“Self releases are always pretty intense.” Harriet Doveton of Colour Me Wednesday: The GWG Interview!

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I got chatting to Harriet Doveton co-frontwoman and guitarist of DIY Indie Pop band Colour Me Wednesday over on our twitter. She told me that Colour Me Wednesday are about to launch the pre-order of their new album [album #2] – the name of which is so far a mystery and to be revealed after the pre-order during the release in April. I was intrigued and we decided to set up an interview. Our new writer Kelly Ronaldson was originally going to do the interview as she loves Colour Me Wednesday, but when Harriet Dovetown popped up to chat on facebook, we ended up in a chat that naturally evolved into an interview. So here is how it went:

Harriet_Doveton

Colour Me Wednesday. Photo credit: Katie Gatt

Harriet Doveton: Hey!

Hannah Golightly: Hey. How are you?

Harriet: Good thanks! Work got cancelled today haha. So trying to get through this mountain of album stuff.

HG: Yay! An extra day off!!! What album stuff are you working on today?

Harriet: Finishing off our pre order shop, ordering clothes for a photoshoot, lining up more press things.

HG: Sounds pretty fun actually! How’s it going?

Harriet: Pretty good. Self releases are always pretty intense. Like I usually write a list to Make myself feel better but then the list kept on going and going. And it made me feel worse haha. But all worth it.

HG: ha ha I am terrible with lists. If I write it on a list, I am not getting that thing done! ha ha I’m a bit weird like that I think. I have to do everything as soon as it pops into my head or it won’t get done. So what is top of your to-do list for the self release?

Harriet: Well we’ve finished recording and our producer starts mixing on Monday. But artwork is a big priority, photoshoot for the album. And then just finishing up the shop so everything is running smoothly. Got loadsa merch up there and bundles.

HG: Where did you record the album? Who produced it?

Harriet: In Leeds with a guy called MJ. His producer name is ‘Suburban Home.’ He’s great.

HG: Cool. What kind of sound would you say this record has?

Harriet: I’ve been describing it as Sinister Pop haha. Basically all the songs are essentially pop.

HG: Oooh Sinister Pop! Sounds enticing!

Harriet: But we’ve done heavier guitar stuff and dynamics on this record.

HG: Ooh I love some heavy guitars!

Harriet: Yeah, we were inspired by Wolf Alice and also a lot of 90s female fronted grunge like Juliana hatfield, Belly.

HG: Love those bands! Was it a conscious decision to go heavier with the guitars or a natural progression that evolved?

Harriet: Well I think I’ve always been into slightly heavier Guitar parts and solos but I guess I felt like I was still Progressing as a guitarist. So perhaps held back a bit before.

Harriet Doveton of Colour Me Wednesday

HG: I think all guitarists are always progressing.

Harriet: With this record I’ve really gone for it and my confidence has shot up.

HG: I’m really excited to hear it now!

Harriet: Yeah totally.

HG: That’s amazing. Like you’re leveling up.

Harriet: Haha yeah exactly. Always a nice feeling.

HG: What guitar did you use on this record?

Harriet: Well live I always use My fender telecaster thinline. Which I used a bit on this record.

HG: Nice.

Harriet: But I also used my Gibson Melody Maker quite a lot. And MJ’s jazz master, Jaguar. And his telecaster.

HG: I never knew Gibson did a guitar called Melody Maker– that’s the name of one of the biggest music magazines in the UK in the Nineties! And last night we just published a guest blog from Everett True– one of Melody Maker‘s most famous rock critics! Nice. You said you went heavier… what pedals or amps did you use to do that?

Harriet: Yeah I have some old Melody Makers my dad gave me! Got some cut outs on my wall of Juliana Hatfield and Evan dando from them haha. Everett true is great. He likes my other band the Tuts!

HG: Amazing!

Harriet: We used a bunch of pedals. I like the Full Tone OCD. And I’m obsessed with my EarthQuaker fuzz pedal ‘Spires.’

HG: He’s always been a feminist writer and supporter of women in music! One of the many reasons we are so excited to have him contribute!

Harriet: I’m on their website as they chose me as a medallion member! I used the Spires pedal a lot on the record.

HG: Yeah, I have come across the OCD… if my memory is correct, I think Skating Polly may have been using one when we played together. So cool!

Harriet: I also used a pedal called Broadcast (it was Mj’s) I loved it.

HG: If you ever fancy reviewing any of their pedals for us we would love to feature them! We love gear reviews written by women!

 

Harriet Doveton sent me this screenshot picture of her Broadcast Pedal.

HG: What does the Broadcast do?
Harriet: Skating polly are a great band. Played with them once.
HG: Yeah they are my favourite band since Hole and Nirvana. Amazing! Was that with Colour Me Wednesday or with the Tuts?
Harriet: The broadcast pedal works as a kinda boost for clean but also has an amazing overdrive setting. The tuts! Was in 2016 I think.
HG: Cool. Was that at the London show? With Hands Off Gretel?
Harriet: Yep. Yeah!
HG: I was almost on that bill as well!!!
Harriet: Haha really?
HG: But I ended up playing the Cardiff date instead! Yeah.
Harriet: Ahhh right. That’s cool!
HG: Yeah was the best gig of my music career as an artist.
Harriet: Amazing. I’d like to hear your stuff.
HG: I’ve semi-retired but there are some youtube videos around still. I was a massive bedroom muician and YouTuber with my music at one point!

Colour Me Wednesday playing live

Harriet: Nice! Im kinda fascinated by the YouTube profession. How it starts off the ultimate form of diy and then can go huge.
HG: Yeah, youtube is pretty big these days.
Harriet: But still remains in bedrooms often.
HG: Yeah. So tell me about your photoshoot for the album….
Harriet: Haha ok. Well we’re still planning it. We’re going for sorta orange/pale pink vibes, photographed in mine and Jen’s hometown Uxbridge.
HG: Oooh lovely. Do you mean with your clothes or with the camera filters?
Harriet: But I also wanna get some more close up black and white Nineties vibes pics. Clothes mostly. But also Location. Buying clothes and returning them haha. The working class way.
HG: haha Very resourceful! But also, maybe you can ask them to donate clothes as they will be getting publicity?
Harriet: Yeah I deffo wanna do that but I think that’ll work more when the album pre order is up and there’s a buzz. All about timing. Like for company’s to have incentive. And right now it’s sorta the calm before the storm.
 
HG: Yeah maybe… but they can always take a chance on you too.
Harriet: Hopefully! I’ll deff give it a shot.
HG: Are you excited for the pre-order launch?
Harriet: I am but very nervous.
HG: Why?
Harriet: It’s been five years since our first album. And back then it was just sorta like.. we recorded at home. And put it out there. Did a tour. Like social media wasn’t as big then in terms of promo. Now I’m more tuned into the industry and social media stuff. And algorithms lol.. the worst.
HG: I remember that Tour… I wanted to go see you at Retro Bar in Manchester I think, but I couldn’t get there. Yeah.
Harriet: Ah really! It was our first ever tour as a band. Very early days. So yeah now everything feels a bigger deal.
HG: What did that experience teach you and what was your best memory from that tour?
Harriet: It actually introduced me to the punk DIY scene.
Self releases are always pretty intense.
HG: Cool.
Harriet: And I’ve kept a lot of the same contacts since. Taught me about DIY bookings of tours and how doable it is. Before that we’d just stepped into the Indie Pop scene.
HG: That sounds empowering.
Harriet: So that tour was a sorta realisation that we fit in these two scenes.
HG: Awesome.
Harriet: And that felt good. Even if those scenes aren’t perfect.
HG: Yeah.
Harriet: There’s some real loyal people in them though. And cool stuff happening.
HG: Yeah. So tell me, where is your pre-order taking place? Where is it gonna be available?
Harriet: Okay so it’s gonna be on my Dovetown shop (our DIY label.) I’m trying to sort out the domain. Basically, our old drummer has rights to it. And won’t reply me. Annoying men.
HG: I see. haha.
Harriet: Seriously like a man holding a woman’s domain at ransom seems like a cliché storyline lol. Anyway it’ll be up on the 23rd March. About 11am [GMT UK time. 7am EST US time on March 23rd.]
HG: Yeah. Awesome.
Harriet: I will send you the link in advance.
HG: Thank you! Ok I have to go now. Thank you for this.
Harriet: Thanks for chatting! If you have any more questions or wanna clarify anything just message me.
The mystery-titled as yet known as ‘album #2’ by Colour Me Wednesday is available for pre-order here now on DIY label Doveton records. 

Harriet_Doveton_Colour_Me_Wednesday

About The Author

hannah

Hannah Golightly founded GrrrlsWithGuitars in 2016. She is a riot grrrl musician, singer, guitarist and drummer from the UK. She has been a music critic and rock writer for over eight years and has previously written for collapseboard.com for six years, godisinthetvzine.co.uk, mother's pride zine and vulturehound.com. She has a passion for guitars and amps and owns a lot of them! She is passionate about promoting and helping grrrls and women play guitar and form bands. She loves female rock musicians' music and he favourite band is Skating Polly. She believes that a grrrl with a guitar can change the world!

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