The Rebelles – Uber Rock Interview Exclusive
Written by Dom Daley
Saturday, 05 March 2016 04:00
When you read the PR biog of these three ladies – Tracie Hunter, Phoebe White, and Elizabeth Westwood – you suddenly realise what they might have to offer as frontpeople because they’ve been in the rock ‘n’ roll trenches for a long, long time and have many tales to tell… but for now they have a brand new record about to hit the shelves that you need to know about so Uber Rock decided it was time to go straight to the top and hear from the main players what’s going down and what really does float their collective boat…..
Firstly give us a rundown of how you ladies got together and who was it who decided to put this band together?
TH – The idea of The Rebelles came to me after deciding to wrap the solo shows for a while. My desire to perform was willing some new ideas to come.. I woke up one morning and the idea to form an all-female punk group was there. It just felt like the right time.
PW – We’ve all know each other for years. I’ve sung backing vocals for Tracie Hunter band and with Tracie, we’ve worked with Ginger Wildheart, Mott the Hoople and others.… and Liz and Tracie met doing BVs for Glen Matlock. We were recording some BVs for Steve Conte’s recent album and Tracie pitched the idea… 3 part harmony punk was typically original I thought… lots of great tunes to choose from and to offer a new take on. I’m a blues singer and have turned my ear to the Americana vibe in the last decade or so I felt I could add something and that it was something a little different for me. I like variety in life. The three of us together is about pooling all that together.
EW – I met Tracie when she and I (and Maggi Ronson) were backing up Glen Matlock and The Philistines. We did a bunch of UK shows and an east coast US tour as The Sexpistolettos. Tracie then started The Rebelles about the time she and I were singing back up for Woody Woodmansy’s Holy Holy. I heard The Rebelles and thought they rocked it. Little did I know then that a line-up change was on the cards and I was asked if I wanted to dep. Ended up sticking around.
PW – Good thing too, EW!
We seem to have been at the same gigs for a number of years; obviously me in the audience and you guys on stage singing with some pretty decent bands but it must be said quite diverse bands as well. You guys are in demand, is it tough working the diaries to team up with some fantastic musicians and bands?
TH – This is a collaboration of amazing musicians getting together to play on some of the best sounds of the ’70s, it’s a labour of love really, everybody we asked was eager to get involved; Glen Matlock, Slim Jim Phantom, Kenney Jones, Ian Hunter, Mick Jones, James Stevenson, Clem Burke, Dom Brown, Steve Brown, James Hallawell, Neil Gabbitas (Guitar), Mallett Hallet (Drums), Igor (drums) and these songs remain some of the best, timeless songs ever written.
EW – These folks either live in or come through London on a pretty regular basis. Collaborating is the easy bit. One of the trickiest things is to get all players in the same room at the same time. We’ve been lucky.
PW – and busy!
You have James (Stevenson) playing guitar who also lends his considerable talents to people like Mike Peters and the International Swingers – was it difficult nailing people down for recording time?
EW – With James, not as hard as you’d think. Tracie and I sang on his album and The Rebelles back him up live. Bit of quid pro quo.
PW – We’ve been recording this album since last summer.. with a few tracks done the year before. Rather than do it all in a week or so. We’ve been working around everyone’s availability… including our own as we’ve been busy gigging and showing up for appearances (like for Marshall London) as well. It’s been a labour of love but a meeting of minds, and friends. It’s been really lovely.
TH – In my experience, unless people are complete bread heads, they do what they enjoy doing, they have a listen and either want to get involved or they don’t. Everyone we asked to come and play/record with us said yes, as Liz says, we’re always doing BVs or videos for someone – it’s a love thing.
You’ve chosen to embrace your name (Tracie) and not shun it like some others. Having a dad like Ian Hunter must be a fantastic place to be with regards to knowing how to write a bloody good song or two and how to record it. Does he offer much advice? Also his address book must be most useful as well?
EW – It was an honour to be in the studio with Tracie’s dad. A consummate professional. We nailed the recording and all went down the pub within a couple of hours.
PW – Ian is a cool dude. Calm. Focussed. Friendly. And a funny fucker. He told me at our most recent gig that humour was very important. He marshalled all the chaps in singing the BVs and gave us girls useful feedback, which I think really enhanced our final performance.
TH – Well, Hunter rolls of the tongue in a slightly sexier fashion than Patterson I’m sure you agree. It’s a tough call for children of celebrity, whether to embrace or deny – I have done both in the past, doesn’t make any difference really. I think my father is one of the best songwriters there is, it’s in his bones and that seems a dying breed, especially today where we have the X Factor generation. I always love it when I see younger people at Dad’s shows, hoping that he will be their inspiration excites me. Advice? I don’t really work like that anymore, I think for myself and my address book is probably bigger than his, so no. The answers might have been different 10 years ago. I pen a good tune, I mean it when I do it – I did have a good soundtrack to this life.
Going back to the various styles you’ve sung is there one particular you prefer, be it crooning or rocking out or giving it attitude in a punk rock way or just letting go Quireboys style? Where are you most happy?
EW – Most happy when we’re all together kicking it out. Helps to have great musicians who love the music we’re doing backing us up.
TH – I like rocking out, when we do ‘Stay With Me’ we all let go a bit, excites me. Very partial to a ballad also. On occasion with 3 part harmonies you just do what fits, we’re all front girls so that can feel restricted hence us mixing it up a bit.
PW – When singing with the Blues Kitchen Gospel choir, I belt out some really high pelt solos… in the Rebelles, it’s a different discipline, tuning into a three part or backing off to add an ethereal high harmony… or, as I often do, hold down the bass line (if not singing solo) and I enjoy that immensely. I’m most happy singing… in whichever style. In my own songwriting, I tend to go a little sweeter blues country style.
Growing up around Mott The Hoople and all the other musicians when did you realise this isn’t the norm or were you always grounded as a kid?
TH – That was my normality and no, I wasn’t grounded, not at all. Rock n Roll/celebrity and kids doesn’t really work.
Have you always wanted to get on the stage and sing and make music?
PW – Always and have been since I woz a nipper. It’s a love thing. First live show, I was four… apparently, although I don’t actually remember it.
EW – Never really considered it an option as a kid growing up on the East Coast. It was all about FM radio, buying albums and seeing bands when they came to town. Not until I moved to London straight out of high school did I think about getting on stage. Everyone here did it – live music was really accessible. People looked amazing – proper characters. You could look at the Melody Maker or Time Out and fill your evening, any evening with live music.
TH – Since around 15, yes.
Your list of accomplishments in music and collaborations is jaw-dropping: have you always been relaxed around such luminaries (Visconte and Bowie spring to mind) in rock ‘n’ roll or have nerves ever taken hold?
PW – We’re all humans, innit. And where music is concerned, everyone’s equal. That’s not to say, I haven’t been tongue-tied around someone I admired. Famous or not. Being famous doesn’t immediately gain my respect but it’s true, if someone has reached a level of success, it’s likely they have a certain gravitas that is admirable.
EW – I met Rod Stewart when I was 16 and remember not being able to form a coherent sentence…mind you, it was in a bar…
TH – Probably not always, I remember I couldn’t eat for 3 days after meeting Billy Idol when I was a teenager (or speak) but I grew up around this, people are just people, whatever job they have. I won’t say much more because I know fans like to think otherwise.
What can people expect from the forthcoming album? Are there any surprises?
EW – You can look forward to revisiting great tunes with The Rebelles’ twist of rocking harmonies. We’ve also added and subtracted from the originals by mixing it up both lyrically and musically. Wait and see!
TH – Finishing It was quite a surprise! We have changed things around a bit, sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes not. I think the song choices are exceptional, of course
PW – You can expect some great songs… a really high level of production and of course, musicianship to die for. I’d like to say also, that the vocals will please you… but that feels like bragging!
The A list of players on the record is really exciting – was it difficult to fit them all in? You’re obviously fans of the music and having guys like Slim Jim Phantom, Kenney Jones, Mick Jones, and Clem Burke play must be so exciting. Was it difficult to keep a lid on what goes on the record and if you had to leave some off.
EW – Usually we didn’t have the time to indulge in the studio like bands of old. Pre-production is the key. Once we’re recording – we keep all the takes and work out what will stay later.
TH – We didn’t really keep a lid on it, we had an idea, we asked people, they said yes. It’s always difficult to schedule musicians, it’s a pain in the arse just trying to get us 3 together so it took time, that’s frustrating. Anyone that isn’t on this one, will be on the next!
PW – We’ve been pretty open on our social media about what we’ve been up to.
Did you get together with many of the players when they did their parts or were the recordings flown in? Who is in charge of putting this all together and are you guys hands-on?
PW – We’re really hands on and have been present at all the recordings. It’s been a laugh!
EW – This was completely hands-on and we pulled a lot of favours. Everything was done live, no emailed files. That’s not to say we won’t do that in the future. That will throw the possibility of a second ‘associated’ album wide open.
TH – Present always, no point otherwise.
Get more info at: https://www.facebook.com/RebellesMusic/