Anji Greenwood, the vocalist of VOIID, reflects on the introspective shift that Watering Dead Flowers represents for the band.
With the post-punk/alt-rock band shifting their gaze internally, Watering Dead Flowers captures a divinely feminine perspective on mental health, friendship and generational growth.
“I think we’ve just been through more shit as people,” Anji muses. “You know, going from 19 years old to 23. It’s a very formative period of your life. You’re an adult, instead of just being a teenager.
“Kate and I met in high school – one day I just was like, one day ‘Hey, you want to start a band?’ And then we did. We just kind of bonded over everything – we always had this connection with music.
“They [the band] was there for all my formative years, you know? I was 16 when I first met everyone. We’ve been a part of each other’s lives for such a long time and have such a strong connection to each other.
As musicians, we just kind of grew together. We’ve been friends for like, ages. It’s been like six or seven years now.”
Anji explains the use of garden metaphors throughout the album, sharing that “I’ve always had this thing where I refer to my mental health as a garden. When I feel like shit, I’ve always just kind of said, ‘I feel like a wilted flower.’”
The album features the lullaby-esque interlude Daisy, which holds a special significance for Anji. “My mum used to sing it to me when I was a kid,” she says. “We also have this through-line of motherhood throughout the album, you know, having a mother being there for you. It just happened really organically.”
Feminine When? stands out as a burst of frustration in the album. Anji describes it as a successor to Swallow, explaining, “Swallow is about the idealisation of a person, and then Feminine When? is the shattering—the realisation that they weren’t actually as good as you thought they were.”
Watering Dead Flowers was recorded by Matt Cochran at Birthday Boy Studios and the creative process was characterised by spontaneity. “I would just be like – ‘we have these wall mics, any chance that I could just yell at them?’ In (Delete), where there’s the high part where I’m screaming – I just screamed at a wall.”
They’re heading to Melbourne for a show at the Northcote Social Club on June 16. “This tour is just going to be the album in full – I’m so excited for that.”
Catch VOIID play Watering Dead Flowers in full on June 16 at the Northcote Social Club.
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