FEATURE: Spotlight: Delilah Bon — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Delilah Bon

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A queen and bona fide bad-ass…

Delilah Bon is an artist I have respected and loved for a long time. As the lead of Hands Off Gretel, I first heard her incredible talent years ago. In her new incarnation, Delilah Bon (Lauren Tate) is someone everyone should know about. I love her mix of influences, her amazing songwriting, in addition to her incredible voice and passion. She is an artist who warrants mainstream exposure and big stages. I am going to come to some more recent interview. I want to take things back in a second to a 2021 interview. First, and in her own words, here is what you need to know about a truly magnificent and empowered (and empowering!) artist:

“Who the f*ck is Delilah Bon?

#hiphop #alternative #newmetal #rap #punk

Delilah Bon began her venture into Punk-fuelled Hip Hop in the summer of 2020. 'I was touring with my punk band at the time (Hands Off Gretel) and night after night I was hearing stories from young girls getting harassed in my crowds. When I spoke out online I was met with resistance and it infuriated me. I had all of these words flowing out of me too fast to write down, I programmed a beat and started rapping for the first time; it was my motivation during a dark time.'

Taking to her home studio to write and self-produce her music, Delilah began writing about social issues, in particular how women are treated within today's society. 'I'd be walking down the street paranoid some guy was following me, holding my hand over my drink in the club, worrying my friends wouldn't make it home. it's all been said before, women have been fighting since way back before I was born but the same issues remain and we've got a long way to go'.

Coming from a Punk Rock background Delilah fuses Nu-Metal guitar riffs and screaming vocals with Melodic Rap and trashy Hip Hop beats, creating a sound that's hard to categorise. 'The music I make is like Cardi B fronting Slipknot, it's a mesh of all the styles that have influenced me leading up to now. I flow between two personas - sometimes I'm sweet and sassy, sometimes I'm screaming at you with an axe'.

SO WHO ARE YOU DELILAH BON?

I'm the singer-songwriter, producer, rapper, artist, all round boss b*tch DELILAH BON! Creating music & empowering all your daughters to take no sh*t in this world, that's who!

& HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?

I call it Brat Punk influenced Hip Hop. Fusing Punk & Rap together, with driving fuzz bass, rapping & throaty screaming. My lyrics address womxns' issues with female empowerment as a main theme throughout my songs!

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?

I'm influenced by Y2K Nu-Metal, Pop & Hip Hop. Think Korn meets Salt N Pepa or 2000's P!nk meets Otep. I love the fashion and glam of Y2K Pop which I blend with my love for everything gritty & gross in metal!

WHAT IS YOUR MUSICAL HISTORY?

I've fronted the alternative rock band 'Hands Off Gretel' since my teen years, playing hundreds of punk shows and releasing multiple albums that I also wrote & co-produced. Alongside that I've released multiple alternative rock/pop solo albums under my name 'Lauren Tate' before creating Delilah this year, all of which I wrote & self-produced.

My music career began at 12 years old on YouTube performing rock and pop covers that quickly became viral, gaining millions of views worldwide.

IS THIS PROJECT JUST ALL YOU?

I write, record and produce all of my own music and edit my own videos. I also design all of my merchandise & artwork. It's a small team here at Delilah HQ!”.

Let’s get to that 2021 interview from Guitar.com. Undoubtably then one of the most potent, original and striking women in modern music – I don’t think that is an over-exaggeration! -, Delilah Bon was this phenomenal voice breaking through and putting out absolutely awesome music. I think that 2024 will be her most successful year yet:

“How does your song writing differ as Delilah Bon from Hands Off Gretel?

“Every idea of my Delilah songs start as hummed basslines or hooks into my phone before I even pick up an instrument. It’s really transformed my writing style, being able to visualise the track before I even write it. Sometimes it starts with a topic, or a music video idea, then I hum a riff and pick up my short-scale Fender bass to bring it all to life. Producing as I’m writing means I can layer many different instruments to create unique sounds for each song which sets it apart from recording as a band. The sound I make is a mesh of all my influences; old-school Salt N Pepa girl gang vocals, fuzzy nu-metal guitars with occasional metal-style scream vocals, Rico Nasty style snarl and Eminem sarcasm.”

What was the experience of self-producing the entire album like?

“I’ve always had an ear for production. Many times, producers have found my input to be annoying. I’ve had to push for a lot in the studio, particularly with effects and how I like to hear my vocals. Producers tend to use a lot of auto-tune and reverb, aiming for that perfect, smooth vocal and it’s always a battle having to fight for any creative input. Naturally, I had no intentions of involving a producer when I created Delilah, it was my chance to really see what I could achieve without them. I hope to work with the right producers eventually, I wouldn’t rule that out, I just need to prove to myself and the many people that have doubted me throughout the years.”

What influenced the fuzzed out tones on the record?

“My teenage years were Nirvana and Hole, Babes In Toyland and Mudhoney; the grungier the better. I loved the chaos of their guitar tones, the offsets and Big Muff pedals. Meeting Sean, the guitarist of my band, really made me fall in love with fuzzy guitar pedals even more. The Boss DS-1 was the first I owned because of Kurt, then the Way Huge Swollen Pickle and of course Sean’s favourite, the Electro Harmonix Big-Muff. In my studio set up right now I have the Positive Grid Bias FX 2 guitar preset which I use for heavier tracks, but mainly I use the standard Logic presets and tweak the crap outta them!”

Tell us about your main guitar and pedal set up…

“Over the years I’ve had a Squier VM Jazzmaster, a Fender HH Mexican Jazzmaster, a Squier VM Mustang… Now I mainly use my relic’d American Stratocaster with a Suhr humbucker in the bridge and two Fender Texas Special single coils. I mix it up between the Swollen Pickle by Way Huge and the Boss DS-1 on tour with my band, though lately after upgrading to my Fender Twin amp I tend to just use the clean and drive channels.”

Tell us about a guitarist who inspires you…

“Kurt Cobain, obviously, but I’d like to mention Kat Bjellend from Babes In Toyland, too. Her playing style is ferocious and just bonkers, I love it so much. The way she holds her guitar, up on her tip toes as she screams, made me want to play when I was a teenager, seeing a woman as wild as that.”

What’s interesting about your approach to playing guitar?

“What I always loved about Nirvana songs was the fact I could actually play them when I started out. I try to keep the riffs simple and fun, especially with my bass lines. I imagine young girls starting out and buying their first guitar, I wanna be the first songs they learn and play with confidence. I’ve never been interested in playing solos or learning to shred, my style of guitar sits alongside the vocals, doesn’t distract, just acts as fuel to the vocal fire when I need it. I love stomping on that fuzz pedal and blowing up the chorus. Thank you, Mr. Cobain.”

Which song off the new album are you most excited about playing live and when can we see you play next?

“I’m so excited about playing Chiquitita live. Whilst writing and producing this album I’d take breaks every few hours to just hit play and dance around the room, fantasising a crowd in front of me. I wrote Chiquitita about an older woman who wants to let her hair down and go wild but feels held back by her husband. I get shivers just thinking about what the live show will be like when I eventually hit the road. I’m touring the UK with my band this year but hopefully after that Delilah can have a turn.”

What does the future look like for Delilah Bon?

“There’s just so much music to come as I evolve as an artist and continue to scare and challenge myself every day. I want to do a horror project, star in my own movie, create the Delilah comic book series, tour with my own Delilah Bon circus of boss babes… the list is endless. I’m so grateful thatI have so many ideas, the future is mine!”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtney Turner

There are some good 2022 interviews you should check out. I will finish with a few from this year. On the radar of some particularly big names, it is obvious that Delilah Bon is someone you cannot ignore. Get her on your playlist as soon as possible! Hard Beat spoke with Delilah Bon in August. There are bits of the interview that struck me and I wanted to bring in. It is particularly relevant and interesting what she says about her relationship with social media:

“Speaking of your lyrics, are they usually all based on real-life events?

Yes, I think most of my songs are personal. The only time it’s not personal is if I’m talking about trans rights or something like that. I sing about other people, I sing about my friends. When I first started Delilah Bon, my lyrics were personal to me, but then it’s from conversations I’ve had with friends during sleepovers, and we’ve spoken about how it feels to be a woman walking down the street, and holding the keys between your knuckles, just dreading the worst and living afraid of men. The music I make is personal, but it’s also about so many others, I think so many of us feel the same.

You blew up on social media, which can feel like marmite at the moment, how do you feel about social media and how do you use it for your music?

I can enjoy social media, and I can hate it aswell – it depends what mood I’m in. Sometimes I love it, and I love that I can connect with people, especially since I grew up not having many friends at all. Now I’ve found a community, and I wouldn’t have that without social media, so there’s a plus! And obviously, when my music started to do really well on TikTok, I’d never seen so much engagement before, when a video blows up it’s the most exciting feeling. You can always feel like you’re in competition with people, or you’re in competition with yourself. I try to keep the blinkers on, not look at what anyone else is doing, and I don’t compare myself to anyone else. I compare myself to myself, so that’s the hard part of social media. When you look back and you’d think ‘a year ago my videos were doing better than they are now’. That’s hard, and I think my relationship with it is, while it serves me and I’m enjoying it, I’ll stay on social media. As soon as it’s not fun anymore, I just put my phone down and do something to distract myself.

I think that’s the best way to be! There’s a real mix of genres within your music, what do you listen to for pleasure?

Well I mainly listen to music when I’m in the gym. I listen to a lot of nu-metal, I mainly listen to Slipknot and Korn. Angry songs! I’ve always listened to Pink, she’s my comfort. My favourite artists right now, I’d say are Cassyette, Nova Twins, Alt Black Era, those kinds of artists that are new-ish that I enjoy listening to, whenever I have a chance to! I’m usually listening to myself, my demos. I’d be walking around, and I’d just be listening to me!”.

I want to come to an interview from Messed Up Mag, where we get to hear from the two other queens in Delilah Bon’s live-set up – the amazing Ruena and Hela. One of the most exhilarating, close-knit and amazing live acts out there, there are parts of the August-published interview I wanted to spotlight:

“Opening the first day of Sheffield’s biggest music festival, Tramlines, Delilah Bon brings the wake-up energy needed. ‘Brat punk influenced hip-hop’ is the genre coined by Lauren Tate, the creative mind behind the artist, which is substantially unique in the sea of indie and Brit-pop that festival goers usually expect from Tramlines. Her appearance certainly caught my eye, as Delilah Bon’s three-piece live act exuded fearlessness in their midday performance, unafraid to dance and twerk and scream Delilah’s defiant feminist lyrics to the event’s first arrivals. Up against the barrier, young people grooved and headbanged along.

Lauren Tate is well known in punk and alternative circles for previously fronting the band Hands Off Gretel. However, Delilah Bon was born after Lauren wanted to pursue the more overtly political side of her personality and has since enjoyed success on her landmark tracks ‘I Wish A Bitch Would‘, ‘I Don’t Listen To You‘, and of course, ‘Dead Men Don’t Rape.’

Delilah Bon is decidedly unapologetic in her songwriting and on stage, alongside her bassist Ruena, and DJ and general hypeman (I use that term gender-neutrally) Hela. Yet, talking with her reveals someone carefully sensitive to the issues that her audience faces, and her love for being creative beyond the goal of fighting misogyny and hate.

You’re connecting with those people through your music, but do you have any advice for those who maybe want to come out of their shells but are struggling?

Delilah: “For me, speaking about things that have happened in my life, writing has been the best thing. I wrote a zine – which is like a mini book – just about things that had happened and things that I felt too shy or too embarrassed to open up about. Or things that I still felt shame about. Things that I didn’t want to tell my mum. I wrote about it. It’s so much easier to write it all down and let someone read it, sometimes. And words are scary – I’m bad at talking, that’s why I sing.

I struggle with interviews because they want me to speak about my songs, and that’s the part I struggle with, that’s why I sing. So, when I sing, I can really think about my words, and I think, in music, in art, and all those kinds of areas, that’s where you can express yourself in your own little bubble, and when you’re ready, you can share it with people.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtney Turner

I suppose some people can do it non-verbally, as well, like through painting. Do you write stuff down by hand? Or do you type?

Delilah: “A bit of both.”

Do you find that matters?

Delilah: “Erm…”

Ruena: “I like writing in pen.”

Delilah: “See, I’ve been cheating lately.”

Ruena: “Have you been on the computer?” (laughs)

Delilah: “No, no – worse: phone notes!”

Ruena: “Voice notes – that’s another one.”

Delilah: “I used to write my lyrics on my laptop. So, when I’m recording myself in my studio, I’d have my laptop. But then my eyes would be killing me because I’d be trying to look down at my laptop and sing like that. So then, I’d put them on my phone notes so I can hold them when I’m singing. I don’t always sing while reading, but sometimes if I’ve just written something I’ll read it in front of my face.”

You have a lot of positive stuff going on as well, especially in your performance. I like the bubble gun. I can tell you’re having fun with it, as well.

Hela: “I mean, we just go and have fun. Like, if we’re having fun, then everyone else is going to have fun!”

Ruena: “It’s a big part of it.”

Delilah: “There’s obviously the punk element of it, which is the politics and the anger that I’ve got in my voice and my lyrics, but then I want to make it accessible. So, if people are not really into punk, and if they’re not really that angry about politics, they can come in and have fun. There are songs where we’re like, ‘We’re going to give it a break now, and we’re going to have fun on this song.’ “

Ruena: “You need a bit of everything. When you’re aging and catharting all this time, you need a bloody break!” (laughs)

Delilah: “You do need a break. It keeps it fun for us as well. It’s not too straining on my voice, either.”

You did an interview a while back and the magazine described you as a ‘guitarist’, but you do everything. You’ve already talked about the songwriting and production. What do you consider yourself?

Delilah: “I started as a singer. That’s all I wanted to be, a singer. I never wanted to be a songwriter, I just wanted to sing other people’s songs. [Ruena stage-whispers ‘What!’] I know! I know! Crazy! I didn’t really care about songwriting, and then this guy started writing songs for me, and I thought ‘I hate these songs.’ I thought ‘Crap! I need to write my own because this doesn’t represent me at all! It’s totally the wrong style.’ And so I started writing my own songs.

And then, when it came to production, other men would then produce my songs and I wouldn’t like them. And I would think ‘I need to now produce my own songs.’ All I wanted to be was a singer, but I’ve ended up a singer, a songwriter, producer”.

The latest interview is a biggie. Speaking with Kerrang! no less, Delilah Bon was discussing her new single, WITCH. In collaboration with ALT BLK ERA, this single is one of the best things Delilah Bon has ever put her name to. I think she is going to be a massive name - and I am confident that she will get to Glastonbury. Maybe headline tours around the world. Who knows. She deserves all the success in the world:

“You’ve said that WITCH is about the ‘forgotten women in history that were killed on suspicion of witchcraft during the 14 – 17th century witch trials’. What inspired you to tackle that subject?

“I knew around Halloween I wanted to release something Halloween-themed. And I had been watching a [YouTuber] Bailey Sarian episode on witches, and reading about them. I never knew it was across the UK and America – I had heard of the Salem witch trials, and that was it. I started going down this rabbit hole, reading everything I could, and thinking, ‘Why have I never learned about this huge crime that happened to so many women?’ People seem to think a witch is just on a broomstick, so I wanted to channel the anger that you would feel, because it really happened. I put myself in the position of if that were happening to me, or to people I knew, and put the rage behind the words if I were a witch.”

What do you hope that people will take from it?

“I hope it’s cathartic, because you can apply it to modern times. When you listen to it, it’s also about the witch-hunt of women, and I hope that women will really connect with it. The song touches on misogyny and white supremacy, as well. Although it is about witches, it is about women now. Now, women are blamed, not believed, and accused. Back then, women were accused of witchcraft, and now they’re accused of lying when it comes to sexual assault. I feel if [the system] could have their way, and they could burn you at the stake, and get rid of women because they’re becoming too powerful, they would do it. They’re afraid.”

How did you come to work with ALT BLK ERA?

“First of all, because I love them. I found them on TikTok, and they supported me on my tour last year. I think they have something so special, and with this song, I wanted to work with women, like Nyrobi, whose voice is so angry. And with Chaya’s voice, it’s the mixture of ethereal and angelical. I thought the textures between our voices, and lyrically, they brought a lot to the song. It’s been on my bucketlist – it’s my first collab, I’m glad it was with them.”

How have your messages as an artist changed or developed between Hands Off Gretel and now?

“The entire time with Hands Off Gretel, I was held back. And now I’m free to speak about what I want to speak about, and get angry because I think women are afraid of being angry. We’re told to be pretty, be approachable – and I tried to be… ish. Not really – I tried to be pretty, and then I did Hands Off Gretel. At shows there were usually lots of men, between the age of 50 to 70. I used to look out and wonder why there were no girls in my crowd. And when there were, they would go away feeling uncomfortable, or they’ve been groped. It felt horrible. How can I get up there and sing and be a voice for women, but then look into my crowds, and not see any women? When I started Delilah Bon, I wanted my message to be so clear: I wanted to scare men away who think they can come to my shows and grope girls. Now, I’m unapologetic, and loud, and scary.”

You recently supported Scene Queen in the UK. Both of you are incredibly powerful women, and are part of a rising group of impassioned artists. How does it feel to be sharing a stage with someone who shares your mission?

“I’ve followed Scene Queen for years, and I think it’s a perfect match. When she announced me [as her opener], our mutual fans got so excited. I had played two shows with her before, last year, it was a last-minute thing, and she had been saying she wanted to get me back as an opener. Our messages are so similar. It’s perfect!”.

The majestic and inspiring Delilah Bon is someone who, as I say, I have loved for years now. I know that she is fairly new into her solo venture. We will get albums and a lot of highlights from the Yorkshire-born icon. If you have not discovered her music then make sure you get onto it and…