“Originally I think we were doing it for ourselves first and foremost – expressing things that we needed to express at that point that were essential to carry on,” says frontwoman Jehnny Beth. “This first record was more of a statement. It was a way to set the rules for ourselves – to find our own place, our own voice, establish ourselves.”
It’s been a couple of years since Silence Yourself announced them as a forceful, challenging 21st century rock band and Savages are now ready to unleash their second long player, Adore Life. The anticipation is rife, especially in the wake of the pre-release singles, The Answer, T.I.W.Y.G. and Adore. However, by virtue of their identity-stamping debut, the pressures commonly associated with a second album haven’t affected Beth and co.
“The first step is the hardest I think, to make sure you don’t take a step that someone else has taken or at least [do it] in your own terms,” says Beth. “People don’t suspect artists to come out that way or to start that way. There’s always this thing about, ‘You can do that once you’re established.’ Which is something that Savages never really accepted, because we really thought it was the opposite – you have to do that when you start otherwise you’ll never do it even when you’re established.”
Art of any kind, be it music, poetry, painting, textile or video installations, can serve a utilitarian purpose of bringing people together or articulating feelings others aren’t able to. From an internal perspective, meanwhile, creativity can be a coping mechanism, a way of escaping from the pressures of society. Savages’ second LP, ticks both boxes. While the record contains a lot of intensely personal qualities – the urgency in Beth’s vocal delivery and her reflections on love, subjective flexibility and the speed of existence – it’s designed to be shared. The arrangements are very physical and the songs touch on several universal topics. Despite it’s communicable character, however, the songs generally stem from internal necessity.
“It’s something that starts within ourselves, then between ourselves,” Beth says. “It’s almost like each song is a new chapter or is a new common knowledge we’re going to share together – a new rule, establishing a new reality, another stone in the big wall of reality that we’re building together. What life is, what we think of life, what judgements we make, what choices we make, what kind of people we are, and each song has a message.”
Despite Beth’s emphasis on broadcasting a message, throughout both of their records Savages enact a persuasive union between thematic and musical substance.
“There is the idea of music and message being closely connected,” Beth says. “Especially with the use of mantras, repetition, it’s a way to convince yourself of something and it’s leading up to change. I think we’re using songs and words in a way as a healing process for things that need to be changed. I have the firm conviction that if you repeat some things enough times then they become real. If you say I love you to someone enough times – I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you – it becomes real. With music it’s even more effective.”
Adore Life pays credence toBeth’s firm conviction. In the semi-title track Adore, she gradually breaks down uncertainty before reassuring us of her belief in life; while The Answer is a declaration of love’s healing power, supported by a barrage of insistent heavy-riffing.
“I think if I write it in a song I have to live by it. If I say, ‘Love is the answer,’ I have to remind myself that I wrote that. It’s a way for me to make progress quicker. I think in life sometimes you can have epiphanies and you can make discoveries about yourself, but to actually apply them is taking ages. I like to take shortcuts, sometimes a bit too much, but I like to take shortcuts with myself and with people. If I see there’s a change to be made I will try to change it soon as possible even if it seems impossible. It can be quite intense. So music and writing words for Savages has been helping me in that way. I can’t shy away from these feelings – they’re out there.”
Adore Life isn’t exactly happy listening – there aren’t any brilliantly decorative exclamations of life’s beauty. Though, despite giving attention to the cruel side of romantic love and the oppressive impositions of society, it comes across as an affirmation of life.
“On this record I have also tried to not be hiding these feelings that are transitionary feelings – which are feelings of jealousy, abandon, fear. All these feelings are necessary transitions towards a better feeling, a greater feeling. But you need to go through all these by-products of love in order to love and to digest them. In a way the record had to include these kinds of things in order to be true.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
