Gingerella
Words by Rosie Lowndes Photographs by Lucy Browne
Stylish and decidedly idiosyncratic, the self-described ‘darlings of the burgeoning London rock scene’ are witty and precocious; looking to, quote, “articulate the bitterness of their surroundings with a curious and sardonic observance”. A mouthful indeed, but do they deliver the glamorous goods?
Ahead of their first headline gig as a complete band on the 30th of June, I sat down with the four-piece Gingerella, consisting of Tommy, Jamie, Francis and Noah, to discuss plans for the future and their driving forces. Their willingness and humour is apparent as they good-naturedly perch outside Shepherds Bush studios, punctuated by audible sounds of bands practising in the background. From the get-go, it is clear that they are ready to burst onto the scene with full force. Francis voices the general air of eagerness to play – ‘we’ve been rehearsing for three hours, so yeah it was good. We’re at the stage now where we’ve rehearsed so fucking much that I feel like we’re getting a little bit bored of the same and we just wanna do the gig’. Tommy agrees, ‘we just want to move on. We’re getting a bit insatiable’
There is a general murmur of assent when asked if they think they are ready to perform, ‘oh, one hundred percent’. Jamie agrees ‘we don’t have much of a plan. I don’t think we have an immediate roadmap of what‘s happening after this gig. So I feel like maybe we’re so focused on this gig that afterwards, we want to be able to do immediate gigs.’ The impatience is palpable as they wait to show off what they can do. Apart from their sold out gig at Bush Hall, there are exciting things in the works for Gingerella, with an upcoming tour in December supporting for a yet-unannounced band planned, visiting all the O2 academies in the UK.
Their origins are admittedly an unusual meeting – apart from, (according to Tommy), meeting Jamie when they were ‘wee bairns’, Jamie nods, confirming with ‘a tiny, tiny baby’, Tommy met Francis through their modeling agent. ‘Who basically scouted Francis, and I was like great, great, do you want to join a band? We’re that superficial!’ Tommy laughs. Francis elaborates, ‘we went to the same model agent and she scouted me at work, but she also represents musicians and whatnot. She told me you guys were looking for, originally, a guitarist’. Jamie finishes, revealing they were struggling to find a ‘really good bassist, as opposed to a guitarist, which we kind of had quite a few people in mind. So we decided that maybe it would be best to train Francis up’ on bass.
The camaraderie in this band is obvious, banter flowing effortlessly. At some point during the proceedings, a car maneuvering slowly by interrupts us, Tommy bidding him ‘good evening’, and dubbing him their new bass player, which Francis graciously accepts as a demotion of job. I take care to note that they’ve all got clearly distinctive styles – they present a fashionable quadruplet, it seems to come naturally to them. Three out of the four being models, involved in fashion, and all being highly in tune with their personal styles. Tommy attributing it to the culture of music in general, with Francis continuing – ‘It’s always going to be a visual thing ... it’s performance rather than a sonic medium.
“It’s always going to be a visual thing, it’s performance rather than a sonic medium. So the way a band looks is important, beyond looking pretty..”
So the way a band looks is important. Beyond looking pretty, having an interesting look - something that plays into the sound and general performance aesthetic and whatnot.’ They define it as a ‘holistic, aesthetic, thing’, Tommy adding that ‘music always sounds like a certain look as well. So if they match, then you‘ve got the full package’. Francis’s flair comes from their theatre background, dubbing it as a ‘state of mind thing’. ‘Before music I was mainly focused on acting and having a costume, or an outfit that you wear that gives you confidence and presence and feel like something different from your usual. It puts you in the mindset of a performer rather than just like, a musician... You’re thinking like a performer. You’re not just thinking, ‘I’ve got to get my note right!’ you’re thinking, ‘I’ve got to give it a performance!’
“I think that authenticity is diluted over social media, because it’s so easy to be angry about something for five seconds and then just let it cool down.”
This sort of conversation draws on to the development of a distinct style of their sound as a group. They seem to have matured from the time they have spent together – from their beginnings as blues lovers and winding up to a
more glam- experience, Jamie recognising their experimental development. Above all, for the group, lyrics come first. Labeling it as music that they think would go down well with them and other people. The lyrics really are quite key to the songs. ‘Even reading back over them sometimes it’s clear that Tommy puts a lot of thought into them’ As the main lyricist, Tommy cites one his personal inspirations as anger, and attempting to get a certain point of view across.. He rounds it off by explaining that he thinks ‘there’s a lot to be angry about. There’s a lot to be mad about. That young people perhaps don’t do in a particularly genuine way. I think that authenticity is diluted over social media, because it’s so easy to be angry about something for five seconds and then just let it cool down. And the other songs are stories really’. Francis chips in that, ultimately, mostly the stuff is very character and story driven, and Tommy rounds it back to their beginning -
‘Which is why I think, again, the look is important, because as a whole thing it’s more ... we’re creating something that I think is quite interesting to listen to and look at.’
