Trying to describe She Makes War’s music is the best kind of difficult. Indie? Yes, hints of Britpop with catchy, hook filled choruses. Alt-rock? Yes, a touch of grunge, the upfront force of Shirley Manson or Amanda Palmer. (Palmer describes She Makes War as “fucking excellent”) So, all lively then? No, she can deliver touching, slow numbers with the emotional resonance of The Sundays or Tanya Donelly. She takes a smorgasbord of influences and makes music that’s its own, superb thing.
Starting out as a bassist with various indie acts, Laura Kidd released her first album as She Makes War in 2010. Disarm set out her stall strongly, with a distinct intriguing voice.
For her sophomore album, Little Battles, Kidd moved to the crowdfunding format, continuing with the pledgemusic platform for both Direction Of Travel and her recently released fourth album Brace For Impact
Fresh off her latest UK tour, I got the opportunity to ask her a few questions for The Avocado
- There’s a real spark to the music, an energy and a kick but still with an emotional tinge, I’ve seen you describe it as “Gloom-pop”. How much of a conscious decision is that feel? Do you ever reel in a song going in an entirely upbeat/downbeat direction?
- You tour a lot, with a lot of foreign travel. What are your favourite destinations so far and where is top of your wishlist for future shows?
- You’ve played with an incredibly diverse array of artists, recording with Tanya Donelly and The Levellers and sharing stages with the Rock of Ginger Wildheart and the pop of Sophie Ellis- Bextor.. Who would be your dream bill sharing act?
- In your touring and festivals you must discover a lot of new acts. Who would you recommend The Avocado checks out?