Wolf Alice: Festivals still need to be more gender-balanced

21 November 2021, 15:00

Ellie Rowsell has spoken out about the lack of female-fronted bands on the indie circuit.

By Radio X

@RadioX

Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell says more needs to be done to make rock festivals gender-balanced.

The musician - who is joined by Theo Ellis, Joff Oddie, and Joel Amey in the band - insisted it's not just the music industry that needs to diversify as she called for equality at live music events.

Speaking to the Metro, the 29-year-old singer-songwriter said: "Diversity in any industry should be celebrated.

"You maybe don't see as many female-fronted bands on the indie circuit - especially when you look at festival lineups.

"They are definitely not gender-balanced."

Wolf Alice - How Can I Make It Ok?

The Mercury Prize-winning band are not "afraid" to voice their opinions, as bassist Theo Eliis explained: "As people we are all fairly politicised.

"When we have a common opinion on something where we think we can effectively use our platform to spread awareness we definitely do.

"We haven't been afraid of that. The more people understand politics is everything in life."

But, he added, they are a bunch of mates who "genuinely love making music together" and are in it for a good time.

He said: "I would say we are a band who are best mates. That's always been the foundation.

"We've been friends for a long time. "I genuinely love making music together.

"We're pretty close and harmonious. If we are not writing tunes or doing gigs, we are probably in the pub together."

Watch Wolf Alice take Radio X's John Kennedy through their latest album Blue Weekend

Track By Track: Wolf Alice on Blue Weekend

Wolf Alice were nominated again for the Mercury Prize this year - which went to Arlo Parks for Collapsed In Sunbeams - for their acclaimed LP Blue Weekend, but they are not ready to start thinking about the next record yet.

Theo explained: "We are a band entrenched in playing long tours of albums and we don't feel like we have exhausted Blue Weekend.

"Of course there will be a fourth album for us, I'd be surprised if there wasn't."