FEATURE: Spotlight: Heartworms — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Heartworms

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I am featuring an artist…

who has not released a tonne of material yet, but this is someone that people are excited about and tipping for big success. Jojo Orme is Heartworms. Even though many have labelled Heartworms as a band, it is essentially a solo project. Last year’s single, Consistent Dedication, and this year’s Retributions of an Awful Life are signs and proof that Heartworms is one of the most exciting acts of this year. Her new E.P., A Comforting Notion, is out today via Speedy Wunderground, and has gained some incredible reviews. Before getting to interviews that look at Heartworms’ music inspiration and direction, and the military-inspired and themed look that Jojo Orme adopts, I wanted to get a feature from Fred Perry. We get some quickfire questions and answers with the brilliant Heartworms:

“Name, where are you from?

My name is Jojo Orme aka Heartworms, from North London.

Describe your style in three words?

Gothic Military Fairy? Rather indecisive…

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Let’s see… too many to choose from, I’ve decided to go with one I went to by myself on a whim at Water Rats in Kings Cross a few years ago. One of my most treasured bands The Jacques were playing and two other bands supporting them were Damefrisør and Jean Penne. It was the first time I saw all three bands live. I fell in love with them all, being on my own made it so much more electric, I was so taken by Damefrisør’s set, the performance was beyond compare, powerful with a touch of reassurance, I left smiling so hard and gazing at all the photos I took on the way back home. I was too shy to talk to any of them that evening though so tell them how much they made my evening.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history

Definitely Interpol and PJ Harvey. Interpol because I feel we would have similarity in the audience but also Mr Banks and I would get on very well in a room, share cool lyrics with each other, maybe have a jam or two… maybe become best friends… I nominate 'Leif Erikson' by Interpol, top-notch lyrics, truly besotted. PJ Harvey of course, need another powerful female artist other than myself to rule a line up right? She’s a huge influence on my aesthetic and confidence in being a female songwriter and the brainchild of what I do.

A song that defines the teenage you?

'I Might Be Wrong' by Radiohead.

One record you would keep forever?

'Wincing The Night Away' by The Shins.

A song lyric that has inspired you?

"Ich möchte ein Eisbär sein im kalten Polar"

From 'Eisbär' by Grauzone.

The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?

'The Devil Ain’t Lazy' by Pokey LaFarge.

A song you wished you had written?

'Working for The Man' by PJ Harvey.

Best song to turn up loud?

'Der Telefon Anruf' by Kraftwerk.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?

'Men Awel Marah' by Amr Diab”.

Even if Heartworms is not a great name, the music is definitely not! There are a couple of older interviews with Heartworms, but most of the focus was from last year. I am going to end with sections of an interview from this year. Last year, Loud and Quiet spoke with an artist who finds a lot in military history and aesthetics that makes her feel very grounded. It is a fascinating aspect of someone whose music has such an amazing power and impact:

“Heartworms’ ‘Consistent Dedication’ music video is a black-and-white gothic tableaux; Jojo Orme, the musician at the heart of the project, performs to the song hypnotically, concealed coldly behind a pair of sunglasses. The project’s only officially released single so far, the track writhes with a tense post-punk backing and twisted imagery. But the Heartworms name isn’t just nightmare for the sake of nightmare; I had assumed it was chosen to fit in with the rest of the project’s macabre imagery, but it’s actually derived from the name of the sunny 2017 album by The Shins, a band Orme holds close to her heart. It’s a nice analogue to the dark, cryptic exterior that belies an open friendliness at Orme’s centre – when we chat over Zoom, I’m surprised that she speaks dreamily and earnestly, exuberant with passion. This is a person who leaps out of her seat several times during our interview to show me the things in her room related to my questions, from Post-Its of her poetry to her drawings of Spitfires. When I ask her about her obsession with the latter, she answers, in sincerity, “I’ve been struggling with a lot for a very long time. And I found something [military imagery and history] that makes me feel very grounded.”

Choreographically, Orme’s live performance style is inspired by Prince and Michael Jackson, but she also mentions that she often tries to channel Aldous Harding, especially in terms of eye contact. I wouldn’t have expected Orme to name a folk singer rather than some gothic rock icon – but there’s that paradox behind the Heartworms name rearing its head again.

“[Harding] makes you feel quite uncomfortable, but you can’t stop looking at her,” Orme says admiringly. When I posit that there might be a connection between this and her lyrical fixation on eyes, Orme stops to consider it. “Maybe,” she muses. “I never thought about it. I like eye contact; there’s something quite nice about it. You’ll get to know a person in more depth if you actually look them in the eye. Some people just like to look around when they’re face to face with you.” I can’t help but suddenly recall her performance in ‘Consistent Dedication’s video, and how she manages to balance the clashing edges of darkness, playfulness and confrontation”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Camille Alexander

Last year, The Quietus also spoke with the amazing Heartworms. Following the release of her Speedy Wunderground debut, Consistent Dedication, Jojo Orme talked about the influence of everything from Scissor Sisters to Spitfires. I think that the rest of this year will see a couple of other tracks released. And maybe there will be announcement of an album. This is an artist/act that so many people are talking up and predicting massive things. I am relatively new to Heartworms’ music, but I am already hooked and really invested:

“2022 has been an amazing year for Heartworms. You signed to Speedy Wunderground, gave your inaugural Great Escape performance and released your official debut single, ‘Consistent Dedication’. How are you feeling?

Jojo Orme, Heartworms: I can’t even begin to put it into words, really. I’ve been manifesting all this in my head for so long. Speedy Wunderground was always my first choice of label to be with and I’d wanted to work with Dan Carey for a long time. I had all these things on my list of goals and I can’t believe they’ve actually happened! It’s overwhelming but I’m so happy and excited.

What’s left on that list?

JO: Playing shows in America, I’ve never been there before.

You’ve mentioned Interpol and PJ Harvey as some of your favourite artists. Listening to ‘Consistent Dedication’, however, I immediately heard echoes of The Cure.

JO: I like loads of different styles of music. When I sit down to write a song, I haven’t just listened to something and gone, ‘right, I’m going to do this’. I’d say it’s more that I’ve been listening to a lot of music and then be like, ‘ok, I’m feeling creative now. I want to write something’.

Everything I’ve listened to and loved over the years, is all just in my brain. That’s how I’ll have a particular sound or riff that’s similar to say Interpol or The Cure. Pornography by The Cure is one of my favourite albums of all time; it’s completely ingrained in my brain. Naturally then, something like that comes through in my music.

With ‘Consistent Dedication’, I was actually inspired by a funk guitar tone throughout ‘The Skins’ from the Scissor Sisters’ first album. When I heard that I was like, ‘I need to write a song with a funk guitar line’! That was one of the main influences for that song.

Military history is an integral component to the Heartworms aesthetic and your personal interests. You’ve been volunteering at the RAF Museum in London. When did your fascination for this strand of history begin and how’s it been going at the museum?

JO: I’m not there as much because of my music and everything that’s happening with it. The first thing I did with them was for The Queen’s Jubilee, which was quite fun! I worked in the kid’s tent and had my full military gear on. Being in the RAF Museum is perfect for me; to be surrounded by all the history.

My interest in military history began when I read The Code Book by Simon Singh and learned about the history of code breaking, like Alan Turing and the Enigma. From there I watched loads of documentaries and came across one called Spitfire [directed by David Fairhead and Anthony Palmer] which made me sob so much. I immediately fell in love with the Spitfire itself, that’s when aviation came into it and I learned all about all the World War II aircrafts. I went to Fairford with my mum for the Air Tattoo, or air show, and it was amazing.

I also collect loads of military clothes, proper 1940s pieces. I just get really excited about that stuff. I guess we all have something we love, don’t we? People do say that my aircraft obsession is particularly niche, though. There’s not too many people that share it. But yeah, I love it so much”.

I am going to end with a brilliant 2023 interview from DORK. I would urge everyone out there to go and check out Heartworms. I could not find an Instagram or TikTok, but there is a Twitter account. You can access the music via Spotify and YouTube, and I hope that more radio stations around the U.K. will play Heartworms’ music. BBC Radio 6 Music introduced me to her. North London’s Jojo Orme wants to play in America. I think there will be a lot of American dates very soon. Keep your eyes peeled for an artist who is going to go a very long way:

“With control over everything, from all aspects of the music through to the black-and-white colour aesthetic, Heartworms is very much a solo project for Jojo (the name was taken from the title of a record from The Shins). “I’m a solo artist,” she says. “I have my band, and they’re all close friends. Because I like it that way and we respect each other. But I want it to be solo for as long as possible because I enjoy it really, and I know that I can do it.” She laughs as she describes previous projects, including one called, wait for it, ‘Gloomy’. “Oh my god!” she remembers. “It’s so embarrassing, but when you’re young, you’re just like, ‘oh I want to be something cool’.” The name Heartworms jumped out at her, she says, a perfect name for something that could be both fun and dark. Pretty spot on, then.

Jojo has spoken in previous interviews about her experience at college in Stroud, where she studied Production and Performance. Today, she describes that time in her life as a form of “a systemic kind of sexism”, one where she was undervalued by the men on her course. “Coming from a small town, there wasn’t a lot of understanding or respect,” she explains, “I don’t blame anyone for it, but to experience it was very annoying because I knew what I was capable of, the music I could write.” Thankfully her tutors could see the potential too, and she was eventually awarded Student of the Year. “That was crazy because all of the guys were like…” she says with a side-eye before laughing. “If I can’t get something, then I make sure I fully get it, no matter how painful it is.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie MacMillann

Looking back on it now, she says that it trained her “not to depend on anything or anyone around me when it comes to reaching my goal”, an attitude that she still carries with her today. Eventually, London came calling as she describes waking up one morning and just knowing that it was time to move out of the small-town world.

Inevitably finding herself spinning around the South London scene, The Windmill in Brixton soon reared into view. “I remember going there for the first time and meeting Declan McKenna there,” she grins. “I used to listen to him all the time going to work on my bike, and there he was just pissed out of his face. I was like, The Windmill is SICK!” That first gig, with The Murder Capital and Italia 90 on display, lit a fire. “The South London scene got close to me, and I got closer and closer to South London,” she says. “And from then on, I was just obsessed with all the new music that was coming out.”

Writing the EP began just after lockdown ended, a period where anything and everything was poured into song. For example, ‘Consistent Dedication’ has a Rottweiler barking over a snare drum, to add some ‘bark’ to the song – Dork is trusting that this actually happened and isn’t a ‘and then Phoebe Bridgers walked into Shame’s studio’ type scenario. The title track began life as a poem that was itself inspired by the Communist Manifesto.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie MacMillann

“Not that I believe in it,” she states quickly as she explains where inspiration strikes from. “The original guitar line to ‘Retributions’ reminded me of a weird Playstation game called ‘Dynasty Warriors’,” she says. “But the songs themselves are all from my personal life and then things like historical metaphors. I do want to grow from the kind of military attire that I wear, though. I love it, I’m obsessed, but it can cause problems…”

As we move on, she talks about how inspiration can strike at all times, describing it at one point as like a sensory overload. She is about to move to the seaside for a writing period, so can we expect some peaceful beachside vibes to the next Heartworms material? The happy sound of a carousel, perhaps? “Yeah!” she nods. “But with someone screaming on it. And it’s going really fast!” Oh. Already inching towards her debut album, plans are slowly forming. As we chat, she brainstorms out loud to nobody in particular what she wants the record to sound, to feel like (classy, black and white, clean, but also messy – if you’re interested, which you very much should be). That mix of clean and messy is the perfect example of the contradiction that makes Heartworms so exciting. It’s present in how Jojo laughs her entire way through our chat (and later, the photoshoot), before instantly turning into the fearsome stage presence that has lit up so many shows (and again, the photoshoot). Taking her lead from people like Black Honey’s Izzy and Aldous Harding, it is a conscious act of making “the crowd feel something they wouldn’t feel if they met me for real”.

An artist who has released some amazing music and is getting heads turning, Heartworms is an absolute sensation! Fascinating and very different to anything out there, this is in no small part down to Jojo Orme. The London-based songwriter is so compelled to listen to and read about in interviews. A fantastic new E.P. has just arrived, and it is sensational! I am so many other people are anxious and excited to hear…