Bastette have really gained a lot of momentum this year, but who could blame them after a year and a half of being stuck inside? They returned to Sheffield with a vengeance a couple of weeks ago, playing an incredible set to open up Rockin’ The Bowl festival. We got the chance to speak to Caroline, the frontwoman of the band, after their set to get a better feeling of where the band are heading and chat about their latest EP release.

How was the set?

It was fab! It was great to be on a big stage in front of a load of people. Rockin’ The Bowl is a great festival and what better way to come back to live music!

We haven’t played the festival before. We were just getting going and then COVID hit. We’re back to it now, we’re back rolling with gigs and this is the first festival we’ve actually done since COVID.

Are you on tour now?

We’re going on tour with Marisa and the Moths in November. Our next gig is with Massive Wagons in Liverpool and then we have gigs through October but I wouldn’t call it a tour, then we go on tour mid-November.

I don’t think we’re in Sheffield again but we are in Leeds next year! We are stopping in the likes of Reading, Nottingham, Bradford (which isn’t too far) and the dates just keep rolling then!

You’ve said you’ve had a couple of gigs back, how have they been? Have you struggled to get going again?

Not really! Straight out of the gate, lets go baby, lets go! I know that other people have been apprehensive and that is a perfectly fine reaction but from my point of view I was climbing the walls like ‘let me at it!’

How would you describe your sound? It sounds a fair bit different from a lot of the bands on the bill!

Well it’s pop-rock or rock-pop depending on the song you listen to. I have never tried to sound like another artist, I like to take influence from lots of different artists and mash them together. [An example would be] Lady Gaga and Halestorm. But also if you listen to the early Bastette stuff there’s a bit of country influence there. I wouldn’t say there is in the newer stuff but the first EP there was definitely some Shinia Twain! There is no point in trying to be what has already been, because what has already been is the best it’s going to be. Can you beat Aerosmith and Guns N’Roses? No, because they are the best. So you have to try and be yourself, which is what I’m trying to do with the music being created.

Unfortunately you are one of the few female artists during the weekend. How has it been?

I mean it is what it is and you’ve got to look at the audience and look at the amount of male bands vs the amount of female bands. If you look at the percentage of male bands in the rock world it’s maybe… let’s say it’s 70% vs the 30% female. But, at the end of the day, females are getting their voice still heard and they are getting out there but you just have to push. You have to be louder than everyone else and that is what I’m trying to do! You’ve gotta have something that people go ‘Damn, I wanna watch/listen to that!’ I think there is a stigma around all the male vs female stuff and there is sexism in the industry, there is, but we’ve fought it before and we’ll fight it now. I don’t see myself, as a woman, as being disadvantaged because I look at it and go ‘well have I not worked for it? Have I not tried just as hard as everyone else?’ So you’ve just got to keep on trying. If there are obstacles you move past them.

How was the recording the EP?

It was strange because half of it was recorded before lockdown and it had different songs and we were just ready to go with it but we couldn’t do the videos. It was like there wasn’t much point; if you can make the videos and you can have a good of it and you can have a plan, it’s better to have it planned out. I got involved with Rock People Management throughout lockdown and Terrie’s great, she’s really helped guide me through properly releasing and getting rolling. So the new videos are hopefully better than the last, the new songs are hopefully better than the last – you’ve just gotta keep progressing and keep rolling.

Is there a particular theme for this EP?

It’s called ‘Bastette: Exposed’, so I’m exposing my life to you, darling! It’s about confronting things that have happened in your life that have dragged your down, made you feel bad, and accepting it and moving on with it. I suppose it’s about being a bit more vulnerable and there are certain songs where you’re taking back the power from feeling crushed.

We really received some awesome, optimistic words from Caroline. You can order their latest EP from their website and check out their tour listing there too. The band are not to be missed, so I would seriously consider checking them out if they are playing nearby!

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