It was about 18 months ago thatTime To Go Home,the second studio album from indie stalwarts Chastity Belt, was released to a strong critical reception.
Now, coming towards the end of its tour cycle, the band is striking while the iron is relatively hot and plotting out album number three. The group’s leader singer, Julia Shapiro, takes the call fresh from another recording session.
“We’re at a point where we have too many songs that we want to put on the album,” she says. “We went into the studio for about eight days at the end of July, and it just hit us that all of this material has been building up gradually. I think the oldest ‘new’ song that we’re looking at putting on the album started kicking around about two years ago”
Shapiro is unclear as to what direction the new record is going to take the band in. One thing is certain however, and that’s Chastity Belt’s refusal to stagnate. “I’m not interested in bands that put out the same record over and over again,” Shapiro says. “By that same token, I’m not interested in being in any band that does the same thing.”
“The four of us are growing and changing as people,” she continues. “I’d like to think that this new music we’re making is a reflection of that. I’m sure it’ll end up sounding similar, but my hope is that it will be different enough as an album for people to notice a change. I’m definitely already sensing a different vibe, though. It’s definitely going to be different to our last album, but I guess we’ll see in what way that happens.”
Chastity Belt formed in 2010, while its members – Shapiro, bassist Annie Truscott, drummer Gretchen Grimm and guitarist Lydia Lund – were taking classes at Whitman College in their hometown of Walla Walla, in the south west of Washington. The band’s profile has risen exponentially in that time, but it hasn’t been all that’s occupied Shapiro’s mind: in 2013, she formed Childbirth, a satirically-driven feminist garage-punk outfit that have now put out two studio albums, 2014’s It’s A Girl! and 2015’s Women’s Rights. These, coincidentally enough, closely coincide with the release of both Chastity Belt albums – their debut, No Regerts, came out some five months before It’s A Girl!.
“It’s been kind of challenging,” Shapiro admits. “It definitely has its setbacks. There’s been a lot of touring for me in the past year or so. It’s about sorting my priorities, mostly. Chastity Belt comes first, and it’s the band I put the most into. If there is down time away from Chastity Belt, that’s when Childbirth factors in.”
Not that Shapiro enjoys much downtime from Chastity Belt touring, by the by; the band have travelled to all corners of the world, and their work has even resulted in a few international exchanges of sorts. When asked about the stand-out moment of touring in support of Time To Go Home, Shapiro has an easy answer: their US run alongside our very own Courtney Barnett.
“On that tour, we played some of the biggest shows we’ve ever played,” Shapiro says. “So many of the shows were sold out, and it was an incredible thing to be a part of. That was crazy for us, and it was so much fun touring with her. I think she’ll be back in Melbourne when we’re in Australia, so I’m hoping we’ll get to catch up with her and the band then.”
Shapiro also points to a European jaunt – a first for the band – as a key highlight of touring in support of Time To Go Home. “It’s been cool to be able to travel and go places I’ve never been before – all because I’m in a band,” she says. “We seem to have a lot of fans over there, which is really amazing. It turned out great – it would probably have to be one of the chillest tours that we’ve ever done.”
Chastity Belt are looking to see off Time To Go Home with a maiden voyage to Australia next month, arriving in the country late September. The band’s dates are centred around Wollongong’s Yours And Owls weekend festival, which takes in a huge array of local and international artists – among them The Living End, Hermitude, The Sonics and Black Mountain; not to mention fellow American acts Bleached and The Coathangers – for what is sure to be one hell of a party.
“This will be my first time ever in Australia,” says Shapiro. “I’m really excited about it. We’ve heard such great things, and we’ve got some friends over there that we met while they were over here. My plan is to hang out for a week after the tour is over – I want to hang out, see the sights, go exploring. I don’t get the chance to do things like that all that often, so that should be really cool.” Shapiro is also adamant about not being a total seppo and learning a few more Australian phrases. “Courtney and her band taught me a bunch of them, so I’m going to have to brush up,” she laughs. “You guys say ‘sheila,’ right?”
Chastity Belt play at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday October 1, with Big White and Shady Nasty; and Yours And Owls 2016, Stuart Park Wollonging from Saturday October 1 – Sunday October 2.
