“Dave Navarro speaks so romantically when he’s talking about playing guitar – it definitely gave me some inspiration”: Crawlers’ Amy Woodall talks EBows, PA disasters – and what they took from that ill-fated Jane’s Addiction support slot
On August 9, 2024, the reunited Jane’s Addiction set forth on a 23-date trek across the States with fellow alt-icons, Love and Rockets. Crawlers, an alt-meets-soft-grunge act out of Liverpool, UK, handled the opening duties.
Before the road trip was halted on September 13, it had been a banner year for Crawlers – who, after dropping their debut, The Mess We Seem to Make, had tours with TikTok darlings Mother Mother. They were expecting to round out the year in style.
That changed when Perry Farrell attacked Dave Navarro on stage. “To be honest, it’s been rough for us this year,” Crawlers guitarist Amy Woodall tells Guitar World. “But we’re very resilient. We’re using the time to prepare for our headline tour of the UK and get back into some songwriting. we’re grateful for the time that’s been given to us.”
The 23-year-old says of the Jane’s shows: “We were playing to a different kind of audience than we’re used to. We learned to adapt our performance and setlist to make sure we were coming across to them.”
It’s been a valuable lesson: “We’re going to lock ourselves away and write together again. We’ll come back stronger and look forward to recording new music.”
What got you going on guitar?
“My uncle gave me an old acoustic guitar. I started learning some basic stuff like chords, and singing along for fun. Eventually, I got pretty good at that and started learning more and more.”
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Was there a thriving music scene where you grew up?
“I’ve been playing guitar since I was around 12. I grew up in a town called Warrington in the North of England between Liverpool and Manchester – both big music cities. I could go to loads of gigs; they were very different genre-wise. I spent most of my time in Liverpool, where Crawlers came up.”
What sounds were you searching for when you got serious about playing guitar?
“In the early days I loved classics like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hendrix and AC/DC. I learned a lot of that stuff early on. Now I’m into Smashing Pumpkins, St. Vincent and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.”
You’ve been playing for nine years. How has the way you view solos and riffs evolved?
“I’m not big on flashy solos just for the sake of a guitar solo. In my early days I just wanted to shred – but since writing with Crawlers, I want to play what’s right for the music. Instead of solos, the moments that stand out for me come from harmony and creating special melodies and tones.”
How did Crawlers form?
“Me and Liv May, the bass player, went to the same high school. She was originally a guitar player, so we learned a lot together. When we started a band I didn’t want to play bass, so she naturally moved over to it. Now she’s crazy good at it. In the early days it was just covers in a shed in Warrington, trying to play as many gigs as possible in Liverpool.”
None of us are that great at playing keys, so all the pad work comes from an EBow
Is there much of your early influences within Crawlers’ sound?
“A lot of the The Mess We Seem to Make was inspired by Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies, and by Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. We love chasing sounds that tell the story of the lyrics. Usually, [vocalist] Holly Minto will write on piano or guitar, then we build the arrangement together and chip in with the writing.”
What gear most impacted The Mess We Seem to Make?
“Having super flashy gear isn’t that important; if I know how to work what I have access to, that means more to me than having everything at our disposal.
“I love Audio Kitchen’s Big Trees Class A amp; that’s on almost everything Crawlers has ever recorded. None of us are that great at playing keys, so all the pad work comes from a guitar EBow. In our track Kiss Me, most of the arrangement came after the EBows laid the foundation.”
What types of tones come from all that?
“Tone usually just starts on a Fender Bassman, and we build a sound from there. Eventide Audio H9 Max, ProCo Rat, EHX Big Muff and Boss RV-6 are some of the pedals I’ll go for.
“I use a Kemper live, so that sometimes makes its way into the recording. You can make some pretty mad stuff on a Kemper and find some vintage amps that we don’t have access to.”
How did Crawlers end up opening for Jane’s Addiction?
“We’d opened for Perry Farrell’s other band, Porno for Pyros, in Chicago a few years ago. When the chance to open for Jane’s came up we were super excited. They’re really great guys.
“I had been looking at Dave Navarro’s rig in soundchecks but we didn’t get a chance to chat much. We want Dave to do a review of all our tattoos, too! Mine are small and I have like three, so it’s nothing like what he’s used to on Ink Master.”
What are your takeaways from playing with Jane’s and Love & Rockets?
Hearing how Dave Navarro speaks so romantically about playing guitar definitely gave me some inspiration
“It was so great watching their shows being set up every night. I’m gutted that I didn’t have a chance to ask about Daniel Ash’s rig; he had so many cool vintage amps on stage. Both Daniel and Dave are pros – it was so fun to watch them do their thing so effortlessly every night.
“We hired an American crew for the first time, and we brought lots of British snacks over for them to try. Their minds were blown and I loved that! Also, the PA dropped out in Atlantic City, and we just had to laugh about it; I’ll remember that one for sure.”
Do you think you’re a different or better guitarist now after having watched and shared the stage with Daniel Ash and Dave Navarro?
“There’s definitely a lot I’ve picked up from them both. They’re so effortlessly good. Hearing how Dave, in particular, speaks so romantically when he’s talking about playing guitar definitely gave me some inspiration.”
What’s the secret to making it as a young band in 2024?
“We’ve had a fruitful career so far. Being so young, we’ve been independent; signing to an indie label, signing to a major, and then going through getting dropped by a major is hard. We just have to stay strong and focus on the reason we started the band in the first place.”
- The Mess We Seem to Make is on sale now via Polydor.
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