Beau Interview
Heather Boo & Emma Rose Jenney
Photo by Matthew Pandolfe
Native New Yorkers and best friends Heather Boo and Emma Rose Jenney come together to create infectious music with a dreamy and finely honed folk-pop essence. Melodic and defiant, laced with cloudy soundscapes and engrossing vocals, Beau’s distinguished rise to standing continues to excite… We talk to Heather Boo about high school, Wes Anderson and the Cheshire Cat…
TSH: Since the inception of Beau, how do you feel your creative partnership has evolved?
Heather: Our creative partnership has bloomed! We are both connected emotionally and creatively now more than ever before.
TSH: How would you sum up the level of focus when you’re both fleshing out new music?
Heather: It's somewhere between completely zoning out and some form of meditative focus. New music comes to us in waves. Waves of emotion.
TSH: You’ve mentioned growing up in a world full of colour, creativity and an 'anything goes' kind of attitude; do you feel this type of outlook very much informs your musical expressions?
Heather: Yes. Our strong sense of freedom and even stronger need to perpetuate it certainly influences and even allows us to make the music we make.
TSH: Tell us about always having a lot of drama going on in your schools, and thus never being short of ideas...
Heather: There was always drama in middle school and high school that reached us not from the textbooks but from the playing ground. Kids in New York City are some of the toughest cookies out there! It was always like walking into a movie when we got up to go to class. In the end it definitely made for great songwriting.
TSH: When an emotion enters your minds and you use lyrics as a release, do these expressions relieve you?
Heather: Yes. It's some form of therapy.
TSH: How essential is it for your songwrting to get a feeling on paper and never leaving the house without a notebook and pen?
Heather: It is absolutely essential! We are constantly inspired by the world and by whatever is going on. When you feel an urge to write there is nothing worse than not having the tools to do so! When you feel inspired you cannot wait, you cannot hold it in. You must act quickly and approach your outlet, whatever it may be.
TSH: Let’s talk about some of the material we’ve heard from Beau. Firstly, ‘One Wing’ – talk us through how you went about structuring and arranging the song from a compositional sense…
Heather: It generally happened quite fluidly. It came together in pieces at first, but the lyrics really lent itself to the melody, so it all came together. We were quite focused when writing the lyrics to this song. We knew we had something to say. It was an emotionally intense and incredible experience.
TSH: ‘One Wing’ is also accompanied by a dazzling video. Where did your idea of something that looked ‘like The Virgin Suicides meets Wes Anderson’ stem from?
Heather: It was more than an idea! It was a dream! Wes Anderson is one of our favourite directors and we could only dream of making something even close to his genius!
TSH: Moreover, with a song like ‘C’mon Please’, what does the song’s overall significance convey to you personally?
Heather: It's a fun song contrasted with desperate lyrics that beg for your lover to come back. It's about the pain of being what is worse than a hopeless romantic, a hopeful romantic.
TSH: When forming ‘Lost Soul’, was there a certain type of energy you were looking to imply, or was it perhaps organic?
Heather: It was very organic and raw. It's about one of the most personal songs we will probably ever release. Most of it was written at about thirteen years old.
TSH: At what point voice in the process do you commonly decide upon what you’re going to do vocally with the sounds being devised?
Heather: It happens very randomly and naturally. It all depends on the feeling of the song and what message I'm trying to give off. Usually it's a certain "vocal melodic knowing" that exists before anything even happens.
TSH: What type of music do you personally gain most from?
Heather: Classic rock, folk... We love demos - listening to music before it’s mixed or mastered. The more raw the better!
TSH: What sort of impetus do you gain from such renowned writers like Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen?
Heather: Their music is transcendent. It inspires us constantly and just listening to their songs helps us reconnect to that place where writing just pours out of you.
TSH: Do you look to incorporate any graffiti aspects with future Beau work via your friend Andre Saraiva?
Heather: Andre is an incredible artist and friend! We would love to, if the chance ever presented itself!
TSH: How has the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland been a huge influence on Beau?
Heather: It's fading smile and wisdom and colours . What isn't inspiring about the Cheshire Cat? The Cheshire Cat represents a mysterious provocativeness with an innocent twist and that's something that inspires the essence of our music.
TSH: What can you tell us about your experiences in playing at the Chambre Noir party at the Cannes Film Festival...
Heather: It was incredibly beautiful and fun! We love channelling energy on stage, and there was plenty to go around. It was magical.
TSH: What kind of ambition do you feel is most relevant as you progress further as aspiring musicians?
Heather: There isn't one perspective or drive. Our music is the outcome of all that has ever touched us emotionally.
TSH: Finally, what is the best advice that you adhere to?
Heather: Smile and move on.
Tickets for Beau Live at The Waiting Room - Purchase
Beau - “One Wing”
BEAU - EP
