Wolf Alice: “You shouldn’t be afraid to speak up in support of people in need. No one should stop you doing that”

With its tourist-friendly appeal and hurling fetishisation, Kilkenny might seem like an unlikely landmark for music lore.

True, Nowlan Park has hosted gigs by Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart and most famously Bruce Springsteen, who has his own mural on the stadium’s walls. But the number of music heroes to have emerged from the city is small: Engine Alley, My Little Funhouse and Kerbdog (featuring Cormac Battle) almost did the trick and Robert Grace might just be the man.

A short trek from the GAA stadium, down Hebron Road and onto John Street past the gaggles of hen parties, the city cradles the intimate Set Theatre.

The tight space, filigree decor and balcony that practically hangs over the stage make it a great spot to watch a show – though it’s hardly where you’d expect to witness bands used to filling arenas.

That explains the commotion. A queue is already coiling outside in the drizzle, while the restaurants and bars in the hotel adjacent to the venue have been commandeered and turned into makeshift war rooms by managers, gig promoters and various other fixers.

Everybody’s here for different reasons but with a common denominator: this is Wolf Alice’s first gig in three years.

In the event, it is a belter. Far from showing signs of ring-rust, they turn in a barnstorming spectacle that will linger long in the memories of the lucky and sweat-soaked 300-odd in attendance.

Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell is combustion in human form, at one point grabbing a megaphone and tearing through the audience with a rendition of ‘Yuk Foo’ that’s so loud, the lyrics are barely decipherable. It is one hell of a performance by one of rock’s most exciting frontpersons.

Wolf Alice at Set Theatre, Kilkenny on May 19th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

ORGANIC INSTRUMENTS

Rowsell cuts a calmer figure a few hours beforehand, when she sits down with drummer Joel Amey in Langton’s tea rooms. The band say they’ve made the short trip across the Irish Sea (which includes similar one-off gigs in Cork and Limerick) to get match fit.

“We always wanted to play in places we don’t usually get to a lot, and we’ve never been to Kilkenny,” the singer says. “We love coming to Ireland, and needed to do some warm-up shows before our first festival.”

“We’re just excited to be playing anywhere at the moment,” Amey adds with a grin.

There’s a strong attachment to Ireland rooted in Rowsell’s upbringing. She has Irish grandparents on her father’s side, and was first exposed to music through the tin whistle as a child in North London.

“I used to play a lot of trad music when I was younger, I still do sometimes,” she says. “I started playing in a kind of tribute Bothy Band – I listen to a lot of them. And Joel’s just got his first bodhrán.”

“Yeah, I’ve got it with me,” he nods. “One of Ellie’s family friends is really good at it. I can’t wait to get a lesson. I personally adore Irish music. I love listening to Ellie play.”

Their trip to Ireland echoes the title of their newly announced album, The Clearing  – a name that hints at a need to find calm amid the chaos.

“We wanted something that evokes a sense of peace,” Rowsell explains. “The feeling of when you have a nice, quiet moment to yourself. I feel like The Clearing conjures up a sense of that.

“I think maybe I’m getting old,” she smiles. “I mean, I don’t feel old at all, but maybe it’s just coming out of your twenties, you’ve got more life to reflect on.”

Wolf Alice at Set Theatre, Kilkenny on May 19th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

The lead single, ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’, is a roaring anthem of self-acceptance, encapsulated in Rowsell’s exultant vocals, which sound better than ever.

“I don’t see myself as a guitarist really,” she reveals. “It’s actually quite stressful because I find it quite hard. I saw the guys in the band getting really good at their instruments and I was like, ‘Oh, I want to progress too’. I wanted to focus more on my voice.”

“And you are playing yourself down,” Amey adds, turning to face his bandmate. “You’re a very good guitar player.”

Sonically The Clearing leans towards the ‘70s. Fleetwood Mac is one influence being thrown around, while an as-yet-unreleased track performed during the Kilkenny show titled ‘Thorns’ (according to a setlist nabbed after the show), unravelled as a slow-burning piano ballad, reminiscent of Elton John in his early days.

“Fleetwood Mac wrote pop songs,” Rowsell explains. “but they played them on organic instruments, and you’d think of them very much as a rock band, playing pop songs, if you know what I mean. And that was something that excited us.”

“That era of songwriting was one of the last before you could fake it through studio trickery,” Amey reflects. “You had to have everything watertight. It was really refreshing for us to start an album by trying to think of it like that. We come from an era where it’s super-easy to have your laptop, and to layer and programme things.”

The guitar-bass-piano riff that runs through ‘Boom Baby Bloom’ doesn’t sound too dissimilar to something you’d find in Steely Dan’s ‘70s oeuvre.

“I was brought up with Steely Dan by my mum,” Amey says. “Then I got into punk and they were the ultimate band to hate. Now I fucking love Steely Dan. I unashamedly love all the mad shit they do.”

“We covered ‘Dirty Work’ ages ago,” Rowsell continues. “I think that subconsciously inspired us a little bit; the harmonies, piano and the drum sound are always so tight and pristine. All the parts are so locked.”

Wolf Alice at Set Theatre, Kilkenny on May 19th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

TERROR CHARGES

Helping Wolf Alice tie their vision together in LA was Greg Kurstin – a nine-time Grammy winner. Best known for his co-writing and production work with Adele, his list of credits resembles something closer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame than a CV.

“He was just an amazing person,” Amey says, “a really great listener. We did have a set thing we wanted to achieve this time around, and he was t up for the adventure.”

WA’s last album was 2021’s polished Blue Weekend, which was lauded by critics and audiences alike, becoming the band’s first UK No.1 album. They were in no rush to ride the wave and churn out another record.

“Yeah, we don’t do that,” Rowsell states. “There’s no wrong or right way to do it, but I think we’re quite romantic and we chase a feeling. If you do it too quickly, maybe you won’t have enough songs to choose from, or you’re not really sure what direction it’s gone in, because you haven’t got enough hindsight.”

It’s a refreshingly principled approachs: a willingness to take a stand against commercial pressures that contrasts sharply against the kitsch of Eurovision, which happenened just a couple of days before our conversation.

Beyond the low-hanging fruits of glitter and Schlager, the song contest has been facing more serious scrutiny over its ties with Israel. Wolf Alice were vocal about it back in 2019, calling for artists to boycott.

Events since then mean the subject has reached a much greater level of public consciousness. Some artists have faced removal from festival line-ups and terror charges for pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

“You shouldn’t be afraid to speak up in support of people in need. No one should stop you doing that,” Rowsell says. “It’s really frightening that someone would stop you. It’s devastating that there have been so many repercussions.”

• The Clearing is out on August 29.