I’ve been a fan of the South East England-based project Nobody’s Wolf Child ever since hearing last year’s cinematic dark-pop masterpiece ‘Green Fires’. Since then, they’ve released three more singles, and each one has a life and a soul of its own. Their music is hypnotic, haunting, and hard-hitting, and I’m thrilled that their lead vocalist took the time to chat with us.
Running us through her musical tastes, who she’d love to collaborate with if given the opportunity, and how it feels to have your music heard by hundreds of thousands of people, please give a big welcome to our friends Nobody’s Wolf Child!
Welcome, Nobody’s Wolf Child! I’m honoured to finally have the opportunity to chat with you! Now, I’ve been following your career for quite some time but, for those not yet familiar, who is Nobody’s Wolf Child and how would you describe your sound?
Whatever genre I’m in the mood for that day wearing an ethereal cinematic red carpet dress. Or, the same but wearing an “I’m in the woods, fuck off and leave me alone” robe.
Congratulations on your most recent single ‘Human Remains’! I’ve had it on repeat for the last ten days or so. It’s a bit of a sonic departure from most of your previous releases. What made you “mix things up”?
It’s not so contrived as to decide to mix it up as such. I’ll just write what comes out in the moment or I let a particular emotion have its way, or something very specific has inspired me. Who am I to manipulate the will of the muses? I am but an ever-grateful receiver of their siren call.
I’ve been told that later this year you will be performing the first public howling ceremony at Fantasy Forest. Do tell us more!
Speaking of wills, it was the gods playing a heavy hand over the first Howling. The Festival fell prey to the great storms of English summertime. Which is a shame, I’d have enjoyed a backdrop of thunder and lighting to add to the drama. You can never ever have too much drama when it comes to a Howling. We are planning another, however…
Which of your lyrics would you like to see printed on a T-shirt?
There are some writing moments that just spring forth with ease and I’ll have this amazing half song and the concept has become very clear but then I have to graft to get the rest and keep up the quality. There are no lazy, throw-away lines in any of these songs. Some of them I sweated over for weeks. Draining every bit of energy, thinking over and over about how to say a complex thing in a simple line that has to have a particular rhythm to it and has to rhyme or soft rhyme with the line above.
‘Big Bad Wolf’ and ‘Human Remains’ were like that because there’s more pressure when observing an outside subject matter rather than your own internal journey. It’s a collective experience so one must be careful to avoid the nose, or ramming the same point across just said in different ways. There must be wit not whine!
But I couldn’t pick…A T-shirt for every song indeed! You can never have too many choices (That’s a lie)
Who would you put down as some of your biggest musical influences? Who did you grow up listening to? And would you say that your tastes have changed or evolved over the years?
It’s easier to discuss what I don’t like. Which is empty little bouncy songs of beige fuckery, I’d give an example but it’s a bit mean to do that.
Also, those sorts of tracks sitting on what I’d call “the average white wedding/corporate dinner and dance playlist”.
I don’t like pop songs that have like 8 writer credits. How many humans do you really need to write one track? Ugh, if you’re that unskilled at this, just move out the fucking way bitch.
Other than that hideousness, generally everything pricks my ears into curiosity and once that has happened I’ll sit and twiddle over why I like it and sometimes there will just be a sound that is like the audio equivalent of catnip. I am very very sensitive to sound. I like epically huge deep sounds the most and complex harmonies. My tastes haven’t changed only expanded. Currently, they are very much being pulled into world music, because I think as diverse as it is, it all really reflects that primal earth energy, as it channels through people who have not lost that connection, which is beautiful and something I personally aim to regain.
Tunes of yours like ‘Green Fires’ and ‘The Devil’s Gold’ have over 93,000 and 175,000 plays on Spotify respectively. How does it make you feel to know that so many people have been listening to and resonating with your music?
It’s lovely when they get the attention I think they deserve. And that’s not coming from a place of ego or anything, as they are living creatures to me. They are a potent expression of my experience in the moment of writing and production but then become their own entity after they have been “finished”. I’m very proud of the songs. I love them myself. So, beyond that, I’m like a mother proud of a child when they do well and I’m always intrigued which ones are doing better or to see what kinds of people connect with them.
If you were allowed to collaborate with one musician or band, who would you choose?
Easy…Nick Cave! But I’d be terrified. So intimidated I’d potentially fail to function. I’ve written songs with his vocals in my head as how it should be sung, in an ideal world. And I love the ways he writes of course. He’s just excellent in my opinion…A strange dark man fairy creature thingamabob.
Thank you so much for chatting with us today Nobody’s Wolf Child! I have no doubt that there are many more songs up your sleeve, and I truly can’t wait to hear what else you have in store! But, in a broader sense, what do you hope for in your musical future?
It would be great to get the tracks in film and TV because they are “cinematic” in nature. The energy created by a perfectly symbiotic moment of sound and image is something that has fascinated me endlessly. Also to reverse the direction of the finance river would be wonderful. Currently, it flows away like a mountain stream flushed into rapids from a rainstorm. I need to build a damn because I have big dreams, my muses are very extra, and they will not be satiated by the humble.
