A spotlight interview with Hannah Serw and Lily Crook of Sisters of Hysteria, ahead of their LOUD WOMEN debut on 16 July at the Bread and Roses
How did you choose your band name?
HS: Back when we first formed the band, I remember telling one of my friends how I was about to play in a riot grrrl band, practically buzzing out of my mind about it. We didn’t have a name yet – just noise, ideas and a lot of excitement. She suggested “Hysteria” which we loved right away. Women get called hysterical for the showing glimpse of emotions, for speaking too loudly or standing their ground too much for someone’s fragile ego. It’s one of those words that’s always tossed around to take women down. Taking it back felt almost like stealing something back. The Sisters part arrived somewhere along the road, the way that all the good things do. I think it might’ve come from Lily, “Sisters Of” something sounds grand, mysterious and almost exclusive. And there we were: a bunch of girls making loads of noise. Sisters of Hysteria just landed in the room and stayed there; it sounded so solid that we couldn’t believe there wasn’t already a band with this name. Once it appeared, it was impossible to imagine us being called anything else.
Who’s in the band, and what do you all play?
There’s four of us in the band – Lily Crook (vocals/rhythm guitar/keys), Hannah Serw (lead guitar, BV’s ), Jessica Ingram (bass), and Ella Breeze (drums)
Where do you call home (geographically and musically)?
HS: A part of me wants to say that home is everywhere, because I’ve moved around quite a lot when I was younger, and I believe that in someways you carry (even if unaware) all the places you pass through. But to be completely honest the answer has to be London. There’s no other city that makes me feel this way. It’s so full of contradictions – so wild, crowded, beautiful and endlessly alive. It is one of those places that never lets you fully leave, even when you’re gone. Musically I have a lot of American influences such as Iggy Pop, Hole but they are just as important to me as the Rolling Stones. Personally, I’m gravitating more towards funk/hard rock bands lately – I’ve been listening to a lot of Tom Morello and John Frusciante.
Describe your sound in three words
HS: Raw, unapologetic & vicious
Tell us about your music
LC: Our latest release was actually our debut single ‘Girl Like Me’, which at it’s core is a feminist manifesto about queer sexual liberation that tries to unpack the shame and taboo around it, this song is so important to us because it was our first chance to lay down who we are, what we believe in and not apologise for any of it. We really just wanted to show fans exactly what we stand for, and it’s also a really sexy track which is always a huge bonus.
HS: I do really love the story behind this track as well. I was at the friend’s house party one time, where I met a loveliest guy from Ireland. He told me the most heartbreaking story about his relationship and how he ended up in London. Back in Ireland him and his partner used to live in the small, narrow-minded city, in one of the sketchier areas. He couldn’t walk down the street without getting chased or harassed. The things were even worse for his partner that came from the most unprivileged area of the town. He would get harassed and beaten up daily just because of being in love with another man. Eventually they ended up running away to London, and living in a tiny studio apartment, trying to rebuild their lives from scratch, and create a future that suddenly become possible. Even though this story had a happy ending, the reality of what forced them to leave in a first place is nothing else than discrimination & violence. What makes ‘Girl Like Me’ so powerful is that is goes beyond challenging this kind of hatred. It is coolly exposing and mocking the narrow-mindedness of those who refuse to accept love beyond their limited perspective.
What’s your local scene like — and how do you fit in, or stir it up?
LC: I think the local London scene is much more versatile and interesting than it gets credit for. We all know grassroots music is under threat and venues are getting shut down left and right but the venues and artists on the frontlines of this battle are producing some of the most cutting and original things I’ve ever seen. Art is inherently political so it’s no surprise that when the music scene is most under threat that’s also when it’s at it’s most alive, I wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else right now.
If you could rip up the rulebook of the music industry, what’s the first thing you’d rewrite?
HS: The thing that shouldn‘t be a thing in a first-place, full stop – A.I generated music. I can’t think of anything more disgusting, cynical and profit driven. Even thinking about it gives me this uneasy, almost apocalyptic feeling. Music has always been about human experience – joy, heartbreak, anger – all the messy emotions that come with being alive. People connect with people. Using an argument that AI is just a tool is very short-sighted. It is only a matter of time before corporations are going to try to replace musicians all toghether. Nowadays when independent artists are struggling more than ever to make living – the last thing music industry needs is another way to flood the world with cheap, instantly generated content. It also leads to another problem, that lately seems to be considered a rule of the industry – which is the way major corporations’ profit from young bands and independent artists. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon have become unavoidable and yet they barely pay £0.002 to £0.004 per stream? – it’s outrageous. Underground acts like us can’t afford not to be on them. It’s difficult enough getting people to discover new music as it is; not being on the major streaming platform would be the equivalent of not having social media for your projects. Underground bands spend years building an audience, investing their own money into recordings, artwork, videos and promotion, only to receive fractions of a penny per stream. These platforms have become essential for visibility, but they’re not sustainable for smaller artists. It’s a system we’re all expected to participate in, even though it only benefits the corporations. DSP’s are a fantastic tool for discovery, but there needs to be a fairer balance between accessibility for listeners and compensation for artists.
What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?
LC: I think probably kicking off the recording process, finding the right producers and sound engineers for us ended up being a very long and complicated journey. There were a lot of recordings we made last year that we were ultimately unable to use any of, I think really timing is everything in these situations because the longer we’ve had to wait, the more trial and error we’ve been through, the more we’ve developed artistically as a band. Sometimes things don’t work out right away for a reason, and being patient really does pay off.
What’s the proudest moment you’ve had so far as a band?
HS: That has to be the release of our first single “Girl Like Me” – it was really long awaited, and we definitely work really hard on all the details – countless mixes, rehearsals and of course the promotion aspect such as artwork as well. We are so incredibly proud of this song, and it was definitely a milestone in our career.
What’s the strangest gig you’ve ever played?
LC: We played a gig along Brick Lane last summer at this huge anime themed party and it was one of the sweetest and liveliest crowds we’d ever seen. We ourselves don’t watch any anime so really didn’t know what to expect and were so amazed by the incredible costumes people had made themselves just for this event, there were also pottery painting stalls and photoshoots and a tooth gem station, Jess our bassist ended up getting a tooth gem and it’s still not budged a year later.
What’s a dream gig or collaboration you must make happen before you die?
HS: There is so many incredible names I can think of right now – but if we’re talking dreams and impossibilities, my answer would be Jim Morrison without hesitation. He is hands-down one of my favourite songwriters and poets of all time. There something about the way he blended poetry and raw emotion that still feel completely unique. I would love a chance to sit down with him and write a grand piece of music with him or perhaps taking a fresh spin of some of The Doors/Sisters pieces. One of the more realistic collaborations I can think of would-be Courtney Love. Her lyricism, sound are something that really speak to me. I can imagine it resulting in the most juxtaposition of styles – a song so raw, heavy but also the most beautifully fragile. I think there would be something powerful in that contrast.
Dream lineup: you + three other acts (alive, dead, or imaginary). Who’s on the bill?
HS: At the moment my dream lineup would have to be Pretty Reckless, Hole and City Dog
LC: Off the top of my head, it would have to be St. Vincent, Nine Inch Nails and PJ Harvey absolutely.
What’s next for you?
HS: At the moment, we are focussing on recording new material. We’ve been writing quite a lot, and discovering a new, even heavier sound, it’s so much fun to explore how our own sound is developing and getting the chance to work with some really cool people on these tracks. We are so excited to get back into the studio and share some new music with people.
Anything else you’d like to add?
LISTEN TO LOUD WOMEN RADIO!
Catch Sisters of Hysteria on 16 July at the Bread and Roses – and also catch their live session on our Resonance FM show on 14 July where they’ll be playing a live session for us!
