In Conversation With: Miss June
Miss June will be touring the UK later this month in support of their album ‘Bad Luck Party’, we had a chat with the band about the release, and how it all came together.
What would you say you’ve learnt about yourselves between recording the Matriarchy EP and the new album ‘Bad Luck Party’?
I think we’ve learnt that we are tougher and more capable than we ever imagined. We’ve also come to terms with the fact we are all super angry hahah.
Talk us through some of the inspiration behind the album.
The album is very much inspired by our personal experiences. It’s authentic in that the melody is rooted in self-expression and the lyrics explore a number of emotional dilemmas I’ve faced in my early 20s.
The rawness of the lyrics feel as though a lot of the songs were based on personal experiences. Do you find it uncomfortable to delve into those parts of yourself, whether they are important to express, or is it cathartic?
Some songs are more difficult than others... every song is different. Some are hard to write but so cathartic to perform, like Polio. Others were easier to write but when it comes to playing them live it can be very confronting - for example Double Negative.
Do you ever find your music subconsciously being influenced by things that are going on in the world, as well as in your personal lives?
Yes definitely. The world is a messy, unforgiving place. People are strange. Many of my lyrics are inspired by twisted interpersonal relationships.
In what kind of timeframe were the songs written, and how long did it take for it all to come together?
We worked on the album for about 3 years. The first year or so was mostly writing and tracking and the next year and a bit was recording, producing and finishing it up!
You delve into gender roles in ‘Best Girl’ (anarchy can only be about a girl) and ‘Orchid’ (men were born with everything, men cannot fall) Can you tell us more about the process of writing those songs?
It’s hard for me to not touch on issues rooted in gender inequality. As a woman I face those issues every single day. Especially in the music industry. Best Girl is more about working relationships and the perceived notion that women must constantly compete with each other. Orchid is about the way that men and women depart from relationship differently.
What was your favourite song to record? Were there any songs that were a bit of a challenge?
Surprisingly I’d say Please Waste My Time was perhaps the favourite song to record! We did it in one or two takes and it felt really similar to the way we did Matriarchy recordings which was a nice throwback. Many of the songs on BLP were challenging. Best Girl took a lot of work to get the dynamics and feel right. There’s layers and layers of backing tracks and synths, harmonies and weird guitar effects all buried in the mix.
Are there any songs that you have debuted live? How have the crowds reacted?
10/11 of the songs on the album were road tested before we finished the recording of them! It’s an important part of our recording process to test the songs out live. We get to gauge crowd reaction and also audit our own feelings throughout the track. Crowd reactions are usually pretty good — I must admit though it’s a lot more fun playing them after they’re released because everyone knows the words hehe.
Now that you’re releasing your debut album, and going on a worldwide tour, what does the next year have in store for you?
Touring, touring and more touring. I’ve also started on the second album!
Feature by Tyler Damara Kelly
You can catch Miss June on tour in the UK at the following dates -
September 28th - The Flapper - Birmingham
September 29th - Yes - Manchester
September 30th - Headrow House - Leeds
October 1st - Poetry Club - Glasgow
October 2nd - Sneaky Pete's - Edinburgh
October 5th - Tiny Rebel - Cardiff
October 6th - Port Mahon - Oxford
October 7th - Rough Trade - Bristol
October 9th - Latest Music - Brighton
October 10th - The Lexington - London