better together
Meet Heather Golden Schwalb and Emma Rose Jenney, the NYC besties behind new band Beau
The childhood friends behind folk-rock act Beau.
DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND.
H: Dream rock.
HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE SIGNING TO KITSUNÉ?
H: With our friends and family, looking to the future. E: I was too nervous; I just started working twice as hard.
WHAT SONG HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST?
H: “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone. The way she scats at the end brings the melody full circle, like a sun rising. E: “Hospital” by The Modern Lovers. Jonathan Richman writes melancholic but sweet and humorous lyrics.
WHAT’S IT LIKE WORKING WITH A CHILDHOOD FRIEND?
H: It’s like a breath of fresh air, something familiar but new each time, and something I can’t live without. E: I couldn’t imagine touring, writing and performing alone. I know I would feel far too lonely.
FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIP MEMORY?
H: When Emma walked by in the school hallway, in an all-pink outfit, perking up as she skipped past me with not a care in the world.
E: When we first picked up a guitar. We had no idea what we were doing but couldn’t stop!
TELL US YOUR FIVE-SECOND LIFE STORY.
H: I grew up in New York’s Greenwich Village and my first job was working under a casting director searching for the next big thing.
E: I grew up in Greenwich Village, and worked at a small chocolate shop in Soho.
WHAT THREE THINGS DO YOU NEED WHEN YOU WRITE A SONG?
H: A pen, paper and a guitar. E: A broken heart, a glass of wine and a moment of solitude.
MAKING A MUSIC VIDEO IS…
H: ...the best feeling ever because you’re collaborating on a different level with an artist who gains inspiration from your music. It’s just like making a movie, but for your music! E: ...difficult at times because you don’t always have such a clear vision of what you want the song to look like on a screen.
WHOSE CAREER DO YOU WANT TO EMULATE?
H: Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. E: Leonard Cohen.
IN A NEW YORK HEATWAVE, I…
H: ...sit on a roof with a water fan and do nothing. Or go to Brighton Beach.
E: ...grab a black iced coffee and go to a friend’s rooftop and play some songs.
YOUR LAST MUSICAL DISCOVERY?
H: Miya Folick. The girl can sing, she can shout, she can dance. E: I played a saw for the first time last week. That was pretty amazing. I love its haunting sound.
THE LAST GIG YOU WENT TO THAT WASN’T YOURS?
H: Blood Orange during South By Southwest. E: When Ty Segall played at Baby’s All Right in New York not too long ago.
TRAVEL AROUND NEW YORK…
H: ...on foot because you won’t miss a thing and most likely will run into someone interesting.
E: ...on foot! There is so much life in this city it would be a shame to drive by any of it.
WHERE DO YOU GO TO PEOPLE-WATCH?
H: Caffe Reggio, 119 Macdougal Street. E: It has the best coffee on this planet!
FAVOURITE WEBSITE?
H: The New York Times. E: Fader, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone.
MOST LUSTED-AFTER LABELS?
H: Saint Laurent and Chloé. E: Gucci and Ralph Lauren.
PICK A DAVID: BOWIE OR LYNCH?
H: Bowie. E: Impossible!