It speaks volumes for Hex Poseur that they’ve made such a fantastic impression on so many people so quickly. Just a handful of gigs into their career and the ripples they are causing in the music scene are tsunami like. A vehicle for the writing and performing talents of Harri Bettsworth the band, one that is very much a unit, also has Emily Alice and bass and Jacob Wakeling on drums. Harri and the guys chatted to Gary Trueman about the forming of Hex Poseur, musical inspirations and who would play the band in any future movie.
How did you guys get together? We’ve spoken to Emily before with her other band Alice’s Ants but Harri, you and Jacob have been off radar a bit
“Hex Poseur is kind of my alter ego, a thing I created about two years ago when I used to live in Cornwall. Then I moved back to Leicester and wanted to finda band. I found Emily on Facebook. Jacob’s friend responded to a drummer advert for Jacob. He was in a cast as he’d broken his arm. It was during Covid lockdown so I couldn’t audition in person. I had songs written so I sent them to him and he sent me a clip of him playing. He was playing with his cast on.”
It’s amazing you found a drummer just like that. They’re notoriously hard to find.
“It was a few months or so. I’d put up quite a few different adverts looking for a drummer. There was like none, the only ones I could find were 50 year old guys asking me to pay them. So when his friend messaged me he said I’m a bassist and my friend is a drummer. And I said well I don’t need a bassist but can I have your drummer haha.”
How would you describe your music. What sort of sound do you have?
“My biggest influence is P J Harvey, especially her first two albums. Then an amalgamation of other things, grunge and I like old school punk as well.”
So fast, aggressive and strong on melody?
“Yeah, that’s a good description. Punky attitude, but also…. complex. It’s interesting to play, more so than straight up punk.”
What about newer acts? Are there any emerging artists you’re seeing that you’re liking?
“The punk resurgence with bands like Slaves and Idles, they’re great. I really love this band called Amyl And The Sniffers, they’re one of my favourites at the moment. I’m getting quite inspired by them as well. Smaller bands on the scene, I really like Nova Twins and Saint Agnes.”
A lot of acts coming through are really starting to mix different parts of the music spectrum together. Do you think that’s an important thing, artists being adventurous and experimenting more?
“Yes, absolutely. It’s the most important thing in music to have a unique sound. There are a million rip off bands of other bands and they’re forgettable. Bands that have new cool sounds are really exciting.”
Have you got any music recorded? Are you about to record anything?
“There are Eps out on Spotify, but they are with my old band. There’s nothing with these guys as yet but we are planning to get some stuff recorded. We have tons of new material. Most of what we play is unreleased. We have loads ready to go.”
We’re starting to see things open up again now. You’ve started playing shows again. How are you finding the fit of your music with other acts you’re playing with?
“It’s mostly been really good. We’ve met a lot of really cool bands. They’re similar but not the same which works really nicely. We have had one or two gigs where the other bands are not the same. One we had was all acoustic before our act. We were on at the end and it was quite weird.”
Would you do an acoustic set if it was asked for?
“I have done that. There was a live stream thing during lockdown I was asked to do. Yeah, it worked fine, I’m not unhappy to do it but it’s not really my thing. Maybe every now and again though I’d do it.”
What gigs have you got booked?
“Quite often we get asked to do things last minute. That’s been happening quite a lot. A lot we’ve been getting booked two weeks before the gig. Most of the short notice ones have been pretty good. Coming up we have 29th October – Falmouth, Killigrew Inn, 1st November – Nottingham, the Chameleon, 25th November – Rhyl, Wales, the Late Lounge, 26th November- Colwyn Bay, Wales, the Pavillion, 1st December – Nottingham , The Angel Microbrewery, 11th December – Cardiff – The Moon.”
Where do your aspirations lie? Is there anywhere you’d love to play?
“I’ve always wanted to play Download because it’s my favourite festival. I don’t know if my music would fit really.”
What do you use as subject matter for your lyrics, what are you passionate about?
“I’m inspired by lots of different things. Feminist issues, some of my songs are personal, about mental health issues. My songs are… I don’t want to say political…currently relevant, more so than love songs and stuff like that.”
Regarding feminist issues, there was a lot of success a short while back with the #MeToo movement, a lot of misogyny is being called out now. We’ve seen a lot of actors being called out. It’s happening a little bit in music at the moment but do you think there’s a lot more to come?
“Absolutely, I think that loads of stuff that happened in the 2000s were swept under the rug. Maybe people thought it wasn’t a big deal back then but now they’re starting to think about it with the stuff that’s come out about people like Marilyn Manson. With gigs it’s easier for people to get access to vulnerable women that they can take advantage of. Quite often they’ll be under age. I do think there’s a real problem with that and people are afraid to call them out. I’m always waiting for more musicians to be called out. Being a woman in the music scene, you do have to be really cautious. My old bassist was sexually assaulted by another musician. It’s scary, you’re working with all these men and you don’t know who to trust. Me and Emily are always cautious of any guys.”
Do you get your ‘regulars’ at gigs, for want of a better word? Men you’re wary of.
“We’re starting to. We’re starting to get obsessive people. Some men will be very huggy after a gig and we’ve had a gig where one band were very touchy. They felt they could make inappropriate comments and touch Emily while she was performing. That really pissed me off. We are seeing it and more quickly than we’d have imagined.”
So imagine a few years into the future and Hex Poseur have got massive. They’ve decided to make a film about the band. Who would each of you want to play you in the movie?
Jacob: “I think he’d be a bit old but Dave Grohl could play me. I’d be quite happy with that. I think he’d do a good job. He’d be a bit taller than me though.”
Emily: “Courtney Love I guess.”
You could get her to put some red dreads in. This is turning out to be a film set in the future of the band all played by older musicians. So who’s going to play Harri, Brody Dalle maybe?
Harri: “A lot of people have said this to me (that there’s a resemblance). I’ll take it. Or maybe Kristin Stewart, she played Joan Jett. Do I have to have an older musician though? Hmmm, I’ll go with Brody Dalle I think.
Interview and photos by Gary Trueman