Punk party
Louise Distras talks about issues close to her heart
“I FEEL there are many misconceptions about homeless people and how they got into that situation.”
During a 40-minute phone conversation with Louise Distras she is every bit as passionate and raw as she is on all of her hard-hitting songs. The homeless crisis is something she’s particularly impassioned about, having experienced it herself as a teenager.
Regarded as one of the brightest upand-coming punk artists in the country, Louise is preparing for a big 2019.
She’s just released her Street Revolution EP, which is an appetiser for the full-length LP to come later this year.
Before that she’s embarking on a full UK tour which includes Newcastle’s Cluny 2 tomorrow.
However, she is never too busy to tackle social issues and the one that is particularly close to her heart.
Her tour is raising awareness, and money, for Musicians Against Homelessness, an organisation which works with the charity Crisis.
Homelessness is a problem that’s particularly prevalent in Newcastle. It’s hard to walk through the city centre without noticing it. How can this be happening in 2019?
“There is a lot of homelessness in this country right now, which is a direct result of austerity and all the cuts of this Tory government,” says Louise, never one to shy away from offering her thoughts, both in music and in interview.
“A big thing for me is trying to combat the stigma that is associated with homelessness. I think that would be a big step forward and it’s why I’m talking about it.
“My experience isn’t as extreme as other people’s and I recognise that I am really, really lucky.
“But I feel there are many misconceptions about homeless people and how they got into that situation. I know from personal experience that people’s perceptions aren’t always the reality.”
While she is passionate and energetic when talking about society and how to change it, her voice becomes more emotional when she reflects on her past.
“Musicians Against Homelessness is something very close to my heart because I ran away from home as a teenager and as a result I spent a lot of time living in very dangerous situations with strangers who took advantage of me because I was young and I was vulnerable.
“I’m from Wakefield – a small mining town which was completely decimated by Margaret Thatcher in the 80s, as were many small towns in the North of England. I was growing up in the aftermath of that in a single-parent family, in a town where there was a lot of anger, a lot of apathy and mass unemployment. Even today, youth unemployment in the North of England – in places like Wakefield and Newcastle – is far too high.
“I’m also half Greek and so I experienced a lot of racism growing up as well.
“When I became a teenager I just remember feeling really alienated and out of tune with everything. I was having a hard time at home and at school and there were these home, political and social issues going on that all rolled into one cataclysmic event that resulted in me running away from home.
“I spent a lot of time around strangers and being in dangerous situations. I didn’t necessarily realise I was vulnerable at the time because I was just focused on day-to-day survival and doing whatever I needed to do.
“But that did lead to me being taken advantage of.”
The reality of what Louise is referring to is quite harrowing and it feels inappropriate to probe any further than necessary. Her message has hit home and she is keen to point out that to her,
Music was my salvation. It saved my life and helped me get to where I am today Louise Distras
at that time being homeless felt like the best option, as it does to many in similar situations. Not a comfortable one, but the best one.
Thankfully for Louise, she found her way out of the situation. And it was thanks to music.
Music had always been a big part of her life and she says she first started playing guitar as a direct result of Nirvana’s Bleach.
She gives a rare giggle when recalling her past as she tells me about “bunking off school” with friends and instead hanging around, learning guitar and smoking.
“Basically, music was my salvation,” she says. “It saved my life and helped me get to where I am today.
“Music was always part of my life at that time and it was all that would get me through each day. I would take my guitar with me everywhere I went. Being able to escape into songwriting and guitar-playing was what got me through.”
While music helped Louise through her darker days, her true saviour came in the form of a social worker who began to work with her after she managed to get into sheltered accommodation. Before that she was actually told sleeping on friends’ bedroom floors would be far safer for her than being put in a youth hostel, and so that’s what she was forced to do until finding her way to the sheltered accommodation.
From there Louise got her own council flat and it was there she began to write music seriously, beginning work on her raw debut album Dreams From The Factory Floor, which is a very personal account of the experiences she had.
Writing music was like therapy rather than for any aspiration to make it as a musician, but suddenly the right people in the industry started to hear her work and began to get excited. She starting working with Steve Whale from The Business and he became her producer. Suddenly, Louise was regarded as one of the brightest up-and-coming punk artists in the country.
Endorsed by the likes of Frank Turner and Itch of the King Blues, Louise has been building a passionate fanbase and enjoying touring, never forgetting the past that got her where she is today.
“I came through it with the help of music and I managed to get myself a flat a couple of years ago so for the first time I’ve had a safe and relatively stable place to live for the past couple of years.
“I feel very lucky to be where I am now.
“As a result Music Against Homelessness is a cause very close to my heart and the aim of the shows is to raise awareness of it.
“We’re going to be providing a text number at the shows so fans can donate and we’ll provide more information on how people can help and get involved.”
The Street Revolution EP is available now on all major streaming sites. Tickets for tomorrow night’s Cluny 2 show are available from www.louisedistras. co.uk.