Whacked-out psychedelic blues groovers Rodeo Massacre are fronted by the dynamic Izzy Lindqwister, who talks frankly to Time Out ahead of the launch of her band’s debut album, If You Can’t Smoke ‘Em Sell ‘Em.
The Parisian expats found the move to the UK both tough and stimulating.
Life in London is so much harder as an artist. They view art and music very differently in France; they still think it has value and that it’s logical to pay for it, whereas in Britain people are very keen on not paying for anything. In France, they have almost too much structure to protect the artist; you have to register each gig, so if the next year you’re out of work, you get help from the government.
They’re all about keeping it real.
I came up with this idea of creating a 21st-century psychedelia, and bringing back real emotion in music. I feel so many rock bands are really fake. That sounds quite harsh and judgemental, but there’s a kind of fast food society around us, which means one day you’re somebody, the next day you’re nobody. We wanted to do proper live shows, where we weren’t just pretending to be cool and dressing in black.
Johnny Thunders’ guitarist Stevie Klasson was her music mentor.
I’ve actually put him down as a family member in the ‘thank yous’ on our album. I was quite an introverted teenager, because my mum and I had to move around a lot and, at the age of about 15, I met Stevie while I was working at a café in Stockholm’s artistic quarter. We started hanging out and he was like a big brother to me; it was really innocent and he showed me all this amazing music – black female blues, soul and gospel.
Izzy sounds a lot like Grace Slick.
It’s a great compliment because I love her voice, but I haven’t really listened to Jefferson Airplane. I get very tired of the white, commercial, retro-soul singers. There’s too much of that about –this wailing and wailing –and it’s lacking real soul. Everything is a product, and I do feel a bit disillusioned about female artists at the moment. I can’t believe that today, after the music revolution and women’s liberation in the ’70s, that TV and radio are still dominated by products that play on clichéd sexuality. It’s worse now than ever.
Izzy works three jobs, but throws her all into the band.
I didn’t ever think I had to become famous. All I ever wanted was to make people feel alive at our gigs, to feel excited. And they are. It’s just that the next night, they’re excited about something else. I’m speaking very honestly about what it’s like being in a band today; you go onstage and people think you’re some kind of rock star, but you’re actually working three or four jobs on the side. I sew handbags for this woman’s market stall, I walk dogs and I do babysitting. But where we’re at in the music industry right now – where there’s no money around – is really liberating. You get freedom as an artist when you’re doing it for some reason other than to get signed or be famous. It’s an interesting time.
