The Lovegoods,
June 26, 2017, marked 20 years since iconic wizard Harry Potter was first created by celebrated author J.K Rowling. Rowling got the idea on a train trip creating Harry Potter in a small café in Edinburgh, Scotland.
It all began with “Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone” featuring the young wizard and his beloved pals attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry — like the Hardy Boys detectives stories meets British children’s author Enid Blyton with a magical zing of C.S. Lewis and J. R. R Tolkien.
The Harry Potter series became a global phenomenon selling over 450 million copies worldwide in 79 languages. It also generated a major movie franchise, and a theatre production. The books continue to enchant readers of all ages including singer-songwriter Elsa Jayne.
“I remember when I was doing my other music project,” says Jayne, who was inspired to do a wizard rock project last year when she was playing in Montreal.
“I was thinking of things that I want to do when I get home to Ontario and I thought I am just going to do it. I am going to have a wizard rock band. I had been listening to a band called Harry and the Potters for years. And they started the genre “wizard rock.” Harry Potter is something that I love. It makes me happy and I wanted to delve into something a bit more rock-y. I was jamming at church with Lovegood members (Jayne’s partner) Graham Ruck, Graham Watson, and another guitarist. I said ‘Hey guys. This is a kind of random. I have a Harry Potter song. I said, ‘Do you want to hear it?’ and they said ‘Yeah!’ So I played it and they started jamming with me. It actually sounded really good,” recalls Jayne with a laugh. “So off the cuff I asked the guys to join the band and (abracadabra!) they said yes. And I thought ‘Oh no what have I done?’ and now here we are,” she says with another laugh, adding she is from Hogwarts House Hufflepuff.
Hence the band song “Hufflepuff Anthem” — based on the Rowling’s Sorting Hat lyrics which sorts out the various houses for the Hogwarts students.
The Lovegoods have a fierce and quirky punk sound. Jayne’s come-hither highoctave hardcore vocals are inspired from New York indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, especially lead singer Karen O.
The band name is taken from Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood — a zany Rowling character who is always true to herself.
“Though it is very hard for me to pick, I also enjoy Luna’s character because people underestimate her,” notes bassist Graeme Ruck of Hogwarts House Ravenclaw. “She knows what is going on more than anyone else and is very accepting of other people, other creatures as well. She has a handle on reality and the super-reality around her accepting it all as equal.”
“I like the Weasley Twins (Fred and George),” adds drummer Graham Watson a member of Hogwarts House Gryffindor. “The Weasleys are very enjoyable especially if you are into the books. They are a dramatic exit from Harry Potter in fifth book (“Order of the Phoenix”). That was probably my fave scene in the whole series,” he adds.
Lovegoods song “Werewolf ” is based on Hogwarts professor Remus Lupin.
“The song is actually about his childhood at Hogwarts,” explains Jayne eagerly. “Severus Snape was a student at Hogwarts. He was a professor too. When he was a student he was very interested in this little group of friends that Remus Lupin was in. He caught on that Remus was a werewolf. So it is all about Remus being a Werewolf and then (Harry’s good pal) Hermoine — also a very quick one — thinking the same thing later on. And she was right! It is just a fun song about all of the adventures that they have at school as the lyrics outline: “I can see what is happening every full moon. We don’t care. We have had our share of monsters at this school,” adds Jayne.
Other Lovegoods songs include “Share My Toilet” (based on Rowling character Moaning Myrtle), “Hogwarts is My Home” and “Wracksprurts.”
The album was produced by the band then mixed and mastered by Jayne.
“My first album was pretty rock-y. Then I left that for a bit. I have always missed it. So I wanted to have a project with this kind of style. It’s really fun to rock out with these guys,”
“I don’t know if I have a fave character,” notes Jayne girlishly, adding Luna Lovegood is definitely her favourite character in the books, “But whenever I go to parties I like to make up my own character because I would like to picture myself in that world!”