That’s me not much to it I started out on my own so I just kept my name. Plus, how cool was Joan Jett just being Joan Jett?

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

They’re all the best even the bad ones. One day the worst shows are the shows you look back at and think oh my god we laugh, we think never ever again, we made some rock and roll history. There is that one time Mars got ask to play with a double tea towel on the snare and some kind of brush sticks the guys had their amps and were told not to plug in you can imagine their faces?? I had to beg them to stay because I had so many people come from work to watch. We had not been told about the noise restrictions as of midnight so a rock venue with no sound but we did it anyway and I reckon we would have made Lemmy proud. 

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?

It would have to be the Viper Room or the Whisky A Go Go Los Angeles and any venue in Melbourne we share music with our rock and roll family. 

Next place anywhere and everywhere is where we want to go and I need to knock the Forum off my Melbourne list and lots more in the states there’s too many to name.

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

It has to Rose Tattoo that has been a dream of mine as long as I can remember  I have to make that happen one day and Joan Jett now that would be amazing. 

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

Stay true, do it for the love of music, be willing to learn and go for it.  Never compete with anyone but yourself, it’s your journey but work hard and never give up. 

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

I don’t know really learn more there’s always so much to learn I’m still learning 

Out Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

 September a song I wrote for my late Grandmother and Phoenix. I wrote the song the night I played for the very first time at the viper room after supporting the Late Chuck Mosley of Faith No More. The Viper Room show was a promise to pop I would always tell him when I was a kid, I will go there one day and play for the both of us where Johnny Cash used to play. We both had a love for Johnny Cash and the first song I would ever play on guitar was Don’t take your guns to town. I grabbed some drink coasters and started to write my story that moment I knew who I was and nothing was going to stop me or the band now.  I didn’t need anyone to make this happen for me because I was already doing it. To me that is making it being able to do something you love and never letting anything hold you back.  

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Sid and Nancy for sure it’s so much fun live and it’s normally the most asked for second would be let you down. Nothing like a bit of heavy to throw into a good live show.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?  I write alone and normally it’s the hook that will come first. That is the most important part then to nail start from finish how to tell a good story and wrap it up in the end. I do a demo and send to the band we get together and let them fall into place we never try and make them a certain sound they just fall into place. The band and I have a great energy and I think we all get that vibe going and feel of each other. Dave has an incredible gift of bringing dynamics to the songs, Adrain knows how to speak guitar so just his guitar playing alone already tells a story and the most important part is the heartbeat that carries the song from start to finish and gives it life with Mars on drums. 

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

That we are only human, we have feelings and it’s ok to not be ok sometime.  To get back up and keep trying to never give up and most important show that the worst things in life can have positive outcomes and we are in this together. We have built an incredible rock and roll family in Melbourne and across Australia they know we are in this together and making that good rock and roll history. The message is always positive. 

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Nope we just keep having a good time for the longest time.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up? 

We have just dropped the new track Dancing With The Devil, so that’s available worldwide on all digital platforms.  The track has also been picked by Rue Morgue Records and added to Murders In The Rue Morgue Vol II for the 2nd Compilation Record featuring a number of huge Australian Artists so we have that coming out in April. Working on the next tracks to record and more shows to be booked.