A spotlight interview with Hex Poseur, ahead of their appearance at the LOUD WOMEN stage at Rebellion Festival on 9 August.
How did you choose your artist name?
‘Hex Poseur’ is a combination of my gothic and punk inspired persona. Poseur comes from the X-Ray Spex song ‘I am a Poseur’ and was chosen to make fun of the concept of calling out ‘posers’ in punk.
Describe your sound in three words.
Raw, dark, honest
Tell us about your music
The Alpha is my latest single, made to be a commentary and mockery of Alpha male ‘red pill’ culture, highlighting how it is damaging for both men and women.
A lot of people seem to connect with my first single, ‘Quiet’. It encapsulates growing up as a weirdo, being ignored, bullied and made fun of whenever you try to speak and then overcoming that. Lots of fans can relate to that, especially in alternative spaces.
I wrote a chorus melody once that I realised was inspired by a section in an S Club seven song. It’s not yet released but it will be one day I’m sure. Also the song ‘footrot’ is named after a sheep toy my friend at uni used to have, it was called that because it’s a disease that sheep get. For some reason I thought it would make for a nice metaphor for women straying from what is ‘expected’ from them and being punished for it.
What’s your local scene like — and how do you fit in, or stir it up?
In Leicester I have a strong following and always feel very welcomed and celebrated by fellow bands, however I still feel a little bit of an outsider as I play a lot of gigs outside of Leicester. In Nottingham I am beginning to build up a community but it is a little harder as the scene is so much bigger here.
If you could rip up the rulebook of the music industry, what’s the first thing you’d rewrite?
Make it about talent instead of money, ditch social media. A & R reps need to get out and actually go to shows instead of scrolling through TikTok. The most talented performers are out there in local venues playing to 20-30 people and they are the ones that deserve to be given a chance. Some genuinely talented people have utilised social media, but generally the people ‘making it’ online are rich kids spending loads of money on ads, followers and PR and then they don’t have strong performances or followings.
What’s the wildest/strangest thing that’s ever happened at one of your gigs?
A couple of gigs where amps have set on fire, but it was never our amps thankfully. We have played a lot of very strange gigs honestly, it is hard to think of a specific moment!
What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?
Probably starting the band at the beginning. I’ve always really struggled to be in bands and write with other people, I’ve never found people who I mesh with in that way. It was actually a tutor at uni who encouraged me to just write the songs myself and then find a backing band to play them. It did mean putting myself out there in the punk scene was a bit scarier as I was largely representing myself and quite different from other acts. This first step was really important to me and gave me a lot of confidence in myself.
What’s the proudest moment you’ve had so far as an artist?
Playing a festival with The Buzzcocks was pretty amazing! The first time my music was played on radio was very special for me as well.
What’s the strangest gig you’ve ever played?
So many strange gigs it is hard to remember them all! We played a gig once which was in some kind of community centre and one of the other bands were all about 16 and the other performer was this hippie woman with bare feet doing some kind of interpretive dance and singing. We also used to play this charity gig in Notts which was always really weird. It is essentially in someone’s house and everyone sits at tables while you play. They often have some strange spoken word/slam poetry acts as well and then they serve everyone a vegan meal. Quite fun, but always very strange.
What’s a dream gig or collaboration you must make happen before you die?
PJ Harvey, but that’s probably not possible. I’d love to play/collab with Witch Fever, Nova Twins, Amyl & The Sniffers, Viagra Boys. Honestly there are so many!!
Dream lineup: you + three other acts (alive, dead, or imaginary). Who’s on the bill?
Such a hard question to choose only 3!! Can I have 4? If so probably The White Stripes, Nirvana, QOTSA & PJ.
What’s next for you?
Currently working on some new EPs! I am in the process of mixing them myself, so it may take a while. Lots of shows over summer as well!
Catch Hex Poseur on LOUD WOMEN Sunday at Rebellion Festival
