Sisterhood of the Travelling Oracles
My somewhat beautiful cousin, Daisy, was once told that she was ‘the type of girl you walk past and never forget’. Whilst slightly vomit-inducing, I believe that a compliment of this magnitude can also be applied to The Oracle Sisters. Once you’ve heard them, there’s no going back, they’re with you for the long-run and luckily their sound seems to be getting better with every release.
The wonderful wizards that make up the band are Lewis Lazar, Christopher Willatt and Julia Johansen. Geographically, the trio are a melting pot with roots in Denmark, Finland and the UK, but are currently residing in Paris. The last time we saw them was during their Last Bus Takeover, all the way from OFC Studios in heavenly Hydra (have a look here). The trio ooze all the right juices : folky melodies laid down with Chris’ timeless vocals, paired with jangling, hopeful guitars and enchanting harmonies from Julia and Lewis... And these are only their musical juices - visually they’re just as good.
I could very easily spend the rest of my life with The Sisters in charge. In charge of the sounds I hear, the smells I inhale, the things I see and the way I see them. I’ll take the risk of sounding slightly crazed because it has to be said : life through the Oracle lens is a beautiful one.
Our ears were treated to their latest EP, PARIS II, last week which blissfully carried us through the first glimpse of relaxed restrictions and radiant rays here in the UK. Alongside the EP they also released a video for ‘I Don’t Wanna Move’, directed by Victoria Lafaurie. In their own words, “We wanted to make an ode to performers, actors, mimes and the like during the lockdown. This is what we could get away with.”
As if life for us Oracle fans couldn’t get better, they also just announced their biggest UK headline show to date at The Old Blue Last, in partnership with SO YOUNG MAGAZINE. Get your tickets here and buckle up for an inevitable summer of love.
We caught up with 1/3 of the band, lovely Lewis all the way from La Ferme Records in France, where they’re currently recording their debut album, to talk about breakfast preferences, the island of Hydra & PARIS II. Head to our Instagram to see their week in photos.
How would you describe your last week?
Thrilling, suspended in thought, sleep paralysis.
You must be feeling relieved, joyous, and beyond excited at your beautiful EP now being out there… Any unexpected feelings?
It's honestly a relief, we carry it like the weight of a secret for months before it comes out. So we're happy to that it can swim some, there are some honest songs on there, at least one.
What is each of your favourite tracks on PARIS II?
Lewis: La Ferme Song
Chris: I Don't Wanna Move
Julia: The Dandelion
Manager: Honey Moon
Doctor: If I Was Yours
If the EP was a person, what would their name be and what would they wear?
It would be a man with a monkey pointing the way forward who knows best. Wearing a winter cap, holding a bucket of paint in the rain, who could whistle and speak to birds. He wouldn't have a name.
What’s your favourite part of being in the band; the writing, the recording or the performing?
Well all of it, the writing is magical in its inception, the recording can be the same way and the performing… you luck out on moments where you disappear entirely in to the music. All the categories risk tediousness and hard work to get to that kind of thing.
Last time we heard from you was during your Instagram takeover from Hydra. Is it as magical as it seems? Were you recording the EP there?
We were there for around 2 months, recording for 3 weeks doing our first album. The EP was recorded earlier last year so it was entirely new songs that haven't been released yet. It's indeed magical, especially the further you walk up from the port towards Mount Eros…
As I’ve already said, I could absolutely spend the rest of my life with you three in charge. In charge of sights, smells, sounds, everything. Where do you draw your visual inspirations from?
That's a very great responsibility you would be bestowing upon us and beyond what we could honour I'm sure... In our music we present the best of hundreds of discarded remnants of ideas and the same with what we do visually, the cutting floor is a mess and immense.
What, if anything, is something you’ve learnt over lockdown?
How to cook, to produce music better I think... Cyanotypes have also been a thing.. a lot has happened. We haven't learned Japanese yet but we've been recording and writing a lot.
A YouTube comment under Asc. Scorpio reads “this is what it feels like to walk at night while being in love” … What song makes you feel like this?
Homeless Wanderer - Tsege Mariam Gebru
Little Bit of Rain - Karen Dalton.. something like that.
Pretty Saro - Bob Dylan
Meet Me In The City - Junior Kimbrough
Bruca Manigua - Ibrahim Ferrer
Corrina, Corrina - Bob Dylan
What’s your favourite feeling?
True love.
What do you have for breakfast?
If the band invited you over for breakfast you'd get:
fluffy pancakes,
home made muesli,
Bloody Mary,
raspberry and banana and smoothie,
and a spoon of olive oil.
Have you ever played at the Troubadour in London? If not, we’re going to make this happen. That place seems like it was made for you.
We actually did play there, next to Earl's Court? Me and Chris played there before we started the Oracle Sisters some years ago with Gordon Raphael, we each did a solo set and some songs all together. It was a lovely night. We actually wrote two songs together just for that gig and Gordon said ..."you two should start a band". So I guess we can thank him somewhat, we did reunite and start a year or two later.
Who have you been listening to recently?
Tonight has been Shirley Collins, Snooks Eaglin and Leon Redbone
Picture this: It’s your first big post-COVID night-out. Where are you off to and what are you going to do?
If we can do a concert we're happy… If we can't, a night at the museum surrounded by strangers swirling around suspended in some kind of disbelief.
It’s the end of the night. You’ve made it onto the Last Bus home. What are you listening to?
Stardust - Willy Nelson
