The Jezabels. Have you heard of them? If not, even without 1883 bringing you up to speed, it’s only a matter of time before you do. This is a band teetering on the edge of worldwide acknowledgement.

Creating waves all the way from Byron Bay, they have exploded onto the British music scene with an impressive set of credentials: a sold out worldwide tour, the support of Itunes, as well as the US charts.

These achievements are well deserved. The music is atmospheric- their front-woman, electric- but what is most exciting about The Jezabels is the ideas that reinforce their music. The lyrics are so much more interesting than the wailings of lost love and broken hearts that populate today’s radio airwaves. The Jezabels instead want to convey to you intelligent ideas with almost philosophical content, which once explained, are perfectly in keeping with the tone and arrangements of their work. They offer their music to their audience as more than a product but instead a part of themselves, a force that provides both protection and expression. We had a chat to Hayley about the finer details of their work, their new album ‘Prisoner’ and asked what comes next for a band that has achieved so much already:

Given that ”Jezabel” is a wicked, shameless woman – Why did you chose this as your name?  

Because it shouldn’t be a given. 
 

Combined, you have such an eclectic musical background. Did you find it difficult to incorporate all of these elements in the new album?

Yes. Writing for us is pretty much a constant process of compromising between our differences. In a way, the album was a bit easier than the previous recordings because we had more room to go deeper into our individual tastes within different songs.
 
    

You’re quoted on the website as saying: ‘We love a bit of drama’ – does drama ever escalate between the four of you?

I meant, by that, that we seem to naturally create drama within the music we write. Sure, when you spend as much time together as we do, things can get intense, but we are getting pretty good at keeping the real life drama to a minimum. It’s just too tiring. 

You described your three EPs as a kind of development trilogy, one that in a sense protected you. Do you feel like your new album ‘Prisoner’ pays homage to this development?

’Prisoner’ draws on a lot of the same themes as the EPs and I think that, if people have heard the EPs they might understand a bit more where the album is coming from. However, it is still intended to stand alone as an album and, hopefully it does. 
 

The album cover for ‘Prisoner’ and your video ‘Endless Summer’ have a very pastoral, earthy edge. What is the significance of that?

It was meant to reflect the expansiveness we were aiming for on the album, which sets itself against the other central idea of imprisonment. Also, it’s meant to conjure up questions about the different kinds of imprisonment a person can experience; one can feel imprisoned by the past, by your own self, by the land, even, not just by confined spaces. I suppose I, personally see the pastoral as having a double meaning, symbolising both freedom and imprisonment. It’s also attached to the romanticism that colours the music.

You mention on your website that you’re interested in the individuals role in their own oppression – can you explain this further in relation to the new album?

I guess this relates back to the last question and the different types of oppression and imprisonment a person can feel. The album goes through a lot of different ways of looking at being a prisoner. It’s got some subjective and some more objective perspectives on tension and entrapment, and also a sense of hope and emancipation, I think, especially in the later part. 
 

You’re music is highly charged with emotion, both lyrically and musically – where do you find your inspiration for this?

It’s a mix between drawing on real and personal experience and telling a story. I find acting within and playing with the conventions of stories or songs is a great way to express your emotions while still masking them in a way. Maybe that’s just me. 
 

You’re band does not have a bassist, is this an intentional move away from conventionality?

It was never an active decision to do something different. None of us played bass, so we don’t have bass, but we do resist the idea that we should get one because it’s conventional to do so. It has definitely put a different kind of limit on us musically, bit that leads to different kinds of solutions in song writing. 
 

You’ve got a show coming up in London next month, however you’ve played in London once before, at XOYO, how did you find the English crowd in comparison to the Australian audience?

Pretty similar, to be honest, though, I think Londoners are a bit more spoiled for music and a little less excitable. That’s true of most big cultural cities though. Small town England is much the same as small town Oz for us. We love it. 
 

You’ve conquered the US charts with Hurt Me, you’ve got a sold out tour and you’ve been nominated for the Best Breakthrough Artist as well as Best Single/ EP at the 2010 Independent music awards. What’s your next move?

Sound check.

‘Endless Summer’ is out now via Play it Again Sam Records [PIAS]. The band play London’s Heaven November 29th

Words By Morgan Meaker