Fans of folk-rock electronica are in for a treat when UK four-piece Moulettes make their Australian live debut in March.
The Brighton band formed in the early 2000s, growing out of the nascent neo-folk scene in England. Led by cellist and main songwriter Hannah Miller, Moulettes have grown over the years to become more of a collective of multi-instrumentalists rather than a band.
The band released their most recent album 'Preternatural' in 2017 – where has the album taken you over the past two years?
[Hannah] Over the limit, over the top, over the odds, over the edge, over the rainbow.
We have, geographically, gone to new places: in the UK, mainland Europe and across [to] Canada. Psycho-geographically, it’s taken us to some interesting corners. We are never the same people by the end of each project. Australia. Awesome. And by the end, Brazil. A highlight was Montreal Jazz Festival.
You're a long-running member of the band – what are some of the biggest changes for the band you've seen in that time?
The people have changed. The music continues to change, yet there is still a very tangible Moulettes identity throughout. Oli [Austin] and I have been at the helm for the longest time, and many outstanding players have come in and out during the band’s evolution.
The industry has changed a great deal. The world has changed. Change is the only constant. Compromise in reality, but idealistic in dreams always creates a shifting terrain; sometimes we wonder how we have survived.
If our today selves visited our 16-year-old selves and explained that through our band we’d have travelled the world, recorded at Abbey Road, worked with and met several number-one artists, have bespoke instruments made for us, literally saved lives on the road, lost a founding member through addiction, have had over 20 different band mates (some who would break your heart or go onto reach super stardom), we wouldn't believe it.
How have you evolved as a musician during your time in the band?
We have gigged for 17 years, solidly for a good eight years; you can’t help but become a better player and performer under these circumstances.
There have been many lessons to learn and things to try in our efforts to amplify acoustic instruments and get them sounding great live. My Dad (Alan Miller Guitars), as luck would have it, is a luthier and built my five-string and six-string cellos to get the best compromise of tone, volume and, of course, more notes to explore. They are also beautiful works of art.
Every time we’ve made a record, I feel like so many lessons are learned about this process, how to capture the spirit of ideas and render them on to a record and where that process sits - somewhere between dark artistry, technology and accountancy. You never think 'that’s it now, I’ve achieved my goal', it’s always an ongoing quest with no finish line.
As a songwriter, there is so much in the human experience that can continue to feed your mind. I like to think that I am getting better at getting what I want from a song, circling in on the lyrics until they are as close to what you mean as possible, with as few words as possible. Evolution is such a great word. Better? Not necessarily; different and still alive and making? Yes.
Moulettes are on tour in Australia for the first time ever in March – how are you all feeling ahead of your first shows here?
Super keen to see new shores. We love to travel and meet new people, to see the world in all its complex variety, it’s such a privilege.
We’ve actually been touring with The Levellers and working on other projects for the past year so in theory we should be fresh. It's going to be fun to play out some new songs too. We reckon you folks can handle some surreal folk/prog/rock, no worries.
What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear 'Australia'?
Dramatic nature, biting creatures, magnificent scenery and the vastness, compared to the tiny-small UK. Human diasporas, great food and wine, AC/DC, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Cate Blanchett, Chopper, The Ashes, 'Neighbours' (sorry) and SUNNNNNNNSHINEEEEEEEE.
Do you have any expectation for what crowds in Australia will be like?
Big and smiley? Long and stretchy? Smooth and bouncy? That’s why we’re coming anyway, to find out.
As a band you've traversed some truly diverse sonic terrain – is genre something the band spends a lot of time thinking about when writing music?
As a collection of people we have a wide range of influences and tastes. I love so many things and I try to not limit myself in what I draw inspiration from or what I felt I could ‘try on’ as an idea.
I think a lot just seeps in to our sponge-like brains, to be fermented there and reformed as something new. It’s about playing with ideas and palettes and colours and sounds and ideas. No limits.
If more bands genuinely brought all their influences to the table, we’d have many more types of bands. We’re not talking about cliche fusion here - we’re talking about trying to do something unexpected with all the things you love. We all share in over a century of recorded music at our fingertips. Bring it on.
Moulettes emerged from the neo-folk scene in England that flourished in the late-'90s and early 2000s that also saw the rise of acts such as Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons (to name a few). What are your recollections of this time and how the scene developed?
I don’t remember anything from this time.
I have an acute fear of tweed caps however, which might be linked to trauma. But honestly, we feel we have carved out a unique place in all that. I think we like folk music too much, pro too much, schmoosing too little and we never made enough money to retain our band's members.
Ted (Dwane, Mumford & Sons) used to be in our band and he is still a dear friend. I remember when Mumford & Sons supported us - experimental women, weird instruments, complex music - that’s our scene. We haven’t made it easy for ourselves. Mumford & Sons popularised a tour ethic that several bands at the time were aspiring to, that’s for sure.
We hear the band is working on album number five, due for release in October – at this point, what can you tell us about the new material in terms of style and sound?
It’s a totally NEW SOUND. It’s like a colour we never knew was on the spectrum. It’s like a new species of bird that has been minding its business for years but in a bizarre twist of evolution, just grew mandibles.
It’s like a new form of Green Democratic socialism that most people realise they can get behind, where dancing is now mandatory and therapeutic massage is free. Basically demos are occurring and big ideas are being splashed around, but it’s still too soon to see where the beast or beasts will land.
Does it take a long time to construct a Moulettes album?
Definitely yes, but I would always like longer.
What else is happening for the band in 2019?
Construction of an underground bunker (just in case).
Moulettes Australia Tour 2019
Sat 2 Mar - Mordialloc Wine & Music Festival (Melbourne)8-10 Mar - Port Fairy Folk Festival
Tue 12 Mar - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)
Wed 13 Mar - Lazybones Lounge (Sydney)
Thu 14 Mar - The Stag & Hunter Hotel (Newcastle)
15-17 Mar - Blue Mountains Music Festival (Katoomba)
