ifitbeyourwill S05E22 • WOMB

Sibling trio Womb takes us behind the scenes of their dreamy shoegaze sound and shared creative journey. From their childhood musical foundations to the evolution of their distinctive sound, this conversation reveals the beautiful simplicity of creating art with family.

Haz and Georgette (GiGi) share the remarkable story of their musical heritage, tracing back to a great-great-grandfather who holds a world record for distance-walking while playing the fiddle. This musical DNA flourished when the family relocated from Illinois to Wellington, New Zealand, immersing the teenage siblings in a vibrant DIY music scene that would shape their artistic sensibilities.

What began as Cello's solo project organically expanded to include her siblings, with visual artist Georgette courageously picking up drumsticks despite minimal experience. "I did always fantasize about being a musician when I was little," Georgette reveals, recalling childhood dreams of becoming "Alanis Morissette in leather." This natural progression highlights the intuitive understanding that makes their collaboration special—no formal discussions about musical direction needed, just a shared wavelength that produces their cohesive sound.

The band's creative process reveals beautiful insights into collaborative artmaking. Their innovative "self-imposed residencies" carve out dedicated space for creation away from day jobs and distractions, blending structured music-making with time to connect in nature. This approach has yielded three distinctive yet connected albums, including their latest release "One is Always Heading Somewhere."

Looking ahead, the band hints at exciting developments: Cello's upcoming residency in Spanish cave structures, potential string quartet collaborations, and film scoring projects. After completing what they consider a trilogy of albums, they stand at the threshold of a new artistic chapter, ready to explore fresh sonic territories while maintaining the sibling bond that gives their music its emotional depth.

Listen for an intimate glimpse into how family connections create artistic magic, and how three siblings from New Zealand crafted one of indie music's most distinctive voices.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Womb from New Zealand
• 2:24 Musical Family Roots and Heritage
• 5:23 Moving to Wellington's DIY Music Scene
• 9:03 Sibling Dynamics and Band Formation
• 15:31 Songwriting Process and Residencies
• 21:41 Album Evolution and Future Plans
• 27:17 Final Thanks and Closing Music

Transcript

WOMB: 0:02

You make me think I could be anything I want, like when I called you on the drive home from the house that you grew up in On that visit. We were walking on the pavement, I was talking down the hallway calling your name, how the rain came in the middle of the Be With Podcast.

colleyc: 0:49

Wow, am I reaching around the world? We're actually headed to New Zealand today and we're going to be talking with Wum and I have Hans here with us, who's going to represent the band. So thanks so much for hopping on here, and I know it's early morning for you. Um, I hope it's not too early, uh, for you to wake up and and have this chat no, no, it's great.

WOMB: 1:14

I'm happy to be here.

colleyc: 1:15

So thanks, chris oh, it's been a pleasure. I'm uh I was so into this new record you guys put out. Um, so good, one is always a heading somewhere. It came out just at the start of this year An amazing record. This band is very DIY chamber poppy, shoegazy, dream poppy. It's got all these beautiful touches and it's a band of of siblings, which is really cool. Um, so, how's, maybe I'm going to rewind a little bit and we'll kind of like we'll, we'll create a little bit of a foundation here on which we'll talk. So, growing up, you're a twin with charlotte, who is the lead vocalist in Womb. How did you guys grow up around music? Like, was there music in your home as you were growing up? Like, I saw a picture of the two of you at a piano, the cute little picture of the two of you sitting beside each other. Was music always a part of your home when you were growing up?

WOMB: 2:24

Yeah, yeah, well, it definitely was. Um, so mainly from our dad's side, like his kind of lineage. Um, he is a musician, he plays like a lot of bluegrass music, so he played in australia quite a bit, um, just kind of like for fun and but they put out some records and stuff like that. But um, so he taught us guitar when we were a bit younger and then he's got kind of his uh, grandparents and great-grandparents there's music on that kind of side of the family. They're from illinois, around the midwest, and um, we actually had our great great grandfather was he's in the book of world records because he walked a long distance playing the fiddle. So, yeah, from that, yeah, music was definitely like encouraged and yeah, so music and yeah.

colleyc: 3:28

And were you guys a part of two like just shows, like I like, did your dad bring you to like live music events and stuff like that? Like did you kind of get a sense of live music when you guys were growing up, that that was something that that was adventurous to?

WOMB: 3:39

you to you guys not not so much um, yeah, not so much live music, like when we were kids. We grew up in, uh, in champaign, illinois, and I guess we didn't see heaps of like live music. But I think when we came to wellington in new zealand when we were um, we're 12 and kind of in our early teenage years, there's like a really cool music scene live music scene in wellington and new zealand. So we just got involved with that. There's heaps of diy shows which are awesome and yeah, so that kind of got us into it and is wellington like?

colleyc: 4:15

was it a well-established scene for music, like, like? Were you guys inspired by a lot of the artists and the music that was taking place there was it? Was that something that that resonated with you guys?

WOMB: 4:28

yeah, definitely. I think, um, yeah, well, like it's a city of probably, uh, I think it's got like 400 000 people, so it's like a very small city, um, and it's got like university students coming through. It's the capital city. It's um, yeah, and it definitely kind of like ebbs and flows with like what creative possibilities are there at the time? Like there's lord of the rings was being filmed in new zealand in like 2000, uh, like earlier 2000s, and that brought a lot of like money and create. Like there's more money for creative stuff during that time, um, there's more venues. So it's definitely like periods where there's more money for creative stuff. During that time, um, there's more venues. So it's definitely like periods where there's more venues and then kind of like it becomes less viable and less possible. So those close down, but there's always kind of like a heart and young people making music and yeah, so it's definitely awesome space for that right, and you and Cello were siblings that grew up together.

colleyc: 5:27

How did your musical paths start to come together as you guys were growing up?

WOMB: 5:44

got the same mom but a different dad, but we've always grown up together, um, the three of us, um but she was really influential for us from like quite a young age because she'd share music with us. So it's quite like an interesting kind of like process where we started making music. Drajet wasn't playing music for a long time, like she wasn't a musician until later on, um, when she joined the band um, but she was definitely at the start like influencing us with different music. She would just explore as a teenager and she'd have like a really, yeah, a really awesome kind of perspective on music. Great, gigi, do you want to?

colleyc: 6:18

hop in here. We have Bridget here as well. Hi, I read too, gigi, that LWire was was a big door opener for you, in the sense that you were able to look and discover all of these amazing artists that maybe not very many people have heard of. Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to music and how you kind of discovered it and and those artists that really inspired what, what you wanted to do?

WOMB: 6:46

yeah, so hello also sorry that I'm late um no troubles uh, it was actually even before limewire, it was napster and then that's, true because I'm from east, but um, yeah, it was actually even though that's how I influenced cello and has he before that um, our older big siblings used to make me mixtapes and things because they lived in melbourne and they would, um, have access to a lot more music than what we had living in the forest, and so they would make me these little mixtapes of things like pg harvey and bjork and many, many things, and then both of our dads like my dad and cello and has his dad had pretty extensive vinyl collections as well, and so I guess we were all just exposed to many different genres of music, kind of coming from all angles, and yeah, and then so it kind of just passed on from family member to family member.

colleyc: 7:53

It seems like it was that way right, Like it was kind of funneled down through the older siblings to the younger ones. Yes, exactly. And Gigi, did you ever think that you were going to be in a band? Like I know that you only started to be in a band. Like I know that you only started playing drums a little bit later on and kind of weren't in that band. Kind of ethos, um, what inspired you to want to be in a band?

WOMB: 8:19

well, I did always fantasize about being a musician when I was little, but I I always focused on visual art instead. And I did have a couple of drum lessons when I was a little kid, but I never really thought I could do it because I just, yeah, focused so much on my visual art that it just seemed like a fantasy. And then, like I used to fantasize that I'd be Alanis Morissette when I grew up, or something like that when I was really little, and be a rock star and wear all leather. But then when I was 27, they Cello and Hazzy asked me if I wanted to join a band with them and that's when I picked up the drumsticks and uh, then I just started doing it and I guess it became more of a reality that was always a fantasy right and has what?

colleyc: 9:14

what inspired you to bring gg into this? Like, why did you? Why? Where did the idea come that with this would be a sibling band? Other than just kind of going off on your own and exploring the world of music individually. What was the catalyst that brought you guys together?

WOMB: 9:34

Yeah, it wasn't really orchestrated or anything like that. So me and Charlotte were doing this kind of like it was mainly like kind of folky project before when we were like teenagers and then we kind of wanted to move on from that and Char Cello started a like a solo project called it was Womb, and they released the first EP and then they want to perform live and then they wanted some people to help perform live. So, yeah, they struck us into that and then, yeah, um, we started.

colleyc: 10:12

Yeah, I think it just kind of, yeah, organically happened like that right, because the first, the first um womb record that was put out self-titled. Yeah, you guys weren't on that, I mean gg looks I remember I I read that you did the cover art and as you were like consulting and a part of it, but you weren't a part of it yet like it wasn't the official like okay, we're, we're coming together yeah, that's right yeah amazing, amazing, and why.

colleyc: 10:42

I guess you know, like I guess I'll start with gg what was it in your siblings that that connected with you, that this would be? You know, it's not alanis morissette, but it's something that I want to be a part of. Like. Well, what was it that they were offering? That you were like I'm in.

WOMB: 11:02

I don't even know if there was much of a questioning in my mind. It just kind of started happening and it felt right, and we've always like made things together in different iterations our whole lives really, and like so it just kind of seemed like a continuation of that and I don't actually remember really questioning it or asking myself if it was something I wanted to do. I just was doing it because it felt right and they, they had already been kind of my main collaborators prior to that and so it just felt like another um extension. That at the time, I'm pretty sure. And yeah, and I have always been besotted with any music that either of them had made together or separately, and yeah, I felt very honored to be asked to join, even though I didn't know how to drum.

colleyc: 12:05

Let's talk about that, let's drill down a little bit on that. Like what? So they come to you we need a drummer. You you had a few classes when you were younger, as you had mentioned. What was that process like for you? What did you have to do to to be able to feel comfortable, to say, okay, I'll do it. What's your process of that um?

WOMB: 12:21

transformation into a drummer I think, yeah, I think there's like this photo of me as a baby on my dad's friend's drum kit and I think, the way my mind works, I kind of saw that as like a apparition or something, or like a or a foreshadowing. When I, when then they asked, and I was like, oh yeah, that seems right, but I can't exactly remember what was going through my mind. Um, but it was really scary to be suddenly playing gigs like two weeks after.

WOMB: 12:56

Uh, coming together and like they already really knew what they were doing and I did not.

colleyc: 13:03

So, um, yeah, that's pretty impressive though I mean it's uh, I mean just to getting two body parts involved in playing an instrument. Forget about four. I mean it's a next level in my mind anyway, but that's interesting. And what was it like? Did they describe to you the kind of style, or did you develop the style based, you know? I mean based on what they were presenting to you, obviously, but how did your style evolve with, with womb?

WOMB: 13:39

well, I think initially they probably showed me a few things to do. I can't actually exactly remember because it is a decade ago now, but um yeah, they would have shown me some general things and but I'm not sure if we necessarily had those kind of conversations earlier on, did we Hazzy?

WOMB: 14:00

Yeah, I don't think so. I think like the tone was kind of set like by that first EP, like the tone and kind of like the feeling of the band was set with that EP and also just like stuff we were listening to. Like I think there was quite like a Wellington kind kind of sound or like a new zealand sound at that time that we were probably part of and like aware or not aware of it, but being influenced by that, um. So I think we're all kind of just like.

WOMB: 14:29

I don't think any of us were coming from it from like a completely different perspective or like wanting to make a different sound or anything. I think we all were kind of just on the same same page with that cool and was it that sibling connection you think that enabled, that?

colleyc: 14:44

it facilitated it?

WOMB: 14:47

definitely yeah yeah, yeah it's so easy, like being a three-piece, or like easy, like as easy as it can be, being like a three-piece, siblings that like get along mostly, um right right, yeah in the end, these bands that like trout, they go on tour and stuff and they aren't sibling like we. Yeah, it's just, it makes it a lot easier to like tour and yeah, it's yeah so what's?

colleyc: 15:16

what's your process? Like um has maybe I'll throw this your way Like how do songs come to be for Womb? Is there one person that tends to write the structure of the song and then brings it to the like how does your collaboration work? Because I do understand too that we were talking a little bit before we hopped on here, that you guys are kind of separated, you're not like next door, so like, how does that collaboration and how does the song start for for womb?

WOMB: 15:44

there's not really like a set way that we would start a song, but, um, like, oftentimes char will kind of do like voice memos, like have like notes on their phone, um with like lyrics. Um, they're also like a writer, so they're a creative writer, so they they're like, yeah, pen on paper is their vibe, um, but they yeah, so they would kind of like come up with song structures. They've got like unique guitar tuning that they use um and different, yeah, chords they kind of they often return to, so they would kind of start that. Oftentimes there's not really a structure so much in place, but we'll kind of come together all of us and help define that structure.

WOMB: 16:26

Um, sometimes, like I've made just like guitar bass, like kind of instrumental stuff that I've sent to cello and they will use that and I think they kind of like that process. Also, we'll send stuff to juda jets, kind of like got a bank of some drum patterns and stuff that she'll use um, so, yeah, it kind of comes together. We've got a residency, like a self-imposed residency, coming up next month, which will be really good. So we're just going to be in the same space and um start generating ideas and come together with what we've been working on independently, so yeah, interesting I like that residency, is that?

colleyc: 17:05

so you guys will organize a chunk of time where you'll all be kind of close to each other and then be able to be amongst each other to to flush things out yeah, we all like, we all have other jobs.

WOMB: 17:17

We work full time on other stuff, so it's hard to have time because otherwise it's evenings and it's scant across different weekends and stuff. It's really nice to be like we're just reserving this time and we did that earlier in the year before the tour, so that's really special. It was awesome to have that before the tour.

colleyc: 17:41

Yeah, that's a great idea too. Like and like how long do your residencies last? And like what's the expectation going into it? Like, do you guys set like okay, we're going to work on these songs, or you know, we'd like to get ready for this live show? Or like what's, how do you set those residencies up?

WOMB: 17:58

it's such an interesting idea I'll let your jet answer that, if you want to.

WOMB: 18:02

Yeah well, I guess this would only be. This will be our third one.

WOMB: 18:06

I think of um our self-imposed residencies and so for the prior to, we've just gone in with an idea or like what we need to work on and then kind of blocked out the days and the times and had set times to also just bond with each other in the interim. So we can because that's part of the process as well and incorporating, like going out into nature and in in this case the beach is very close and then just kind of playing around and devising and, yeah, fleshing out what's already starting to be formed as well, and it's quite structured but also loose enough for it to be organic amazing, amazing, yeah, and have you?

colleyc: 18:54

have you found you that time, like how the sound has evolved, like, do you guys find that you're that the sound is changing over time? I mean, I would think that it would naturally. But, like your observation, do you guys try to change record to record or do you try to keep it kind of like foundational of your roots, of you know, like you were saying before, this I've titled was kind of the way that you guys wanted to continue creating songs. Has your sound evolved over time in unexpected ways?

WOMB: 19:29

Yeah, I think it definitely has, while still kind of retaining some kind of original essence. And I think that the past, uh, the last three albums we've done, um teller, has been saying as well, like they're, they're kind of closed now, so this next album is going to be quite different. Um yeah, do you want to take this one over, heddy?

WOMB: 20:05

yeah, we've done three albums the. It's the first one like. I love the first album because we just had like no, we hadn't it was. We weren't like conceiving anything or we weren't like predetermining anything, we're just like this is what we've made and we went into like a venue studio space and just recorded it live and it's really like um, just direct. And we went into like a venue studio space and just recorded it live and it's really like um, just direct. And we're young, like we're quite young I guess making it um. Someone said someone like responded with a new album and said it was like with the sound is like coming into focus, like our sound is coming to focus, which is interesting. But I don't know if I completely agree.

colleyc: 20:39

I think like each album's kind of just like been its own thing and right, yeah, I don't think we predetermine too much going into it and and saying that you're you're just mentioning that you kind of are closing a chapter on and like are the songs that you guys are writing nowadays? Do you feel that they're a departure from um or an evolution of the sound that that that you have been creating so far?

WOMB: 21:12

um, yeah, I think, like instrumentally, we've all kind of like explored different things on each of our instruments and I think, yeah, there's been a natural progression into that evolution.

colleyc: 21:26

I think, if that answers your question, yeah, totally, totally and kind of stepping back a little bit and looking at this record that that you, you, you put out this year. One is always heading somewhere. How have you felt the response has been from from the world, from people that are listening to it? How do you guys feel that the response has been?

WOMB: 21:52

It's been. Yeah, it's been really nice. It's it's always weird. I guess the nature of music now is like it's so online and your experience is like, yeah, very kind of filtered through that format. So I think, going on tour we played five shows for the album release and I think the touring is such a nice way to actually meet people and you feel like you're connected with people. And you feel like you're connected with people.

WOMB: 22:21

We played with a lot of different support acts from Aotearoa that it was. All of them are quite like early stage musicians, which was so awesome to share the stage with them at that stage. And, yeah, I think connecting with an audience in that way is really beautiful and you can feel kind of like a reception and a different engagement than just online. Online can be pretty awful. You just kind of you put stuff, you kind of like a reception and um different engagement than just online. Online can be pretty awful. You just kind of you put stuff, you kind of, yeah, work on something for so long and you just kind of like put it out there and it's just out there, existing in that kind of ephemeral, kind of um tangible space.

WOMB: 22:53

So, yeah, I'll let your jet say anything if you want and yeah it's been super lovely and it will be interesting to see in these coming weeks how it feels post tour, because we put it out and then went on tour um and, yeah, that was a very different way of engaging and hearing feedback and receiving reception. And so now, yeah, I guess, like what has he was saying? It will be more um in the internet realm and then when, when people say it to us also in person. But it'll just be interesting to see the distinction of how it feels having put it out there for sure.

colleyc: 23:37

Well, it's sure sign, too, that. I've talked to some artists. They're like as soon as I start noticing people singing along with me. We know that. You know it's out there, that the world is, has has received it. Um, so what? What else 2025 was you know? Chugging through the records out, what can we look forward to from WOM for 2025? What's on the docket?

WOMB: 24:05

Well, cello I'm not sure if Hazzy mentioned earlier they're going to be going to Europe and I think in July they'll be playing a couple of solo shows over there and also doing a residency in Spain Is that right? Yeah, yeah, and working on their writing and music in the residency, which is connected to some cave structures. So they'll be experimenting, which will be quite cool, and we'll also maybe be playing with a string quartet at some point, which is not announced yet and doing some more shows and just working on the next album.

colleyc: 24:51

Amazing. And how's the residency? Is this so that you can start to flush out what's to come? Is that? Or is it just personal development, like musical, like professional development, like? How are you approaching that?

WOMB: 25:08

yeah, it's definitely like making. It's definitely like making music for the next record, whatever that will be. Um, yeah, cello kind of got like immediately after the last record was like immediately like into writing and doing stuff For me and Dredge. I think, yeah, a bit busy at this stage, so excited to kind of enter into that space. We've also, me and cello, have been composing for two different short films, so each separately working on some composing um, which has been very fun. Um, but yeah, so it'll be like, yeah, it'll be focused on the next record, though, so amazing amazing.

colleyc: 25:49

Well, I want to thank you too. Um, this has been a lot of fun. It's great to hear about your journey and what's to come, and, um, I think this latest record is is a testament to the power of family and siblings and almost this non communication that needs to happen to create these sounds. It's just such an open and accessible record, from from start to finish, so thank you for putting that out into the world. It's a. It's been a real treat to listen to. Thank you.

colleyc: 26:21

And it's been a real pleasure talking with you guys. I hope once the residency is done and the next record's out, we can reconnect. I'd love to have you back on to talk about it and see how all of all of that's evolving. I will be listening, I'll be watching. I wish you all the best, too, for your summers and what's to come down the road. It's been a real pleasure talking with you guys.

WOMB: 26:44

Thank you so much, Chris. Thank you.

WOMB: 27:17

Bye, thank you. We walked a couple hours and all the lights were closed, like the night was only for us, as if day might never come. Yeah, I've been turning slowly, I've been spinning across the sky and everything lay broken. But I said I'm feeling fine. Never thought that this could change. Staring at each other's face, we were weightless. Say we're weightless. I thought I saw the both of us in all my dreams. I'm someone else who can take this. I can take this, thank you.