New London dance collective NOVACANE look set to becoming Ibiza sensations with their debut single, "Love Be My Lover" just released on SONY offshoot Direction Records. TIM PEACOCK talks to NOVACANE'S vivacious vocalist PENNY STEVENS KELLER and investigates further.
Although this writer wasn't altogether convinced by NOVACANE'S new single, "Love Be My Lover", the one aspect that really struck him was PENNY STEVENS KELLER'S gorgeous vocal. Speaking to PENNY herself, it's difficult not to warm to her, such is her infectious charm.
I'm here to (hopefully) dismantle the idea that NOVACANE are just another faceless dance trio, but a real band with a future. After a chat with PENNY, my opinions are rather more positive. Let's firstly talk about PENNY'S own fascinating past, though. For instance, she's actually an American, though you'd hardly know it after years of London life. Do you remember anything about your early years in Illinois, Penny?
"Not that much, really," she replies. " I was about five when I came over. The thing is, I know I can go over anytime and pick up with my relatives, so I've kind've put it on hold."
"I feel I'm too much a part of London," she continues, "though I'm thinking of getting out of the East End. It's too industrial here…not enough greenery around me!"
Meanwhile, PENNY'S musical aspirations were taking shape at a very formative age as her Mum was a piano teacher and the pre-teen Penny was trained vocally, yes?
"No, actually I wasn't trained," denies Penny. "My family are strict Catholics, and while I've personally moved away from that, I was in the choir at an early age and absolutely surrounded by music."
"My Mum always said I could play and sing before I learnt to construct sentences," she continues, laughing. "I loved classical, plus jazz and I even had an ELVIS PRESLEY fixation for a while!"
I'm told TCHAIKOVSKY'S a big thing with you?
"Yeah, well Classical music of all kinds, really. I think Trance is similar to Classical, actually. It both relaxes me and keeps me focussed. TCHAIKOVSKY, though…I listen a lot when I'm hoovering, like in "MRS. DOUBTFIRE.""
I must admit that's one crossover axis that hadn't occurred to this writer. Time to get more low down on NOVACANE as people, though, seeing as they also include DJ JOHNNY VAUGHAN and samples/ electronics whiz SAM SPACEY. How did all this get off the ground, Penny?
"Well, when I finished University, I got into doing sessions, backing vocalist for hire etc," hoots Penny. "The link with JOHN was because he went out with my sister. He was looking for a vocalist for one of his many projects…my sister mentioned me and I tried out. NOVACANE, though, really started when JOHN met SAM in a club. The two of them hit it off and we just clicked as a trio, really. We've been working ever since, really."
NOVACANE announced their presence recently with their debut single, "Love Be My Lover." In her Press Bio, PENNY'S quoted as saying she "can't wait to get to Ibiza." Has she previously experienced the ultimate clubber's island before?
|
"No, I haven't actually," she admits. "Ironically, I've probably been everywhere else in Spain."
"I doubt I'd just go for a holiday there," she considers, "but from a clubbing point of view. We do loads of clubs here and somehow, I think Ibiza would eclipse all that. I'm not gonna lie, I mean I love all the sand and sea.
"It's very competitive, though," she muses. "John (Vaughan) has done it for 13 years, he really knows the form and he says it can be pretty brutal. If we can get a slot, though, it'll be amazing, I reckon…at the very least a learning experience.
Just to jerk PENNY away from thoughts of sun, sea and sangria, though I ask her what we can expect from future NOVACANE releases. When you get to album time, will we get a rather more varied collection rather than just upbeat house?
"We've got literally loads of songs," enthuses Penny. "We've been recording more songs recently, actually. Style-wise, it's quite a mixture. Sam's the creative one in that area. He's the type of person who'll call you at 3AM when he's got an idea and can't wait to try it out on you. He's very rock 'n' roll…he thinks nothing about staying up all night running with his ideas."
On the subject of NOVACANE as a serious band with a future, though, PENNY is rightly adamant.
"We've no intention of being one-hit wonders, that's for sure," she says without hesitation.
"We're not used to doing regurgitated rubbish. We want to try other things, bring in other instruments and so on. We're not just a synth band, we want to explore other areas. Dance can be faceless, I agree, but with NOVACANE there's definitely something there, definitely a sound of our own!"
Besides, judging by PENNY'S burgeoning CV, she's plainly not interested in sitting on the sidelines forever.
"I was in loads of musicals when I was younger, and I was briefly in "VELVET GOLDMINE" (JONATHAN RHYS MAYER'S recent Glam-based flick featuring the likes of EWAN McGREGOR). Mind you, I'm only in it for a few seconds and very heavily made up. I love all the Glam Rock stuff, though. It makes sense to sample it as well. I wouldn't hoover to it though!"
Maybe not. But if PENNY STEVENS KELLER'S voice and charisma are allowed free rein, then NOVACANE could well be hoovering up the accolades. Let's give them the chance to take us to the cleaners.
|
