Which Way Do Wolf Alice Face In The Shower?

I was first introduced to Wolf Alice by an ex boyfriend with great taste in music.

I remember a very particular moment of him playing ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’ in his car in the very early days, listening to the lyrics and wondering if this was his way of telling me he loved me. Turns out, shortly after, he did. That song along with most of their catalogue became the soundtrack to our relationship. Unfortunately, as young first loves have a tendency to do, we broke up. I couldn’t play anything from Wolf Alice for years and it pissed me off a lot because I really loved their music. This was a band that captured youth’s moodiness and insecurity with such style while still feeling like one of the cool rare bands no one had caught onto yet. If you ever saw Ellie Rowsell on stage in her silk dresses and converse, you’d immediately fall in love with her no matter who you’re into. And even now, with a Mercury prize and BRIT Award to their name, Wolf Alice have remained one of the most mysterious, underrated bands. 

With the announcement of their latest album The Clearing, I was surprised to find myself…. well… surprised. For so long this band had reminded me of him, it just never occurred to me that there would be songs to hear that didn’t. Wolf Alice’s sound and lyrics have grown up and The Clearing reflects a band who have stepped into a new era of self assuredness that comes with making it out of their 20s, not only alive, but still in a very brilliant band. 

Interviewing Wolf Alice, as you can probably imagine, was a pretty trippy moment for me. We all have our songs and artists who take us back to certain times in our lives. They are the friends we never get to meet who carry us through the first time we fall in love, roadtrips, fights, all nighters, summer holidays, losses, kicks ons, and heartbreak. I should note, thankfully, as time did its thing, all the songs I couldn’t bear eventually became wonderful capsules of nostalgia. Reminders of a past love and joy. Now every time I hear a Wolf Alice song, it just makes me smile. I hope it still does that for him too. 

How are you guys? 

Joff: We are good. Where are you? 

I’m on the Gold Coast in Australia. 

Joff: Oh sunny Gold Coast. 

Very sunny. Although not now to be honest. Where are you? 

Joel: Sunny London. It’s actually really fucking sunny actually. I’m being blinded by where I am sitting here. 

Well you’re in a t-shirt and I’m in a jumper so who is winning here? 

Joel: Let’s be honest the Gold Coast is pretty fucking good. 

No it is okay I’ll stop. Alright let’s get into this because I’m sure you have back to back to back to back interviews right? 

Joff: Yes but that's alright. We're just grateful to speak to you. Thank you for your time. 

No thank you, seriously. Okay, first question. What is the feeling like putting out this album compared to your first one?

Joel: Oh, interesting. Thinking back, it was a while ago now. The first time was the great unknown, right? You’ve never done any of this before, you have no idea what’s going to happen. Now we’ve traveled that path a couple of times so we kind of know what to expect a little bit. But we are still so excited to be bringing out a new record, now especially. With the last record being released during ‘almost’ COVID with things still not properly open it feels like it’s been a long, long time. Since Visions of a Life we haven’t done the whole getting out there, interviewing, meeting people, the whole proper album release thing so it’s really exciting to get back out there. I can’t believe that people still care after all this time. 

What do you mean, you’re bloody Wolf Alice? 

Joff: We’re just a couple of losers from the south of England really. 

God so you’re talented and humble too. This is what we’re working with. Okay. I know you’re not supposed to ask this but is there a particular song on this new album that you are the most proud of? It’s time to name your favourite child. 

Joel: We’re proud of each song for different reasons. I’m most proud of this record because all of the things we went through to actually be able to make it. There are little victories in every song. One of the songs jumping out at me though would be ‘Safe in the World.’ Ellie had written this amazing piano demo quite early on and we all got really excited about it. Then a month later we all had a collective vision for it. It went through a whole process. There were moments where we were like oh shit maybe this one isn’t going to make it to the place where it needs to be. But then Greg Kurstin got involved and it is exactly how we hoped it would sound. That is not always the case with music. As much as you love your albums, I can listen to most things and be like oh maybe now I would do that differently or this but  I actually wouldn't change a fucking thing about that one particular song.

Nice. You know how everyone says your 30s are better than your 20s because you’ve finally earnt this self knowledge and awareness - is that something you have gained as a band as well? 

Joff: I think we know each other a lot better now. We know ourselves a bit more so we can work together better. We have a better idea about each other’s skill sets and even personal ambitions about what each wants to contribute. And also importantly all the soft stuff about when to leave someone alone or when to push them. I’ve never questioned it unless people have said so but it turns out a lot of people think we are freaks because we’ve been together for so long now and are still together and can not only function but still enjoy it. You know what I mean? After a while a lot of bands just function but maybe they don’t like each other. We all still like each other and still like doing it. 

That's amazing. I know a lot of people talk about certain milestones within their music career, such as winning certain awards or playing certain crowds - but are there other things that can’t be defined by numbers that you’ve also achieved as well? 

Joel: It’s funny, all the personal bucket list stuff was never, at least for me, what typically people in bands thought was big. Like the Mercury Prize. That’s fucking unbelieveable but that was never on my agenda. For me there were venues I went to all the time as just a person and I just wanted to play at those. Even if only one person showed up. That was so meaningful to me. Obviously your ambitions change. I don’t even know what’s possible now. That, I guess, is the nice thing about ambition. It can go as big as it can go. But I remember coming out to Australia with the band and thinking what the fuck? We went to Australia because of the band? That’s insane, you know? Right now I’m so proud of the record and I’m excited for people to hear it and see how far it will take us this time. 

I realise I didn’t start this interview by stating that Wolf Alice is one of my favourite bands by the way. I probably should have done that —- cuts out at this point. 

Joel: Oh no Sam we lost you just as you were complimenting us. I think you were about to say we are the most important band in the whole world or something like that? 

(Laughs) Oh god cutting out at the most important part. No um, I guess I wanted to say that because how often do you get to speak to one of your favourite bands and so selfishly I’d like to ask some questions that are unrelated to the music and more just the people you are. I would love to know what your dreams were when you were younger? 

Joff: Oh I was going to play rugby for England. 

Really? 

Joff: I had no doubt in my mind that I was gonna play for England. And then that dream was obviously completely smashed to pieces and I was like oh I’ll have to make do with this guitar. 

Oh yeah I’ll just be in an incredible band instead, no worries. What has been something that you’ve read, or listened to or watched that left a mark on you? 

Joff: You know what, because we’re speaking to you, Australian music was something that did that for me. Tame Impala’s record dropped and every single person in London went out and bought compressor pedals and fuzz face pedals. Then Pond dropped some music and everyone was like what fuck is going on down there? I remember the excitement of those early records by your fellow countrymen. And I'm still influenced by those guys. So they definitely left a mark on me. 

What about a standout book? 

Joff: There are two but one of them has completely escaped my brain. That’s so weird. But Gabriel Garcia Marquez ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ is probably one of the most artistic things I've ever come into contact with. Well, probably the most imaginative piece of art I've ever come into contact with. When I read it, it just blew my mind. It's just completely audacious and crazy. Have you read it? 

No but I know the book you’re talking about. He’s a Colombian author right? 

Joff: Yeah it’s mental but just absolutely amazing. He breaks all kinds of rules. Like, there's one sentence that lasts five pages.

Yeah, okay. 

Joff: Sometimes he'll write a sentence that will be a story in itself. It will be just full of imagination. On one page there can be twenty or thirty moments like that. It’s just wow. 

Okay adding to my to read list right now. 

Joff: It’s fucking nuts, but it's really difficult. But it’s a generational novel. 

Speaking about impact - do you ever think about the impact you’ve made with your music and the fact that it will outlive you? Not to bring up mortality. 

Joel: Oh gosh. You know if someone is talking about music, British bands from the twenty tens and twenty twenties, and Wolf Alice were mentioned, I’d be really happy about that. I think it's a bit of an intangible kind of idea. That's a hard question. 

It is, yeah. Sorry. 

Joel: You know what though, we were in Mexico a couple of weeks ago walking past this churro shop and this girl ran out to me. I was like what the fuck, why do you know me? I’m just the dumb drummer. We hadn’t been back to Mexico for ten years or however long it has been. And she told me this story about how we were the reason she started a band and that she'd moved to Mexico to try and be in a band. I was standing there like what the fuck. I’m not saying this in a self serving way for my ego by the way it was just crazy. If you told me that someone would run out at me to say how much our band has influenced her from a tiny village in Mexico, it was just…Wow. That was the last time I was like wow okay this band actually does mean something you know? 

It does. I can tell you that right now. Okay this is a fucking left of field question here but I was just in conversation with my roommates about this just before this interview so it’s sitting in my brain - but what way do you face in the shower? 

Joff: There is no fucking question that will ever top that for the rest of this campaign. 

Yeah I’m a really serious journalist. 

Joel: Wow I mean, I think when I’m washing my hair, which obviously I do a lot because you can’t look this good without washing the locks then I’m facing away from the taps but actually, you know when I’m washing my face towards. I think I go through the full 360 immersive experience. 

Me too. Anyway, sorry about that. It was there in my brain and I was just thinking fuck it I’m going to ask Wolf Alice what way they face in the shower. Will I ever get this opportunity ever again? Probably not, I probably won’t have my job. 

Joff: We love it. That was brilliant. 

Okay I know you probably get this question a lot and I know it is kind of lame but what is some advice you would give, not necessarily your younger self, but let’s say an 18 year old kid in London aspiring to do what you’ve done with the band? 

Joff: Whenever this question is asked I always think of this interview Liam Gallagher did with the same question and his really famous answer was ‘stay out of my fucking way.’ That is not my advice (laughs) but I think about that every time. My advice would be a bit more friendly than that I think. Ultimately though, it would just be to be yourself. I think really good art is authentic. That’s the thing that people ultimately connect to, and I think if you're going to make it, it's gonna be you doing a version of you. So be brave and be yourself. 

I love that. Well I know I’ve gone over time here but I just wanted to say one more thing. You talked about that girl coming up to you saying you had such a big influence on her and well I would like to tell you that your music really means a lot to me. An ex boyfriend actually introduced me to your music, it was just always playing in the background of some really great years and even though we’ve broken up, every time any Wolf Alice song plays it brings back some wonderful memories. So yeah, just really grateful to chat to you and to be able to tell you that because not a lot of people get too, so thanks. 

Oh, thanks, Sam. That's really sweet and very special. We will see you in Australia real soon. 

The Clearing is out on August 22nd, 2025.