Introducing: Smoke Fairies

A brand new act on the thriving UK folk scene are female duo Smoke Fairies. Their music stripped back and haunting, wraps itself around you like a thick blanket of smoke whilst their two part harmonies rattle around your head hours after listening. We recently caught up with Katherine and Jessica to find out a little more about their history and musical influences. Turns out, unsuprisingly, they have excellent taste – not only musically but in their choice of beverage. Ladies and gentlemen – say hello to Smoke Fairies.

Hello girls – It’s our round. What are you having?
Katherine - The most expensive single malt whisky at the bar on ice please.
Jessica - That or a Banana Daiquiri

Right, now we’ve got that out of the way…A little about the band. For people out there that have never heard of you. Give us three reasons why they should…
1. Because hopefully, there is nothing else quite like it.
2. Because it will let you escape to some place in your mind that you have never visited before.
3. Because it will leave you feeling something, not sure what exactly – it makes me feel restless.

Can you give us a bit of background history lesson on Smoke Fairies? What’s your guys story?
When we were 11 the school we were at put us in the same class. Everyday we made detailed plans in our exercise books on how we would form a band and travel around. Whilst driving late at night on the country roads of Sussex we became aware that on special nights Smoke Fairies formed out of the mist to confuse and scare drivers. We took our name from them, although we are not certain that is their correct description. When we were old enough we left England and went and lived in New Orleans for a year and then journeyed around until we settled in Vancouver for a while. We are now trying to be sensible and stay in one place for a while to work on music.

Where do your songs come from? What’s your inspiration?
Katherine - A lot are songs are drawn from the experience of travelling around and leaving places behind, or feeling distant and out of place. Some are sea shanties, others are about frustration and being stuck somewhere. A lot of our songs have an air of nostalgia to them and the heartache that comes from looking back and longing.

What was the first gig you ever played and was it a success?
Jessica - We played at fundraising event at school. We got £80 which was a success then, but no one told us we had to play for 3 hours in front of a silent audience of parents. We had to repeat some songs two or three times. That part of it was a failure.
Katherine - At the end we thought we were getting a standing ovation, but the parents just wanted to leave really fast.

How much artist control do you possess over your music? Are you interested in how the album looks and how you’re marketed?
Katherine - Having complete artistic control is really important to us, of course. As far as marketing goes we just try to be honest and present ourselves and our music in a way that is true to its intensions. We just want people to hear it and be moved, so you probably won’t see us running around in bikinis anytime soon. Our music is moody and atmospheric so we will try to market it in a way that reflects this.

What music are you enjoying right now? Any recommendations for our readers to check out?
Jessica - A band we know called Congregation are definitely worth checking out. They have just released their first album. It makes me want to leave England and get lost in the Deep South again.
Katherine - I have been quite enjoying listening to the Fleet Foxes as well as Midlake. We have recently started sorting through all our old vinyls and re listening to them. Grateful Dead, Crosby Stills and Nash, America, Pure Prairie League, Neil Young and more… they are all classics. Sometimes it’s great to revisit old influences.

Name your Top 6 records.
Tried to be as honest as possible and not go for the standard or safe options…
Crosby Stills Nash and Young – Déjà vu
Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
Mark Lanegan – Bubble Gum
Tori Amos – Scarlets Walk
Skip James – Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
16 horsepower – Folklore

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Jessica - We once both worked in a burger van cutting onions and serving burgers. The boss wouldn’t let me wear my trainers so for some reason I ended up wearing a pair of Kaf’s dad’s shoes, which were far too big. The power and water supply got cut off, so we had to do all the sums in our head and there was no way to cool our burns.
Katherine - Jessica was called “blonde one” and I was called “other”. We got shouted at all day by a weird old looking woman who turned out to be 16. The only way to move around the van between the burning hot grills was to get on an onion (they were all over he floor) and launch yourself down the isle. There was a line of angry customers stretching to the horizon. It was hell.

Tell us a joke.
Q. If I had one green ball in one hand, and another green ball in another hand, what would I have?
A. The undivided attention of the jolly green giant…

Links
Smoke Fairies [myspace]