The working wardrobe: Ellie Rowsell

It’s been five years since critically acclaimed British rock band Wolf Alice first played Glastonbury’s fabled Pyramid Stage, and four since they released their second album, Visions of a Life, which went on to win the music industry’s illustrious Mercury Prize. Despite these dizzying career milestones, lead singer and guitarist Ellie Rowsell maintains that the band’s latest offering, Blue Weekend, will see the group reach new heights: “We haven’t drastically changed direction [with the new album], but we’ve progressed. It’s some of our best work. Our sound is bigger, grander and more emotive.” Judging by the rapturous reception new singles including Last Man On Earth and Smile have received, Rowsell’s instincts are spot on. There’s no doubt that the band’s legions of fans will be clambering to hear these poignant and powerful tracks live, filling stadiums and festival tents as soon as it’s possible to do so.

But while Rowsell might be itching to get back on stage and flex her vocal range – which oscillates effortlessly between ethereal and ear-piercing – she’s actually more comfortable out of the spotlight. Softly spoken and self-deprecating, Rowsell maintains that despite her stratospheric success, she finds it easy to keep a low profile. “The media doesn’t have much interest in me. I don’t feel famous.” It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that although she’s often billed as the ‘front woman’ of the band, Rowsell paints a much more egalitarian picture. “No one can have too much of an ego – we’re a team and we don’t work without any one person.” However, to confuse Rowsell’s reserve for reticence is a mistake. In February this year, in light of numerous allegations of sexual abuse concerning Marilyn Manson, Rowsell publicly detailed an encounter during which he allegedly assaulted her – adding exigence to the increasingly pertinent conversations surrounding consent and accountability.

Rowsell grew up in north London surrounded by music; before rock, she played traditional Irish music for 10 years and sang in a community choir. Later, as a teenager, it was a friend’s big sister who introduced her to bands like The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs – discoveries that coincided with Rowsell beginning to write her own music. Initially, she roped in friends, but as they moved on, Rowsell’s fervor only increased – “I tried to grow out of it, too, but I didn’t find anything I enjoyed as much.” Rowsell was searching for like-minded music lovers when she co-founded Wolf Alice in 2010. Eleven years on, and with almost 500 million worldwide streams under the band’s collective belt, it’s fair to say she found them. Read on to discover her career and style secrets…

“During my career, questions on inclusivity and visibility have become bigger conversations over the years, so I’m hopeful that we’re moving in the right direction – but I don’t know if any of these proposed changes are being implemented right now. Some of the recent festival lineups that have been announced here in the UK are absolutely ridiculous in terms of gender equality, so it’s still not clear whether all this talk is just that – talk.”

“The first time I really started thinking carefully about the clothes I wore was quite late into my career. Even when I first started playing shows, I’d just wear whatever I happened to have on that day – I didn’t put much thought into it. At the beginning, I would’ve happily worn pajamas on stage but, as things started taking off, I realized I should start putting a little more thought into it and taking inspiration from musicians whose look I admire, like PJ Harvey. I don’t care about being on trend; I do love how of-the-moment fashion can act as a marker in time, but my personal style is really built around classic pieces. These days, with the prevalence and pre-eminence of social media, fashion is a huge part of music – there’s more pressure to have a distinct aesthetic.”