Seven Songs With… The Jezabels

We don’t want to get too much into history lessons but you might know that Australia is a country that was build by the hands of immigrants. Well, not entirely but you might get the point. We’re not sure if THE JEZABELS used their origin to come up with the idea of an ‘Immigrate Playlist’ but we might as well look at the topic from a different perspective. Guitarist Sam Lockwood joins us for today’s ‘Seven Songs’ feature and provides a selection about – in his words – “displaced people.” And that could mean a lot of things. The Australian indie rockers are about to return with their long awaited second album soon. The Brink arrives on February the 17th and it’s about to once again present us epic emotional anthems. And maybe even a few songs about these displaced people as well.

THE JEZABELS – TOURDATES
presented by NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION

14.03.2014 – DE – Hamburg – Uebel & Gefährlich
15.03.2014 – DE – Berlin – Astra
16.03.2014 – DE – Frankfurt – Sankt Peter
18.03.2014 – DE – Munich – Freiheiz
20.03.2014 – DE – Cologne – Gebäude 9

You can enjoy the personal selection of THE JEZABELS right here on the following pages. A colourful mixture from LADY GAGA to RAMMSTEIN.

THE JEZABELS chose THE CLASH and Straight To Hell as one of their ‘Seven Songs’.

I love THE CLASH, and mainly for their songs like this. They are melodic and beautiful in their music, but also are very political and meaningful in their message. Joe Strummer jumps around the world on this one, but the through-line is the life of the dispossessed immigrant.

THE JEZABELS chose STEVE EARL and City of Immigrants as one of their ‘Seven Songs’.

STEVE EARL had just moved to New York when he wrote and recorded the album Washington Square Serenade. He was moved by the multicultural vibe of New York and that’s how this song came about. The song reminds me of Sydney too. I guess every modern city is now a ‘city of immigrants’. I guess every city ever that ever existed was a ‘city of immigrants’.

THE JEZABELS chose THE POGUES and South Australia as one of their ‘Seven Songs’

This one is about Australia in particular. The Irish diaspora of the world is well known, and Australia has a close connection with the Emerald Isle. I’m I think at least half Irish. I think most of the world is part Irish.

THE JEZABELS chose THE FUGEES and Ready or Not as one of their ‘Seven Songs’.

I love hip hop especially when it is communicating a message. It’s the best way. It’s a spoken word session on a soapbox, but somehow it doesn’t seem didactic because of the music. And Lauryn Hill is WISE.

THE JEZABELS chose LADY GAGA and Americano as one of their ‘Seven Songs’.

People don’t give LADY GAGA enough credit for the effort she puts into imbuing her pop with a sense of seriousness. She pulls off the pop diva well, however I do believe she is an artist. This song is a great example. Just check out the lyrics.

THE JEZABELS chose THE PRESETS and My People as one of their ‘Seven Songs’.

This is a certified dance anthem but it’s also not what it seems. I believe it was written about Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers. It’s a song that is cerrrrtainly still applicable today.

THE JEZABELS chose RAMMSTEIN and Mein Land as one of their ‘Seven Songs’.

RAMMSTEIN are the perferctors of satire/irony/etc. I didn’t understand them initially and kept my distance. But over time I’ve realised their genius and this is another example of that. I think they basically seek to undermine crazy ideology by banal subversion. It’s a genius way to do it. You can’t argue with people that are acting childish. This one is obviously a play on ‘my country’. Whose country?

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THE JEZABELS