WORDS: MAX KENNEDY
THE STAVES ...on travel, moustaches and making friends with pandas.
Three years ago I saw 3 sisters from Watford c a p t i v a t e a n unsuspecting audience in the small venue in Portsmouth; last week they played Wembley arena to 12,000 people “It's a completely different animal, I was worried it might be scary- but in the big ones it's kind of easier to zone out and get into your own world; it was mad,” says the youngest of the siblings, Camilla Staveley-Taylor. (See what they did there'Staves'/'Staveley'?)
The newly released single, 'Tongue Behind My Teeth', took the girls to Spain for the video- “It's where they shot all the Westerns, like Fist Full of Dollars; all the sets are still there. It was really fun. We all said 'imagine if we could make a Cowboy video?!' Have a day's shooting and mess around and dress up in the 45 degree heat,” Armed with guns and samurai swords it's clear that while the band might look and sound like indiescene sweethearts, they're a force to be reckoned with.
Unfortunately, interviews can't be all fun and games, someone had touch on the more pressing issues: Cowboys or Pirates? “I feel like a pirate would be more fun, get to travel more- see “Sometimes it takes people by m o r e A surprise and has the effect of places. while ago I went and making them listen...” travelled beautiful blood-harmonies around India for a few months are becoming harder and and the girls went to harder to escape from. But Thailand. I'd really like to why would you want to? With go to rural China, normally Bon Iver and Tom Jones when we think of China we amongst their fans, you'd be think about the big cities a fool to deny such vocal but it would be amazing to perfection. see how the nature is there
The Staves are swiftly becoming a name to remember, with their exquisite debut album on the shelves and some TV appearances under their belts, their hauntingly
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and people living really simple lives; disappear into the Chinese wilderness and befriend a panda, naturally.” Movember- friend or foe? “I think that every boy reaches a time when they decide to experiment with facial hair- sometimes it's good, but often it's very very bad. But if you can raise some money for a good cause then go for it, handlebar it up!” Camilla and her band have a phenomenal talent in making audiences forget about their Facebook notifications and Twitter feeds whilst on stage. “I think it's the three part harmonies; maybe it's because you don't hear it that much, sometimes that takes people by surprise and has the effect of making them listen” It's a sense of innocent escapism that is increasingly hard to find these days, and it's something they've cultivated with the wisdom of artists far their senior. The Staves' debut album 'Dead & Born & Grown' is available now and if you love music and don't own it, then have a word with yourself.