Following the release of their latest single ‘Another Time’ LOCK Magazine caught up with Ella the frontwoman of London-based rock band X-Ray Love to discuss more about their latest release, influences and future plans.
“Another Time” is described as raw, haunting, and hopeful. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song and what it represents for you?
This came like most of my songs do just me and my guitar and 3 or 5 minutes later – there it is. When I come at things on purpose it never works, sorta like trying to comb my hair nice and straight when it is a mess of texture.
I had not seen my acoustic guitar in months as it came by sea and it welcomed me with a song. The lyrics really turned out nicely to describe the state of mind I was in. I had moved away from everything I knew from New York to London and been through some pretty intense stuff along the way to say the least. The ends of things. I was mourning and grieving but also from some newly safe distance. Sometimes it takes unpacking literally for old shit to come out. This is what happened here.
To me this song feels very personal, a shedding of skin even when it hurts. But, it feels in the bridge to me like a rainbow sorta comes along, shows us a shift and that ashes are powerful things to rebuild from.
You’ve dedicated this song to anyone who has gone through “the dark night of the soul.” How did your personal experiences shape the writing and tone of this track?
Some of the stuff in this song reads like surreal poetry but it is actually stolen entirely from real life. For instance “I left the guts of a piano behind, on an old balcony from another time. I left another one once, I let you have it for lunch”. I left a really intense long term relationship that was in reality toxic. I was so deeply in love that the danger of it all was somehow in the shadow. I had found the discarded hammers of a piano in the alley way and I took it home. It was beautiful but it sat on our balcony rusting in the weather. I thought I would make some art out of it. But when I left, I left it behind.
The other piano is also real. Years and years before that story, l left a piano I inherited behind in a move for the cost of lunch just because I was a broke kid who could not afford to move it with me, let alone tune it. I had not thought about that old piano in years, but the song showed me I still carried it with me.
By the time it gets to the chorus, well this is where the animal side of my brain enters the songwriting phase. Expressing that survival instinct that carries us through trauma. An animal in distress may not want to but it will chew off its own leg to survive. We walk around in this life sometimes with the most freshly broken hearts and sometimes it is so intense and so goddamn awful that you’re not sure how you will be able to walk on. But you do. I cannot be literal about my experiences here. That is where the wonder of music comes in to express what words cannot. It is more than the words.
You’ve described “Another Time” as both primal and beautiful. How did you balance those emotional contrasts in the music and lyrics?
Beauty is subjective but I think there is a fragility to this song and that is what I find most beautiful about it. My deliberately discordant guitar right at the start was inspired by a broken music player I had toyed with right before picking up the guitar to write this song. I wanted to keep that broken sound.
I would say the end section along with the guitar solo takes the primal into stride toward the end of the song. I feel like I gave it all up on that track.
Your music draws inspiration from iconic acts like Blondie, The Ramones, and Patti Smith. How do you infuse those influences into your sound while keeping it uniquely X-Ray Love?
I don’t really think about these influences to be honest. They are just some of our most frequent comparisons. And it’s a nice quick way to tell someone if they might wanna come see your set or not when they don’t know who you are.
I seem to favour stuff from those early post punk, new wave eras, music made before I was for some reason. I guess I do think about Lou Reed. I love that he wrote for him, he did not make an extra hook to appease or commercialize. That is something I can relate to. I write for the song not for a certain result or to appease an audience. What’s the point in making art that is popular if you don’t care about it as the artist?
As far as what makes it X-Ray Love my voice carries into it all literally as the singer and also as the songwriter so it is unified in that.
The song reflects both the grit of New York and the energy of London. How have these two cities shaped your sound and artistic identity?
The New York thing… that place will always have my heart and I think that energy is something I will always keep. I see a picture of that city and feel like crying. I just love it.
London is a place of mystery. I feel like I am only just getting an idea of it. There is something romantic about it.
To me New York as a city just like its people is more blunt. What you see is what you get. London has more fog to it. I think there is something in the water with all the incredible musicians that came from here. So far it seems like my songs are getting a bit more peculiar and more complex in a way. I think that is the Thames sneaking in.
“Another Time” is your first song written and recorded entirely in London. How has relocating to the UK influenced your creativity and the band’s dynamic?
Actually, the song was written in London, but was recorded in Stockport, just outside of Manchester.
I have had a lot more quiet in London. It is just not as loud a city. Living in Manhattan… every 3 seconds there is a horn honking or sirens. I counted once. You stop even noticing, it’s just a roar, like a scream all the time. And there is a lot of adrenaline in that. I feel like London has provided me with a chance to be still. It is something I have not really had before and it is a strange adjustment but it feels grounding.
As a band, moving here changed everything. Our original Bassist and Lead Guitarist never made the move over. So it has been me and the drummer building it back up. We have these awesome new members (well not so new now) on Bass and Lead Guitar and you change a player and it changes the whole mix, even if you tried to be the same. It’s just like anything in life it shifts, it changes. I love it. I am more excited now than I have ever been. I love what we are building.
London’s music scene has a storied history, especially for rock and post-punk. How does it feel to be a part of this legacy as an emerging band?
Well, I went in not knowing anything about the present scene. I had not been to London since backpacking as a kid. So it is sorta funny looking back at all the stuff we were just immensely green about.
It feels wonderful to be somewhere with so many rocknroll and punk rock and live music venues. Honestly… don’t tell New York but London laps ‘em hard on that. The sheer volume.
I like how the influence of rock and punk is so circular between New York and London. I think about how Lou Reed made Transformer with David Bowie in London! The two cities kinda have had a conversation about it. The Ramones played here in London and The Sex Pistols saw them and caught their own punk fever. They made it their own and the London punk aesthetic too was a departure from New York. I love it. It is wild to have a taste of both sides of the pond. It is why I wanted to come.
Your debut EP, “Have it for Lunch,” is set to drop in Spring 2025. What can fans expect from this project, and how does “Another Time” set the tone for it?
I would say expect to be surprised. The reason we released this track next is because it is quite a departure from the 1st single, On My Stereo, which is a more danceable kinda thing and I guess the EP as a whole is a bit of a ride, a bit of a rollercoaster in mood. It all still sounds like us, but, we don’t play just one kinda song.
“Have It For Lunch” is actually a line from Another Time, and I liked it for the title of the EP.
How would you describe the creative vision behind the EP? Are there particular themes or stories that tie the songs together?
I think the underlying themes are love, heartache and revenge. It was more about what songs we were digging most from live shows and it became pretty clear which ones could fit together to create a sorta arch.
You’ve performed at iconic venues like The O2 Academy Islington 2. What’s been your most memorable live performance so far, and why?
The O2 was definitely one of the most memorable but honestly some of the most touching shows were coz of a special audience connection.
We recorded our EP just outside of Manchester. I really loved returning and playing Stockport at the Spinning Top coz we had not played there before and they are such an honest crowd. And we won ’em over. And Andy Mac, who co-produced the track (and our EP ) came down with our Engineer George as well as the keyboardist who added those sounds to the track. It was like a reunion. And the owner was such a luv, he stuck our sticker on his guitar and he was just so genuinely excited by our music. And hanging with the locals until closing time. It was just a lovely bunch of people. It just felt full circle to celebrate our single release where we recorded it.
Being a female-led rock band in a historically male-dominated genre can come with challenges. How has that shaped your perspective and your journey as artists?
Some of the bullshit that gets thrown at you in any aspect of life just for being a woman is shocking, so it is not a surprise it exists in the scene as well. But as long as you never take anyone’s advice and just hold your own course I think the artist’s path is anyone’s to take. It is much bigger than any idea of gender.
Joan Jett and The Slits and all the early punks and rockers they really had to fight. Being first or perceived as first at anything is not an easy thing. Women are tough, no one can hold you back when you refuse to let them. I love being a woman and making music from my own perspective. I would still like to see more women on these stages. I still wanna see more women play guitar but it grows every day. I don’t have time for that sexist bullshit so I just cut those people out. And there are a hell of a lot of wonderful men who do support me so I focus on that. Not least the wonderful boys in our band.
With “Another Time” out and a European tour coming up, what are your hopes for the band’s next chapter?
I wanna make music that feels good in my bones and that I can listen back to and feel proud of when some time has passed. Just like everything else good in life we just want more. More rocknoll. More fun shows. To meet more lovers of that music. Add some travel and our own Learjet like in the old days and we are all set.