Girl bands, that’s who, but only if they are as good as Cryptic Street’s five-strong band of lady musicians. Ramona Depares interviews lead guitarist Janelle Borg ahead of the band’s debut EP launch.

In what must be one of the most original band births on record, the five-woman band Cryptic Street have their English literature teacher to thank for the band’s existence.

It all started when Janelle Borg (vocals, lead guitar), Julia Hickey (drums, vocals), Denise Gilford (keyboard, vocals) and Leona Farrugia (main vocals) were asked to adapt a poem to music as part of a school project.

From then on, Cryptic Street was born and – one change in line-up later with the addition of Cheyenne Belle Xuereb on bass – the ladies are now ready to release their debut EP, the title of which remains under wraps for now. The six-track collection will be launched during an event in Valletta that will incorporate both a live performance and other forms of art.

You’re an all-female group – was this a conscious decision or did it just happen?

It was more of a coincidence, since we all knew each other as friends before any of us joined the band. However, since the formula worked, after the line-up change, we made a conscious decision to choose a female bassist to complete the band’s image. It was a stroke of good luck that the other band members already knew Cheyenne from working together on other projects and she accepted to become part of the band.

How do you describe your style of music?

It’s alternative, with some elements from other genres. Since each individual member is inspired by various genres, we try to incorporate different elements to create an innovative sound.

The lyrics portray peculiar motifs such as the modern obsession with technology and data protection, our vulnerability when faced with pressure, the way the life of modern man is governed by time pressures, how society wants everyone to conform to its norms and how different people from different sections of society are engulfed in sheer loneliness.

The use of Maltese language in our songs and the encouragement of Maltese poetry contribute to our style.

Do you feel that being all-female has given a specific direction to your music, both in terms of sound and subject?

Not necessarily, since we are inspired by both male and female artists.

A possible advantage may be the fact that our voices blend well together to create an effective sound when singing in unison.

Songs explore themes like social discrimination, social exclusion and freedom of expression

What made you choose this particular name – Cryptic Street?

As a name, Cryptic Street started out as two random words from the dictionary.

However, as we matured both individually and as a band, it started to take a metaphorical meaning. It symbolises the formation of a clearer view of what we want in life. Therefore, ‘cryptic’ represents our future while ‘street’ represents our path in life.

 

Your debut single ended up on the Coldplay website – how did this come about? Do you feel it has helped the band in any way?

It started out with an application on Coldplay’s website to showcase different forms of art. We took the opportunity, and it paid off.

As an experience, it certainly boosted our motivation and belief in ourselves and as a band, especially since we were only 14 at the time when this happened.

Also, it served as good promotion for the band and the single.

Do you actually like Cold-play or was it all just a big coincidence?

Coldplay was a common factor between us as members and one of the main inspirations for forming the band.

Although we still like Coldplay’s music, especially their earlier stuff, we now listen to a variety of artists from myriad genres.

You practically exploded on the scene with award nominations and wins from the beginning – did you expect this reaction?

Since the band started out as a project between friends, at the beginning we were simply doing it for the sake of playing music together as friends.

However, when the nominations happened, it came both as a shock and a pleasant surprise. It was also a motivation to work harder.

How did the change in line-up, with the introduction of Cheyenne Belle Xuereb on bass, affect your music?

After the departure of the original bassist, we started experiencing more of an influence from alternative artists in the international scene.

Our music started favouring simple, yet experimental, beats, which complemented the melodic playing of the new bassist, Cheyenne Belle Xuereb, beautifully.

This led to a more underground sound as well as some self-production, which helped the band mature and to opt for a more hands-on recording approach.

When did work start on your new EP?

The EP has been a long time coming. It basically encases some of our favourite original songs, which also explore the afore-mentioned themes, in particular social discrimination, social exclusion and freedom of expression.

Early on, we started planning the release and liaising with sponsors and artists like the poetess Beverly Agius, who agreed to let us adapt her poem Kull Lejla, to a song.

The EP will be released during an event that will incorporate artists from different spheres, such as photography and painting, as well as poetry and we are trying to take a different approach.

What was the biggest challenge in bringing it all together?

Mostly a tight schedule and trying to orchestrate all the members’ schedules, as well as those of the people we are working with.

Cryptic Street launch their EP on August 21 at Palazzo De La Salle. The EP is supported by the Malta Arts Fund.

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