CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 133: STORMY-LOU ON CREATING SAFE SPACES AND DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Futuremag Music Editor caught up with Alex and Mik from Stormy-Lou [Adelaide, Australia] to talk about embracing the complexities of living with ADHD/neurodivergence with their new single 'Impulsitivity'.

FMM: Hi. How are you guys today?

ALEX: Yeah, we're doing well. It's a nice day here in Adelaide.

MIK: It’s quite warm. How are you?

FMM: Good. I'm enjoying the colder weather. I'm from Darwin, but I'm in Sydney at the moment, so I'm enjoying the colder weather.

ALEX: I bet. I had some friends in Darwin last week and they said it was humid as hell.

FMM: Yes, it's like summer every day.

ALEX: Oh, damn.

FMM: Looks like you guys are on a road trip.

ALEX: Oh, yes [laughs]. Not at all.

MIK: We've had a busy day and we've just been to Ikea for lunch and didn't have time to make it to anywhere else to set up shop and do this, so we're in the car.

FMM: Yeah, fair enough. I can imagine how busy your schedules would be.

ALEX: Yeah, we were in the week. With the song out tomorrow and the launch on Friday, we've just been doing all the bits and bobs beforehand today, so yeah, caught us just after lunch break.

FMM: We have half the band here, so we might just start with introducing who you guys are and what your role is in the band.

ALEX: Absolutely. Yeah. I'll go first. My name is Alex. I use they/he pronouns and I'm the bassist of Stormy-Lou.

MIK: Yeah, I'm Mik. I do lead vocals and rhythm guitar. My pronouns are she/they. Yeah, we are half of the storm [laughs]. We were just joking to ourselves, being like, what half are we? Are we Stormy or are we Lou? We couldn't figure out which one we were.

FMM: Yeah, fair enough [laughs]. Well, I'm really excited for you guys because tomorrow your new single gets released. How are you guys feeling the day before?

ALEX: I'm feeling somewhat calm, but then somewhat excited. I mean, it's our fourth single, so it's kind of like we've been through similar emotions before a few times now, and I think we're kind of a bit better at dealing with the anticipation a little bit. I think we'll definitely still be up at 11:30 tonight watching it drop in every country. I think the excitement more this time around is coming from, I think, this being probably our favourite song to date. The production is a much higher level and there's a lot more themes going on in this song that we maybe haven't explored before.

MIK: Yeah, definitely.

ALEX: So it's a very exciting song to us.

FMM: I've had a listen to it a few times now and it sounds exciting. I saw that you guys did some sneak peeks and it sounds like everybody else is also very excited for this release too.

ALEX: Yeah, I think we've had a lot of little buzz around that song with the TikTok that we posted from in the car.

MIK: [Laughs]. Yeah, we just live in the car.

FMM: I know you've got the single launch coming up on Friday, but do you have any big celebrations for tomorrow?

ALEX: I think we are doing something tomorrow night, but it's still up in the air, what we're doing. But yeah, I don't know.

MIK: Are we doing something?

ALEX: Yeah, we are tomorrow night. I don't know. Maybe you didn't see that [laughs]. Anyway, Friday is the main celebration. I think that's like the big thing that we're doing for this release. We're also sort of teeing up a little trip to Melbourne later in the year, so we'll be getting excited for that.

MIK: Yeah, I feel like we haven't done a release this close to the sun, like a single launch. With Eggshells, we had two shows and one of them was just before the sun came out and then the other one was like a bit of time had passed. It's kind of nice being able to get do the big celebratory thing straight after.

ALEX: Yeah, the next day.

FMM: Yeah, sounds fun, and what's in store for the single launch? What can people expect if they go?

ALEX: We've had loads of ideas for this launch. One of them, we put up a post, I think, last week. We wanted to address a few of the issues in South Australia that we have with ticketing online. Pre-sale for tickets in shows is pretty tough at the moment. To kind of encourage people to pre-save tickets, we did a competition where everyone put through a challenge that we could do at the launch. The top comment will be doing a challenge. I think it's either going to be a Cinnamon Challenge on stage or something stupid. So, that's one thing we'll be doing.

MIK: Also, our excellent supports that we've got, that's a big exciting one. We've got Oscar the Wild from here. They are absolute superstars. And our friend Nick [Keogh]. He's coming over from Melbourne, so very exciting. First time we've had like an interstate support for a show, so that's really cool. Big exciting stuff.

ALEX: Yeah, two wicked supports. We've got a new song that we wrote last week, so we're going to try that out at the show as well. We've got a new cover as well, so we've got lots planned. It’s going to be classic Stormy, a lot of energy and a lot of silliness and a bit of fun, for sure.

MIK: Always.

FMM: It sounds like an incredible show. I'm bummed to be in Sydney and missing it at the moment.

ALEX: That's alright. We'll come over next year, hopefully.

MIK: Yeah, that'll be awesome.

FMM: Sounds good, and one of my favourite things about this release is that it's about celebrating the imperfections. So, I love that you've gone with the incorrect spelling of the name, too. Tell me more about what you hope people take away.

MIK: Well, basically when I kind of wrote the bones of the song, I just was singing it as impulsativity and I'm like, yeah, that's a word. I was so, so convinced. I was so confident and I brought it to the others and they were like, I don't think that's word, but maybe it is. We rolled with it for a bit and then, I was not long after proved wrong, but we're just like, oh, it sounds better. Impulsivity just doesn't roll off the tongue as well. We're like, oh, well, that's fun. Then it's just a silly, little story and it definitely ties in with what the actual song is about and being neurodivergent and doing things different ways and still showing that it works.

ALEX: I remember when we worked it out that it was the wrong spelling, we sang it with the correct spelling but because the syllable difference, it just did not work as well. We ended up deciding with this song we wanted to do a big theme of being impulsive and ADHD and neurodivergence, and so we thought, what better way to kind of celebrate mistakes and impurity than just rolling with this silly spelling mistake? That kind of led to this whole campaign or story of this song surrounding the idea. We've got a music video that will be coming out like a week after the song drops that's all about us trying to kind of get our spelling into the dictionary and playing around with that idea as well.

MIK: Yeah, we won't say too much about it, but it'll be a fun little surprise. I think it was a lot of fun.

FMM: And look, maybe we might see it in the dictionary, because every word we know today was once a made up word, right?

ALEX: That's right.

MIK: Sooo true.

ALEX: We wrote a definition. It's on the single art for the song, so there's a definition there as well. So, maybe one day it'll be there [laughs].

FMM: Yes, we can make it a thing.

ALEX: Please. Please do.

MIK: Yes, Instead of impulsivity. Impulsivity out. Impulsitivity in [laughs].

ALEX: That's what I'm saying.

FMM: I think that's what makes this song so great, because it's going to be a song that everyone can relate to, everyone's going to vibe with it and get down to it.

ALEX: Yeah, I think that's what we really wanted to do; create like a classic sort of Australian, alternative-rock sound with the energy and the anthem feel, but then still trying to make some representation for our community.

MIK: Yeah, absolutely, and something that people with ADHD can relate to because there's definitely a lack of that. It's good to still be able to make the music that people want to listen to, but then actually still have those really quite, at times, gut-wrenching lyrics and having such a big, strong story behind it as well.

FMM: Yeah, and I guess that ties into what your band is all about as well; creating that safe place for people that are neurodivergent, but also queer . I'd love to hear some ways that you guys do that and how people can come to your shows and feel welcome and safe.

ALEX: Yeah, I think the main thing we do is just to try and spread positivity and make it clear that we are a safe space and we are a band that first and foremost cares about representation for ourselves and community as well. I think we always encourage safe dance pits just by having songs and faces that represent the community I think is really important. We just like to try and do that and rock up to shows as well from other bands that are female-fronted and queer-fronted. It's always been very important to us as a band and forever will be.

MIK: Yeah, absolutely.

FMM: It's amazing that you guys are rocking up to other bands as well and showing your support for other people in the community.

MIK: Of course.

ALEX: Oh yeah, I mean we're musicians because we love music, so that's always going to be the same and it's why we've got Oscar the Wilde and Nick here on our bill because we wanted queer people on our lineup and that's how we always been as well.

MIK: Yeah, Oscar the Wild were actually like a really big part for me, starting out music wise, but also in my queer journey as well. I think seeing them when I was probably like 18 or 19 and that was the first time I'd ever heard any queer representation in music and actually taking it. I was like, oh wait, that can be a thing. Being able to be friends and being able to play music with them and have them on our team as much as we're on theirs is really cool.

FMM: It's incredible to see that representation coming out more in music as well, especially this year.

ALEX: Yeah, it’s noticeable and it's fantastic. I mean even just not in Adelaide. Bands like Platonic Sex are a huge inspiration for us. An incredible band that empower us as well and drive us as musicians.

FMM: Yes, Platonic Sex are an incredible band. Big fan of them.

MIK: Oh yeah, I'm still hanging to see them live. They were supporting Hope D a few years ago, and we all got COVID at the same time and I had tickets to both shows and I was so bummed that I missed it and I'm pretty sure we had a show on the same night that they were here last.

ALEX: Yeah, it just keeps never adding up, but we're hoping to catch them soon for sure.

FMM: I think that representation is another reason why I was excited to see that you guys were nominated for a 2023 South Australian Music Award. Not only do you guys make great music, but you guys stand for a good cause as a band. Obviously, we voted for you, but we want to encourage other people to as well. So, why should people vote for you?

ALEX: [Laughs]. We always feel weird asking people to vote for us. If you want to vote, why vote for us? Come to our show and check us out. We're an awesome live act, that's what we've always prided ourselves on. So I think what's better than live music and having this safe space as well? We just love having people at our shows and putting on a good show for them. So, I think that's one of the reasons why people should vote for us.

MIK: I guess if you have the same views as us and you want the same things and you want to see more of that in the scene and progressing and whatever, then I think, yeah, give us a chance.

ALEX: There's lots of wicked bands up for the awards and there's plenty of still representation outside of us as Oscar. The Wild are in the same category, so I voted for them. And look, just vote for someone that you care about and if you like their music, you like their music and especially as well if they stand for something good, I think that's important to take into consideration as well.

FMM: Definitely.

FMM: And there is some incredible artists on that voting category as well.

MIK: And so many of them are best mates. That's so beautiful about Adelaide. It's a very close-knit community here and we all just love each other lots and all just besties [laughs]. So, it's hard. I haven't voted yet, I don't know who I'm going to vote for.

ALEX: Yeah, It was tricky for me.

FMM: Yeah, there's definitely some good ones in there. And, for anyone coming across your music for the first time, can you share a bit more about how you guys met and came together to be Stormy-Lou?

ALEX: Yeah, for sure. The Stormy-Lou today is very different from the Stormy-Lou in the very start. Stormy-Lou started with our lead guitarist Lauchie and he started jamming with someone who used to be in our lives and sort of slowly brought me in. Then I brought our old drummer Jaya in, who unfortunately isn't in the band anymore. Eventually a few months later we got Mik in and it was just like a slow progress until we had Stormy-Lou. That was around last year with myself, Mik, Lauchie and Jaya and then Jaya had to unfortunately leave the band start of this year. Just busy life and we were in this period where we were three people trying to make a four-person band and it was good and that's when we wrote this song. Actually, this song was done in that gap where we didn’t have a dummer. So, the drums are actually tracked by and performed by our long-term friend Ben Waltho, who's from The Tullamarines. Harry came along not long after that and it was just like a perfect jigsaw piece. We've known Harry for a few years just from being around the scene and enjoying their music that they do in their other band, Stripes. When we asked them, it was pretty much an instant fit and it was really perfect. Now the four of us, we're just in this great mode where we're just writing songs and performing and it's great vibes.

MIK: But in saying that also, Nesbitt (Lauchie), Alex and I also went to the same high school together, but we didn't really talk then.

ALEX: Yeah, Miko was a bit too cool for us.

MIK: I wasn't. I definitely wasn't. They say that all the time, but that's not the case.

ALEX: I think we maybe spoke a handful of words to each other in high school and now we spend many, many hours of the week together.

MIK: It's pretty crazy how that happens sometimes.

ALEX: Insane. Yeah.

FMM: I love how that all came about. It is very funny that you guys didn't talk much in high school and now here you are putting out incredible music, spending pretty much all your time together.

ALEX: Yeah, it's wild because especially with making music, it can get so vulnerable. So we really know the deepest part of each other's lives and hearts. And to think that before we were doing this, I remember one interaction with Mik, an art showcase where I was doing drama and Mik was doing you were singing or playing guitar or something and we were backstage in the green room and we were all in the same year. We ended up doing a circle and we did a Soldier Boy dance. I think it was like Crank That by Soldier Boy. So, we were all doing that backstage and I remember looking at Mik and thinking, I've never spoken to this person ever, and now I'm doing Soldier Boy dance and now look at us.

MIK: Yeah, it's pretty wild. Cool.

FMM: And now here you are, so look at how the world works. That's incredible.

ALEX: Yeah. Crazy.

FMM: I think it shows how close and vulnerable you guys are because from an outsider looking in, your band comes across as like a fun bunch of people to hang out with, people who are very close. I think that all shows through.

ALEX: That's good. That's good to hear. That's awesome. Yeah, we do have fun and we are very close.

MIK: It's cool to hear that as well because we get that a fair bit from our live performance. You can really see our energy on stage and how we all connect with each other, but it's cool to hear that from someone who hasn't necessarily seen us live or it's just an observation.

ALEX: Yeah, that's really nice. Thank you.

FMM: So you've got your single launch this Friday, but I'm excited to hear more from you guys. Do you guys have any more shows or music coming out, or how can people continue to support you?

ALEX: Yeah, for sure. I mean, we're planning on having a bit of a slower end to the year and doing some writing. We've got some stuff planned for next year that we probably won't go into because it's not concrete yet. But as for the rest of the year, like we said, we'll be in Naarm, Melbourne, early December. That show is not announced, but you can come check out on the Instagram and stay tuned for that one. We're also currently trying to get some votes to play SA mini festival put on by the Note Magazine called Note Stock. The Beefs and Betty Rays are playing. So we're currently in a competition that's all about voting to get a spot on that lineup. So maybe we'll be there as well, hopefully. Fingers crossed. But yeah, as for that, we'll be active on social media through whatever we do on Instagram and TikTok and then just expect a big 2024. We've got lots of exciting things planned, for sure.

MIK: Yeah, for sure. We need to also put merch up and everything because that's another way to support artists as well.

ALEX: Yeah, we've got a lot of merch and we're working on an online store to try and let some people interstate get a bit of a Storm-Lou representation in their lives.

FMM: Yes, I’ll have to wear some merch in Darwin.

MIK: Thank you.

FMM: Well, thank you. Was there anything else you want to share about your band or the single that you felt like you haven't covered today?

ALEX: Honestly, no. I think that was a wicked interview. Talked about a lot. I mean, we have lots of things coming up, so I mean, we don't want to talk about it too much because a little bit at a time, baby steps and stuff is always important in the music scene, but yeah. Thank you very much for having us. I've really enjoyed it.

FMM: You guys are so cool and it was such a pleasure.

ALEX: We're not that cool [laughs].

MIK: We’re really not [laughs].

ALEX: We're just a couple of nerds trying to make music.