As I spoke to Hayley she had just landed in Melbourne amidst some rare sunny spring weather. I was calling from a gloomy Adelaide which was about to experience its wildest winds in 50 years and an unprecedented state-wide power outage for the next several hours. I jested with Hayley that if the phone line went dead it was because I had been blown off the face of the earth and she graciously wished me well.
While the phone and power lines were still intact in South Australia I asked Hayley whether this third studio album Synthia had been a difficult project. “This one was kind of impromptu”, said Hayley “we were on a hiatus…we just got together to play a show and accidently wrote a few songs…then pretty quickly had a new album, it was weirdly easy”.
The cover artwork of the album features a set of identical twins, one carrying the other and I was curious of the significance. “The idea was that it looks like someone carrying a version of themselves, perhaps a synthetic version…it’s this idea of the self you put out there to the public, a synthesised, artificial self…the question is which one is carrying which”.
The tour includes a massive 17 date tour of the US and Canada which Hayley was really excited about. “After two years off I am just super excited to hit the road” bursts Hayley “although we may not be match fit”. The Jezabels have good reason to be excited given the tour was almost abandoned due to keyboard player Heather’s cancer diagnosis, treatment, and now clean bill of health.
The Jezabels will be performing at The Gov and it’s not the first time the mid-sized venue has had the pleasure of hosting the band. “I think one of the first times we ever played Adelaide was supporting Tegan and Sara, and I think it was at the Gov” reminisces Hayley. “I love it, whenever I think of playing Adelaide I remember playing the Gov…it is a really beautiful venue”.
When I asked what an Adelaide audience could expect from the Jezabels Hayley assured me they always play to the best of their ability and the live show will have a lot of energy because of how important the album has become to the band. Given the uncertainty of health and life, however, Hayley unashamedly suggested that “if you were going to come out and see the Jezabels at any point this would be the tour”. Let’s hope Adelaide’s electricity grid is up for the challenge of hosting the Jezabels in full flight on October 19 at the Gov.
By James Hickey
THE JEZABELS+ Ali Barter
The Gov | Wed 19 Oct Tickets: $55 + booking fee Doors open 7.30pm
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