film, tv, music, and literature for riot grrrls

By Bailey Ewers-Smith

Marmozets are back. Photo by Yoshitaka Kono

After a seven-year break, there's a lot to catch up on with Marmozets. Now a world away from when they were first signed to Roadrunner Records in 2013 as two sets of teenage siblings from Yorkshire, lead singer Becca Bottomley and guitarist Jack Bottomley have had two major life changes that stopped the band in its tracks: welcoming a new baby into the world and tying the knot. Whilst positive for them, they struggled to find a label that wanted to sign them during Becca’s pregnancy. Rather than forcing the issue, they embraced the pause — stepped back from the industry and reconnected with real life.

Then, one night, they wrote a track together at home on acoustic guitar, and the creative flow kicked in once again. Demos were formed, and the four-piece were signed to Nettwerk Music. Joined by bassist Sam Macintyre and drummer Josh Macintrye, the band went into the studio with producer Jonathan Gilmore (who's worked on hits with artists like Charli xcx, The 1975, and Biffy Clyro). The results are sharper, leaner and bigger than before. Marmozets are back on ferocious form with a renewed sense of purpose and appreciation for making music.

Now working at a health and lifestyle café in Bingley, Becca balances a wholesome day job with her badass onstage persona. girlblog! Music Editor Bailey Ewers-Smith was able to catch her during her free time for an interview.

So, Marmozets are back! It was awesome seeing the band return last November, and this new album comes eight years after the last one. Now you've been back for a little while, how do you feel about it all now?

BB: The Marmozets' comeback has been a bit of a slow burner for us compared to the speed at which we started -- but I prefer it this way. We’re truly present in everything we’re doing, from all the behind-the-scenes work to the gigs and rehearsals. It’s exciting to be back, and to be able to exercise all of our creative sides again!

The name of your guys' debut album, The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets, is one of my favourites of its time! I also really like the name of the new one -- it's got quite a unique style to it. What made you go with CO.WAR.DICE for the album's title?

BB: The word [cowardice] broken down is my own personal take on how I interpret the current state of war. To me, it’s man’s dark game of rolling out for murder. It's also a reminder to oneself to never be a coward.

Speaking of the period of your debut, the late 2000s to early 2010s era of indie and rock music is an era that means so much to me personally. What was it like being a part of that era/adjacent to that era, and how do scenes of that time compare to those of today?

BB: We came from another underground movement. Indie and rock were merging, and there was a pocket of us playing together at tiny old venues in Bradford, like the 1in12 Club. We soon moved on to bigger cities like Leeds to play gigs. It was so much fun! It’s what we lived for as teens; music was our only escape.

The difference today is that music back then had a vibrant, imperfect vulnerability. [We only had] MySpace and YouTube at the time. You had to know to be there. Talent spread only by word of mouth and text messages. Now it’s hard for people to distinguish what’s genuine anymore. There are too many tricks and snares -- a desperation from some artists to be constantly at the top. There is a lot of control on both sides, and in my opinion, music lacks freedom these days.

Something cool to see about you guys was that you labelled Marmozets, back in the day, as sounding "[similar to] Be Your Own Pet" and a couple of other bands. Funnily enough, my first piece for girlblog! was a retrospective on them. And really, in a way, both of your stories are quite similar; Be Your Own Pet also recently made a huge comeback for their third album! Is the fact above true, and if so, what is your relationship to Be Your Own Pet's music?

BB: When we were first starting out as a band, we came across a song called 'Adventure' by Be Your Own Pet. We loved it! We loved the music video, and it quickly became a favourite of ours. Seeing a band with a female singer who we thought was super cool at the time was incredibly inspiring.

On top of being a musician, I hear you also work at a health and lifestyle cafe! Tell us a bit about that, and what is it like living that dual life of being a musician, whilst also working a regular job and being a mother?

BB: I work for Hedgehog Organics! It’s essentially a food store full of fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables, along with plenty of other wonderful treats for health and wellness. It's my happy place! My bosses and coworkers are all unbelievably talented humans with a zest for life -- I honestly wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t been given the opportunity to work there. At times I’m exhausted from juggling two jobs and family life, but it’s worth it. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

The music videos for both 'A Kiss from A Mother' and 'New York' are incredible, especially the former. Honestly, it's one of my favourites of the decade so far! One major reason for all of this is the work of James Slater, a director I am personally a big fan of, especially his work with Yard Act. What was it like working with him?

BB: Honestly, there’s no better feeling than when you collaborate with another creative and you both just get it. We came across James Slater through our label and soon discovered he actually lived just down the road from us -- a fellow Yorkshireman! What’s not to love?

We did one video with him, and then two more. He is one of the nicest humans in the industry; no ego, he's just there to create, and boy does he make it happen. It’s been a privilege to work with him. I highly recommend him; he knows how to bring ideas to life.

Finally, one thing I like to speak about with mates and family is the view you have of yourself from the different parts of your life path, and the connections they have to one another. With that in mind, how do you view the person you were in the past, the person you are now, and the person you will be in the future?

BB: I’ve gone from a shy, unconfident little ballerina who went through a lot of struggle and trauma to a strong, resilient woman, mother, and wife. I hope my future is full of more joy than sorrow and that I stay on the narrow road. I want adventure: to see the world, help where I can, and eat all the delicious food it has to offer!

CO.WAR.DICE is available to purchase and stream on all good music platforms now. You can buy tickets to Marmozets’ upcoming shows here.

Interviewer's note: Very slight changes to the questions and answers have been made to help with the flow of this piece. However, the best effort has been made to keep this as close to the original transcript as possible.

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