Warpaint

Fri 22nd Jul, 2011 in Features

Returning for Splendour in the Grass a mere six months after their Laneway visit, Warpaint are no strangers to Australia. Founding member Emily Kokal has fond memories of their first visit as part of Laneway: “I think at that point, we had never done anything like that. We hadn’t played at any festivals, or certainly not with a lineup like that, in the middle of the summer in Australia. It was really one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”

Since releasing their debut album The Fool in the October last year, Kokal and the three other ladies of Warpaint have been making a name for themselves at festivals around the world. When I speak to her, she’s on a short break at home before some European dates, including sets at Glastonbury and France’s Main Square Festival, where they will play alongside fellow Splendourites Coldplay and Elbow, as well as PJ Harvey, Portishead and Arcade Fire. It seems the hard work is finally paying off. “We’ve worked really hard and we’ve come to a place where we feel comfortable, comfortable enough to experiment and play around, try new things. It’s just great that we get such positive encouragement from people who listen to us.”

“You’re able to play your music for people and to have them respond, and it feeds you and you’re feeding them. It’s probably one of the greatest languages… It is the greatest language that exists: that dialogue you can have with music and the experience you can have with music and other people. We all feel pretty lucky that we get to do it, get to travel the world and come to Australia twice in one year. It feels really nice. It’s like a dream come true.”

I ask Kokal is she knows much about the other bands playing Splendour, half-expecting no knowledge. “I can’t wait to see Mars Volta, Pulp and Modest Mouse, and bands that I’ve actually seen before that I would really like to see and haven’t for a while. I get really excited to play and then I also just get really excited to see bands play.” The local hot-topic of price comes up, and Kokal is amazed but then justifies it: “That’s crazy… $500 is so much money. But it is huge… like, Modest Mouse isn’t even a top bill. Pretty incredible.”

Kokal picks up an interest in the festival and suddenly she’s interviewing me. “Do you like Splendour in the Grass as much as Laneway?” she asks. Kokal holds Laneway in high esteem, and I don’t want to give her any misconceptions about Splendour. It looks as if the festival has its work cut out to impress the Californians, though. “The [2011 Laneway] lineup was amazing. I just felt so lucky to see Deerhunter and Ariel Pink every night. I think it was the first time we felt… you know, you have these bands watching you and you’re playing these shows every night and you feel this healthy competition.”