FEATURE: Spotlight: ĠENN — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Bridie Florence

ĠENN

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THIS time around…

PHOTO CREDIT: Holly Whitaker

I am focusing on a band that I really like. I am aware of the music of Janelle Borg. I was following her when she was based out in Malta. As the guitarist for ĠENN (pronounced Jenn), I am intrigued by the new group and what they are putting out. The quartet is Leona Farrugia, Janelle Borg, Leanne Zammit and Sofia Rosa Cooper. Their amazing debut album, Titty Monster, was released in 2018. I will come to their new E.P., Liminal (sourcing a review and a track-by-track feature). The first thing I want to drop in is a little biography from the band’s Bandcamp page;

“Leona (vox), Janelle (guitar) and Leanne (bass) are originally from Malta and moved to the UK to complete their lineup with drummer Sofia. ĠENN have toured extensively across the UK and Europe, including support for Acid Mothers Temple, Honeyblood and The Orielles”.

I am really intrigued by the wave of bands coming through right now. The past few years hasn’t been overly-packed with bands. That has changed recently. Though ĠENN are not sparkling new, they are starting to get more attention and column inches in 2021. I think they will go a long way and have a lot more music in them. They are so connected and powerful as a band. One can hear and feel the harmony and affection between them. This means their music gets into your head and you keep coming back to it.

The first feature I want to quote from is from Fred Perry. They shot the band some quickfire questions that provided some illuminating answers:

“Name, where are you from?
We’re ĠENN and we’re based in Brighton. Leona (vocalist), Leanne (bassist) and Janelle (guitarist) are originally from Malta. Sofia’s (drummer) from the UK.

Describe your style in three words?
Unapologetically honest, relatable and badass.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Leanne: Easy - getting to see Gojira at the Melkweg in Amsterdam last June. The energy of the people and the band was unreal, plus it was Mario's (drummer) birthday so he got a pie to the face and crowd-surfed at the end! It was an experience.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Leona: It would probably be The Doors. Growing up, I listened to them closely and I must say they are one of my main influences.
The other band would be IDLES - they literally changed my life and the way I see things. They helped me get through some really rough times and I just love watching videos of them performing live. They are real people who worked super hard. I can’t wait to see them live and hopefully meet them one day.

Of all the venues you’ve been to, which is your favourite?
Leona: The Orpheum Theatre in Malta. It makes me feel nostalgic and reminds me of how unique Malta can be. First time I went there was when I saw a local band called Stalko. Their music lit this old theatre. It’s one rare beautiful jewel and I wish we could play there one day.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Sofia: Molly Burch. She’s definitely not unsung amongst fans but I still believe not enough people know about her. 'Please Be Mine' is one of my favourite albums!”.

A song lyric that has inspired you?

Leona: Leonard Cohen "Hey. That’s No Way To Say Goodbye"

A song you wished you had written?

Janelle: Nocturne No.2 in E flat by Chopin or Claire de Lune by Debussy...because they're two mesmerising pieces that I adore. Plus I've always wished I was a better classical musician”.

If you are looking for a talented new band that you want to add to your rotation, I can recommend that you get involved with ĠENN. They are sensational and producing music of the highest quality. Dead Good Music spoke with Janelle from the band recently about their incredible new E.P. One can sense her excitement and relief:

“You’ve recently released your new EP, Liminal. How does it feel to know that it’s out there?

Janelle: Huge relief is an understatement. We’ve been working on the EP for the past year or so, so the fact that it’s out there and it’s been so well-received is a relief!

On your interview with Reel Culture, you mention how you wanted Liminal to highlight how much change has happened to the band from debut album Titty Monster. Do you feel you were able to do this?

Janelle: Yeah, definitely! I think the fact that the EP was wholly written and finalised during the first lockdown managed to highlight that element of liminality that we wanted to portray when we initially set out to write the EP. We all agree that it managed to capture a specific moment in time.

Your sound is quite varied and uses elements from multiple genres, which ties in to the travelling world of ‘Mackerel’s Funky Mission’. Does having that scope and freedom help with the writing process?

Janelle: Well, in this case, we were basically stuck in different houses, trying to write an EP, so we weren’t super free and all But yeah, mentally we never set out to sound like anything in particular, and everyone’s free to experiment with their sound. I guess this sense of experimentation and genre-lessness is kinda becoming our signature thing. Personally, I love it!

While ‘Mackerel’s Funky Mission’ aimed to get away from everything, ‘Catalyst’ dives in the middle for revolution. How important is it as a band to write music around current events?

Janelle: As a band, we’re becoming more and more aware of social injustices. Living in Brighton helps as it’s a vibrant city that’s rife with protests and activism. Last year’s events, in particular, made us reflect on stuff and I guess music was our way of challenging all of these extrinsic and intrinsic turbulences into something that made sense for us.

What’s next for ĠENN? What are you looking forward to doing once normalcy can resume?

Janelle: Gigs and travelling! We’re honestly a pack of wanderers so we can’t wait to indulge in a cycle of travelling and gigging…and, of course, eating at service stations and random cafes around Europe”.

I am keen to get to that track-by-track of Liminal. The last interview that is worth highlighting is from Dreainisfree. Conducted last year, they spoke with Janelle during the first lockdown:

“I read an article before this interview and it said you're the "girls next door, turned punk bad asses". Is that fair?

In a way we're very relatable as people, because for us it's very important that we're approachable. Some musicians curate their image and it's nothing like real life. We're very down to earth! We want people to feel like they can get up on stage and play too! Nowadays with social media, people try to portray this unobtainable image. What you see with Ġenn is us. There's no fake.

What was it like, working with David Vella?

Ah we were going to record with him in June - he's a really nice guy. He's more of a mentor to us, he's recommended things to us, confirmed our thoughts. He's helped us a lot. His studio is next to the beach as well, so we were really looking forward to it. I'm not sure when we will get out there to write again, but we will at some point.

So you've swapped Valetta for Brighton. Palm trees and Prickly Pears for The Pavillion. What made you choose Brighton?

So basically we knew if we wanted to make it in the music industry, we were going to have act sooner rather than later. We were back and forwards to Malta and the UK a lot and it was getting exhausting. We were obviously operating under another name then Cryptic Street, we knew if we wanted to take this to the next level we needed to leave Malta. There are so many talented musicians and bands in Malta, but due to its size opportunities are very limited. We had other ambitions.

The drummer at the time didn't want to leave Malta and so I was scrolling online musician forums, Brighton bands and I contacted Sofia and we asked her if she wanted to join us and she said yes.

We actually met her a few hours before our first performance together was due to start in London! We've been together ever since. We decided on Brighton as there are some aspects of it that are similar to Malta and we thought that would have a positive impact on us. It also has a pretty good music scene and its close to London. We decided to choose the name as we were entering a new chapter”.

I would urge people to listen to Liminal as it is a terrific work from ĠENN. I was curious about the tracks on the E.P. and the inspiration behind each. Luckily, Joyzine covered that:

“1. Feel

Leona – Musically, the song was inspired by the song structure of The Doors and Lou Reed’s ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ – it’s drone-centred and infused with psychedelic elements, giving space for the vocals to shine through. It culminates in a shoegazey bridge that showcases our love for experimentation, 70’s music and jamming. The lyrics personify a relationship with drugs and the dependency that stems from that sense of escapism.

2. Mackerel’s Funky Mission

Leona – I think ‘Mackerel’s Funky Mission’ is an escapism mechanism…. you sort of pretend to be someone else – in this case a fish – to escape from a current situation. It’s fun to pretend you’re something else and write from that perspective. It was also inspired by the lockdown as I wanted to be a fish just to be able to travel, and also by my love for the sea. I tried to be as visual as possible with the lyrics and the story.

3. 23rd March

Leona – When I was writing this song’s lyrics, I was thinking about the current political situation… with Covid, Brexit, BLM… The chorus is written in the style of a Maltese expression…. In Malta, when someone is seen as ‘evil’, there’s a tendency to say that you’re gonna pray for someone’s soul since this particular person needs your prayers to be saved… Very biblical.

4. Catalyst

Janelle – This track’s origins can be traced back to around 2018 when Leanne and I were jamming on this riff that we really liked but was a bit too dark for what we were doing at the time. Fast forward to 2020, and the main riff proved to be perfect for this EP.

5. Just Another Sad Song

Janelle – Leona came up with the main guitar riff and we kinda evolved it one night in her living room. This song was written really quickly and we decided to keep the demo name as the official name since we thought it’s kinda cheeky and sarcastic.

6. Falling Out

Janelle – Another song that can be traced back to the past – this time 2016. In fact version 1 of “Falling Out” was debuted in Barcelona in 2016. We evolved it and changed it a billion times. The EP version is the latest iteration of this tune and we refer to it as our “New Song” (Warpaint), pop/disco-influenced moment”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Andras Paul Photography

It is important to finish off with a review for Liminal. I have seen a few online and they are all positive. I do think ĠENN are going to be really big before long. They seem like a festival-ready band that can delight the masses. In their review of Liminal, this is what DIY offered:

“Six tracks across a little over 20 minutes means ‘Liminal’ is a record that gallops rather than canters. Not so much bridging the gap between psych and post-punk, as occupying the murky waters beneath said bridge, each track on offer differs aesthetically somewhat from the next, something that maintains the record’s pace, even with some tracks getting caught in their own distinct hypnotic grooves.

Opening track ‘Feel’ is built around a chunky bass and sporadic lead guitar licks, building steadily towards a hypnotic conclusion. Following track ‘Mackerel’s Funky Mission’ tells the story of the titular Mackerel’s journey to Malta and with its Ian Dury-esque delivery, retains plenty of grit and gravel to make it a fitting inclusion.

Elsewhere, ‘Catalyst’ takes things in a darker, more sinister direction. As much a call to arms as it is the record’s centrepiece, a frenetic bass rumbles beneath claustrophobic guitars and steadfast percussion, all the while the gang-chant calls for revolution never seem far away.

It falls to the final track on offer to showcase the group’s poppier side. Feeling like a heavier, crunchier Haim offering, ‘Falling Out’ is the perfect conclusion to the record. Harbouring echoes of bands such as Fleetwood Mac, its verses are jaunty and angular, while the chorus glossy and perfectly produced.

With such a degree of differing aesthetics on offer, some might assume ‘Liminal’ to be a record that feels disjointed, instead what it does do is confirm Ġenn to be both versatile and multi-faceted, and still managing to have a whole lot of fun”.

Go and check out ĠENN on social media and listen to their new E.P. I am not sure what they have planned in terms of touring later this year. I am sure we will see them perform live very soon. I am a big fan of what they are doing and feel they are primed for major tours. Make sure that you check out…