By bill biss
Remember when love songs were about more than “me and my humps” or “get you in the club?” Lead singer of the Noisettes, Shingai Shoniwa, guitarist Dan Smith, and drummer Jamie Morrison do. As a trio, they have been making sweet music together for over four years now. Yet, now is the time to really enjoy their sophmore release titled Wild Young Hearts. Crafting an album that is both current and also encompasses the best of sounds from the last thirty years is no easy task. That is what they have done. The mixture of R@B, soul, pop and blues is one that never sounds manufactured or just run-of-the-mill…here is a spark of musical styling that is completely individual in regards to their work. Their current single in the U.S. is “Never Forget You” and Shingai excels in putting her heart on the line with her vocals and creative talents as a writer. The Noisettes have appeared on Ellen, The David Letterman Show and One Tree Hill recently to promote their newest creation. Shingai Shoniwa is passionate about her music, fashion and the whole process of being the next “It Girl” representing the pop culture and music scene. Here she shares some of that passion with The Rage Monthly magazine.
Rage: Hello. How are you today?
Shingai Shoniwa: How you doing Bill? I’m okay. It’s Los Angeles. I’m glad to meet you.
Rage: Yeah, I was going to ask you how you are enjoying L.A.?
SS: Oh man, it’s like walking on a dream. It really is, like Empire of the Sun…it really is.
Rage: I saw your appearance on Ellen.
SS: Oh! You saw it.
Rage: Yes. It’s a lot of fun.
SS: Ahh…wicked. What’d ya think?
Rage: Beautiful, I love that song. The whole CD for that matter is really well-done.
SS: Thank you so much Bill.
Rage: Really enjoyable. I love the hook on “Wild Young Hearts” with the “la, la, la,” hand clapping and kind of the motorcycle wild teenager vibe. It reminded me almost of a song from Grease.
SS: Oh my god. I love Grease! That’s brilliant! I love musicals, as you can see.
Rage: That song and “Never Forget You” are both made out of the same cloth. Both have that sparkly vibe of a time gone by but are still just lushly arranged and full of youthful energy for now.
SS: Oh. Thanks man!
Rage: The way you three collaborate on songs. I noticed that a few are about men and short-term relationships while others are so emotionally optimistic.
SS: When it comes to the song lyrics and melodies and stuff…I like to be able to just tell the stories. Dan really inspires me lyrically because of a lot of conversations that we have. There are so many stories between us because we’ve been friends for ten years. We met when I was about sixteen. We’ve experienced some really funny times together. He knows my sense of humor and I really dig his sense of humor. So, I don’t really need to worry when I come in with lyrical ideas…not worrying about how bonkers they are. The best place to start is at the extreme and omit what doesn’t need to be said. We rarely start on the subtle page.
When it comes to music, it’s really easy in the right climate, when you are in the room with the guys singing or making something up over music that we are all jamming to together. Sometimes, I just look through my scrapbook and subconsciously realize I’ve got a story or a few funny lines that would go so well with a certain piece of music.
Rage: Your fashion sense is off the hook. Every video that I’ve seen has a vivid and different style. Where do you find your inspiration for your look?
SS: To be quite honest, most of my inspiration is in my upbringing. I grew up in a very big and dynamic, very flamboyant family. We’re from southwest Africa…Malawi and Zimbabwe. Although I was born in London, there were always lots of extended family, great aunties and grandmothers with huge head dresses…almost looking like birds of paradise. When somebody passed down, there was a reason to dress up and celebrate, somebody got home from school safe or somebody passed their driving test, there is never a reason not to celebrate life with the colors that we wear and the food that we eat in a lot of the African cultures.
Coming from a family like that, I’m hardly gonna be a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl (laughter). My mom would just so tell me off if I went on stage and didn’t make an effort. She’d be saying, “People are coming to see you perform.” She’d see me wearing seven-inch heels so that I can’t dance and really reach the audience. She’d say, “Shingai. What’s important? The shoes or the performance?” Well, the shoes! She’d say, “Well take them off and put them on the drum kit then so people can see your shoes. People should be able to see you dance and sing.” And you can’t do that in those shoes. My biggest inspiration is my family and all the women in my family. I was born in the early mid-eighties so having a mom that was very flamboyant African woman power-dressing in the late 1980s and early 1990s was an incredible wardrobe to come home to after getting home from school and getting lost in.
Rage: What female singers inspired you growing up that you enjoy?
SS: I like a lot of the divas that make statements. If you’re gonna sing a ballad…sing a ballad. If you’re gonna give me “Hounds of Love,” I know you’re gonna give me “Hounds of Love.” I adore Kate Bush, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday. I adore women’s texture in their voice. You can feel some kind of glory. That they are not holding back…they’re not trying to sound like they’ve been dipped in sugar and you really can’t get through to their soul. They are just women with texture. I love Grace Jones, I love Eartha Kitt…just women with character. I’m not into the squeaky clean “I’ve got to do it. I’ve got to sound like a little boy” for my record label boss. You know what I mean? I’m not too much into those vocals. I can appreciate the songwriting sometimes…like Mariah Carey. I’d love to hear her fu@king just let go. You know what I mean (laughter).
Rage: Yes. Most definitely. Hey, thank you and much more continued success with Noisettes.
SS: Oh, thank you Bill. We’ve played in San Diego and hope to be there soon. I love it there.
love this band, glad they’re finally getting recognition in the states!