Interview Man/Woman/Chainsaw: “We were so busy doing shows we’d write songs to get ready for the gig”
Meet the teenage experimentalists treating London’s DIY scene as their playground.
In an age of overnight TikTok sensations, Man/Woman/Chainsaw have spent the time ahead of imminent debut EP ‘Eazy Peazy’ cutting their teeth the old fashioned way. Having already notched up over 100 shows to their name, each night spent in the musical institutions of London has been a vital step in their evolution. Vocalist and guitarist Billy Ward puts it simply: “We wrote for the stage because we just wanted to get out and play.”
Listening to their single ‘Ode To Clio’, you get the feeling that the quintet’s expansive sound couldn’t have come together any other way. Drama lurks at every turn as they combine serene violins with keys on the complex ballad; “What do we do when lifetimes fall apart?” questions vocalist Vera Leppänen just before the song explodes into a thrashing and thrilling climax. M/W/C have come a long way since Ward and Leppänen first met at school and started bouncing between rehearsal spaces playing Nirvana covers, but the ethos of just having fun as pals remains. “I remember our first conversation being at a mutual friend’s 15th birthday party about The Beatles,” recalls Vera. “It never felt like we were in a band, it felt like messing around with friends.”
After a revolving lineup in their formative stages, a pivotal moment came when the band were completed by Clio Harwood (violin), Emmie-Mae Avery (piano) and Lola Cherry (drums). “It just started gaining a bit more momentum then,” says Ward. A testament to that comes with their first song penned as a unit, last year’s single ‘What Lucy Found There’ – a rhythmic beauty that instantly pulls you into their world. “I feel like that was us hitting more of a stride as songwriters, the sound was just bigger,” Billy nods. Considering the sweaty intimacy of the venues that have become their recent homes (Brixton’s Windmill and The Shacklewell Arms among them), theirs is a big noise to fit into a small space. “Sometimes big stuff sounds great in little rooms [though],” says Billy. “A small venue is a really good proving ground for new music. We’re so lucky we had 20 venues that would book us as teens; that infrastructure of grassroots venues was there for us.”
“We’re so lucky we had 20 venues that would book us as teens; that infrastructure of grassroots venues was there for us.” – Billy Ward
Indeed, these spaces inadvertently helped form the very bones of ‘Eazy Peazy’. “We were so busy doing shows we’d write the songs to get ready for the gig,” Billy continues. “They grew very slowly around our live set. It’s interesting because you can hear us learn throughout the whole thing because we’re trying things out.” The band credit the EP’s producer, Dan Fox of Gilla Band, for helping them hone their complex sound, which often teeters on the brink of chaos. “We’re always trying to cram as much in as possible, so that was an enlightening moment for us,” Billy enthuses. “I was like, 12 when I started listening to Gilla Band. They were and still are the benchmark of how noisy a band can be.”
It’s a testament to their own growth that Man/Woman/Chainsaw are now working with their own influences and following in the footsteps of scene heavyweights like black midi and Black Country, New Road. “We came up on so many of these bands,” says Billy. “It’s surreal to be moving into the same world as them, playing the same venues and seeing them in the pubs.”
Scaling up and already steamrolling into their next 100 shows, Man/Woman/Chainsaw are relishing the prospect of taking their sound onto bigger stages. “It’s weird that we’re suddenly playing festivals,” says Vera. “I’d never been to a festival you sleep at before this summer and now we’re playing them.” A cheeky grin appears on Billy’s face: “I’m just looking forward to turning my amp up louder.”
‘Eazy Peazy’ is out on 8th November via Fat Possum.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw have just announced a February 2025 UK tour; find out more and get tickets here.
Records, etc at
Man/Woman/Chainsaw - Cannonball
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