Austel has been gathering steam since well before the release of her spellbinding debut EP 'Unfold'. That record, founded on songs released during the course of 2018, knocked us
sideways with its wistful electronica and heartfelt lyrics, and after boiling over with a couple
of singles late last year she's back with one more, the beautiful 'Dry', before her second EP
drops later this month.
We caught up with Austel – real name Annie Rew Shaw – ahead of the release of Cold Love next week to discuss her musical past, present and future...
Joe (PlusOne): Hey Austel, can you introduce yourself – where are you from and how did you get
to where you are today?
Austel: Hey Joe! My name’s Annie and I create and release music under the alias Austel. I grew up
in Devon and moved to London when I was 19. I was taking a ‘gap year’ while deciding if I
wanted to go to university or not, and it never really ended, I just kind of stuck around!
I'm really interested in that 'Austel' sound (which 6 Music pretty neatly summed up
as 'haunting and moody electronica') - how have you arrived at it? Was there one
artist/record that gave you a 'eureka' moment or was it a mix of different things?
Thank you. I think it’s come from an accumulation of different influences - notably artists like
Thom Yorke, Daughter, Bon Iver, Nils Frahm and James Blake - but also a desire to
combine intimate songwriting with my love of cinematic soundscapes and musical
experimentation, especially when using the voice.
And following on from that, who are your biggest inspirations more broadly -
musically or otherwise?
I think the first singer I ever really fell in love with was Eva Cassidy - the emotion and
storytelling in her voice is just incredible. As well as the artists mentioned above, I’m always
inspired by the music of bands/artists like The National, Bat For Lashes, Kate Tempest,
Fever Ray, Wild Beasts, RY X, Leonard Cohen, Nina Simone and Jon Hopkins.
Patti Smith is also a huge inspiration to me. Reading Just Kids changed my entire attitude to
being an artist. I’m also a big fan of photography and film; anything historical, philosophical
or a bit dark and surreal.
You're a classically trained musician – what form did that take, and how has it
helped (or even hindered) you?
I started learning the piano from a young age and had an amazing teacher who taught me
the classical curriculum as well as encouraging my songwriting and interest in other jazz and
contemporary styles.
I’m actually a piano teacher myself now and always tell my pupils how much that technique
and training has helped when it comes to composing my own music. It’s just easier, knowing
a bit of the theory. I think if you follow it too much it can be a hindrance to creativity, but I’ve
never been one to follow the rules too closely…
Classical singing also really pushed me to discover a whole new range to my voice - I gained
almost a whole upper octave. It’s all just given me more to play with.
October release 'Now We're Here' was a big change of pace from the songs on
Unfold, and 'Choke' is also fairly different, but 'Dry' harks back to that gentler sound –
what brought about that change, and where are you headed next? What can we
expect from the EP and what is the inspiration behind it?
Those songs were all written at a similar time, but I guess they represent the process I was
going through of trying to find my identity, essentially just exploring different ideas. I think
they all come together to tell quite a cohesive story (to be completed once the full EP comes
out on 12th Feb) about that time of my life.
The EP focuses a lot on the varying degrees of human connection, whether that’s feeling
isolated by technology that’s meant to connect us or struggling to find a sense of inner
peace. The title Cold Love was inspired by the notion of trying to survive off
something/someone that really has nothing to give you. In the end, you have to work out
how to find it for yourself.
Is Adam Stark still on board? Where did that relationship come from, and what's
your method of putting a track together? Do you fit music around lyrics or do the
words come first?
100%, he’s my right hand musical wizard. Adam and I met back in 2013 performing at
Glastonbury festival together. We bonded over a shared sense of humour and love of
Radiohead, and the rest is history.
When working together, I’ll usually send him an idea/demo that I’ve drafted out an
arrangement for, and then we build it up together. We both know where our individual
expertise lies, so just trust each other to do our thing.
In terms of what comes first, it varies. Sometimes I’ll have a little poem ready to be turned
into a song, sometimes a melody or bassline in mind, but mostly it all comes out at once in a
kind of songwriting storm.
Beyond the new EP what are the plans and ambitions for Austel in 2020? What's
been the career highlight up to now?
After the EP release and some live shows we’ve got in the diary, I really want to dive back in
to working on some new music. I’ve got lots of new ideas to explore.
Aside from hearing my song on BBC 6 Music, I’d say the biggest highlights for me are the
live shows. It’s the best feeling being up on stage with your friends creating something
beautiful together. Connecting with an audience is what it’s all about for me. I particularly
love travelling around - doing a Sofar Sounds gig in Berlin last year was really special.
Austel is just one of the creative projects you have on the go – you're also a visual
artist, and are kicking on with Dust In The Sunlight (congratulations on the record
deal!). Is your head always buzzing with ideas, has it always been that way? Are there
different inspirations for each project or does it all come from the same place?
Thank you! I met my DITS bandmate Billy Wright a couple of years ago while recording
backing vocals for our mutual pal Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. We instantly realised how well
our voices melded together and actually wrote our first two songs that night. After a year or
so of writing, we decided to make the band an official thing, and then at the start of this year
we signed a deal. I’m really excited about it all.
My head is always overflowing with things I want to do. I’ve always been that way; I think it
just comes from loving a lot of different things, different styles of music. I think I need to have
multiple projects on the go to let all of the parts of my musical personality breathe. Same
thing goes with needing to write, draw and explore alternative creative mediums.
And what can we expect from Dust In The Sunlight?
It all seems quite mysterious at
the moment.
I can’t give too much away, but there’s a lot coming very soon! Follow our socials
@dustinthesunlight to be the first to know.
Women in music seems to be a subject very close to your heart (as a contributor
to Women's Music News) – where did that come from, and can you tell us a bit about
it?
Well, as a woman in music (and just generally as a woman) I’ve experienced first-hand the
sexism, gender stereotypes and general lack of platform that there is within the industry.
It’s slowwwly changing, and there are some brilliant initiatives like Keychange and Normal
Not Novelty, but there’s still a diversity imbalance that needs to be directly addressed. I think
the more you can shine a spotlight or give a platform to female, non-binary, LGBTQ+ and
BAME artists, the better. And you’ll hear so much more brilliant music for it!
Finally, it's an impossible issue to ignore – Brexit has just taken place, if you’d like
to share I'd be fascinated to hear your views on it, especially as many of your songs
seem so rooted in personal experiences.
Like many of my peers, I’m pretty devastated. Not only for the impact it will have on
musicians, but the division that it’s sown throughout the country. The rise in hate crime,
racism and nationalism is deeply troubling and I’m genuinely scared for what the next few
years are going to bring.
I think the most important thing we can all do now is come together to look after the most
vulnerable people in our society. Be kind, compassionate and open - there are too many
borders and walls.
On a practical note, the MU are currently campaigning for a Musician’s Passport to let
touring musicians travel post-Brexit. I think it’s a petition well worth signing and sharing: https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/Campaign/Brexit
Dry is the third single from Austel’s upcoming sophomore EP Cold Love - to be released on 12th February 2020.
EP LAUNCH SHOW ON FEBRUARY 12TH AT THE VICTORIA, LONDON
You can find Austel's track 'Dry' on our current Spotify playlist of recommended artists.