We introduced you to Circe’s Diner recently. Now they’ve given us some food for thought, and Bronte and Rosie let us have a look inside their heads.
EP: You’re all at BIMM – What was it about each other that you decided to form a band?
Bronte: It was our taste in clothing that initially made us notice each other.
Rosina: Bronte was wearing a gold lacey 80s style shirt with tapestry print high waisted shorts with a big headscarf and hoop earrings.
Bronte: I remember Rosie wearing a tiger print jumper with denim shorts, crazy curly hair and a gold snake pendant (which I often borrow hehe!). We then approached each other after Rosie had watched me perform in class and asked me to come to one of her gigs which instantly sparked something magical between us. After a couple of months as a duo, perfecting their songs, we then decided to expand the band to which the lovely, talented Ben and Pete occupied.
EP: Your style is country/Americana/folk/pop – but with your own twist making it your own: has this come about as a conscious decision or by accident?Â
Bronte: I think the main reason we have so many different genres twisted into our music is because we’re all into different things.Â
Rosie: There are never any conscious decisions in anything we do. I think we just roll on in our world not thinking about what it could be, just being what it is. That is what it really is so honest about our sound. It just seems to happen…we are big believers in positive thoughts!!
Bronte: somehow this all magically works! We’d like to think that we’ve made something fairly fresh with elements that people haven’t heard before.
EP: Does everyone in the band have a specific role to play, or is there one specific leader?
Bronte: As previously said, we all bring something different to the band. We all really do love each other and it’s definitely a collaborative project. Rosie has written all lyrics to our most recent release ‘October’ and we both have written some of our newer one’s for a future release, but everything is developed and changed when we workshop these ideas as a band. In terms of being a DIY band in respects of promotion etc. then we definitely divide into roles. Rosie and I do a lot of the social media posts such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I’m also the banker of the band, (I’m pretty surprised I haven’t managed to spend all our band fund money of food and vintage clothing!)
Rosie: Ben does a lot of the organising and keeping us in check!!! He booked most of the tour and does all the driving (thank god as I’m a terrible driver)! Bronte and I are very good at chipping away at writing at home with a bottle of wine in hand!! I also do some bookings and relentless emailing to everyone I think might like us!!! Bronte is the queen of the harmonies, its totally insane. I just love singing and working with her!! I can take a song to her and she flips it upside down with her ideas…its perfect!! We are approaching the most exciting time now as our writing and sound is developing further…just need someone to lock us in the studio for a few weeks!!!!
EP: You’ve had a great 2 years so far and 2016 is shaping up to be even bigger – what lies ahead? Do you have a plan for the next year, the next five years, and the next 10?
Bronte: Oh my goodness! It has been amazing, I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved in such a small amount of time! I never would have thought we’d be going on tour and constantly expanding our audience; welcoming them all into the Diner. For me, and I’m sure I speak for everyone in the band, I’m eager to get back in to the studio and record all our new songs ready for another release next year! In the next 5/10 years I hope and pray that we would have already played at Glastonbury and other big festivals, released 2 successful albums, played on Jools Holland and have someone invest in our music so we can keep making it forever more!
Rosie: Oh goodness!! Yes all of the above!! We also want to get to support some bigger artists. Frazey Ford, First Aid Kit, The Staves, The Cadbury Sisters, Beirut, Catlin Rose, Alela Dianne…the list goes on!!! I also have a very specific dream of maybe one day having my dream house (big enough for a studio and all of us to be there!!!) I have a beautiful little boy called Indiana and I really do dream of us having chickens and a beautiful view…one day!!! I think we hope to have a successful, fulfilling career making great music that people connect to!! To travel and have new experiences, to be content!!
EP: If you could do it all over again, what if anything, would you do differently, and why?
Bronte: I honestly don’t think I’d have changed anything – the highs and the lows have really made us strong musicians and more in keeping with who we are as a band. It’s all an experience and we’re still learning every single time we play, write, tour, promote etc. etc.
Rosie: Nothing at all really!!! Personally maybe to be a bit stronger emotionally and believing in myself a bit more, but I think that’s all part of the process!!! And if I hadn’t been with the Diner well I just don’t know!!! They are my best friends and I love them!!
Who are your biggest influences, in music, and in life?
Bronte: For me it’s got to be some of the Jazz and Soul greats: Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Etta James have influenced my voice so much. In terms of song writing: Laura Marling, Fleetwood Mac, Lianne La Havas and of course the incredible Amy Winehouse have all influenced my writing style and I can only hope to be at their level one day. I like playing with metaphors when I write, especially with the elements, space and light.
For general life one of my favourite quotes of all time is by Roald Dahl: ‘If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely’ – I think it’s very important to stay positive in life, I know a lot of things have blossomed for us due to positive thoughts ☺
Rosie: My biggest influence is life I think, love, the heartache and the falls, human behaviour. It’s all very autobiographical really, so life. And films…we are big fans of Wez Anderson! I actually like a lot of silence, because I need silence to make some sort of sense of what is needed to be processed…thank goodness we can get lost in playing music! I am massively in love with The Be Good Tanya’s and Frazey Ford, but Amy Winehouse made me think I could tell the stories I wanted to tell. I have a deep love for the Bangles and The Carpenters. Beruit, First Aid Kit…and I do love some 90’s tunes!!
EP: Who should we be looking out for?
Bronte: At the moment I’m loving, Malika Roots, Abelana, RHAIN, NAO, Rozelle and Lori Campbell.
Rosie: All of the above!!! A very dear friend Megs Emry’s has something very special to give to the world of music!!!. Katey Brooks is doing some great things at the moment as well as, Sam Brockington and Eva Lazarus!!
EP: What question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview but nobody ever does?
Bronte: Why is your Kazoo playing like no other and how many different shakey eggs do you own?
Rosie: If you were a Pirate Warrior what would your name be and why???? And what would you be wearing??
You can see Circe’s Diner on their tour at the following:
Coventry – 22nd January
Litchfield – 23rd January
Manchester – 24th January
Chester – 28th January
Bristol – 31st January
See their website for further details.
Circe’s Diner can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Soundcloud.
