Bitches With Wolves
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Bitches With Wolves

Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | SELF

Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | SELF
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"Pop Corner"

Ailbhe Malone's Sioux name is Dances to Bitches with Wolves, so it is

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Strictly Pleasure by Bitches With Wolves. It seems like only yesterday that Bitches With Wolves were but a twinkle in Pop Corner’s eye, and now it’s playing-at-Oxegen this, gigs-at-Whelan’s that. And frontman James O’Neill used to be such a nice boy. Now he’s singing about kicking gentlemen callers out of bed once they’ve, ahem, called. ’Tis far from this that we reared him. Still, he does know his way around a good synth line, and we’re sure his dance moves are up to scratch as well. - Irish Times


"Oxegen 2011 - Bitches With Wolves"

Red Bull Electric Ballroom, Friday, 5pm


Describe in a Tweet: Diplo met disco and spawned Bitches With Wolves.

What happened: The Red Bull Electric Ballroom is the main stage for dance music, providing a strobe light filled extravaganza for the revellers, and this is where Bitches With Wolves steal the show. It’s questionable quite how much of this performance is “live” but in reality, any qualms in that regard would be categorised at unnecessary nitpicking. The rhythms are perfect, channelling the revitalised spirit of disco while integrating the electro-rave of MSTRKRFT into their sound. James O’Neill is one of those frontmen that you can’t help but be captivated by: he dances like a madman, working what could have been a difficult crowd well and remaining almost note perfect throughout. Broken Hearts features some chilling yet gorgeous harmonies while Good As Gold rounds off the set brilliantly: the beat drops impeccably and it could be a genuine floorfiller. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea but Bitches With Wolves have delivered an excellent performance.

Crazy In Love: Festivals are a perfect place to unleash a cover and we were treated to a fantastic reworking of early Noughties dance classic Toca’s Miracle, with shades of Holy Ghost! creeping in.

Why Don't You Love Me: While there’s clearly an attempt to be inventive and keep things fresh there’s still one or two filler tracks in their setlist that take the edge off a great performance.

Oxegen rating: 8/10

///ENDS/// - BBC Across The Line


"No Joking Now - artist James O'Neill, aka Bitches With Wolves, tells Chris wasser how a wind-up launched his career."


By Chris Wasser
Saturday July 30 2011

THE comical glasses are a major distraction. As is everything else about the loud, flamboyant, clothes hanger of a man that is James O'Neill.

Tall. Slim. Hipster. Christ, even the fake moustache chain hanging from his neck has me baffled. Not that it isn't amusing. Or that he can't pull it off.

Long story short, James is Bitches With Wolves, a new-ish electro-pop act from Dublin, whose initial foray into the music business began at a party in London three years ago. Best let the man explain for himself.

"Me and these three friends of mine were sitting down," he tells me, "and this guy was like, 'wow, you guys, you look really, really cool -- you should be in a band', and I was like, 'well, we are in a band, we're called Bitches With Wolves,' just, like, off the cuff, totally taking the piss. He booked us for a gig off the back of us pretending we had a song called 'You Can't Piss to This' from this EP called Red Lipstick Massacre Part Two."

totally

Right, so you made the whole thing up? "Totally! Just taking the piss out of your man. My friends the next morning woke up and were like, 'aw, that was gas, do you remember that?' And I was like, 'do you know what? Screw that! I'm definitely going to do this', because I'd always wanted to be a singer, but kind of didn't really have any know-how or connections at all to it, and that was the reason why I moved to London in the first place."

So, James returns home, gets his act together, meets a few influential heads, and gets cracking on some song writing.

Several live performances later -- not to mention a string of high-profile support slots with Tinie Tempah, Calvin Harris, and Fatboy Slim -- there's still no album. What's taking him so long, then?

"I believe that it's very important to get everything right," he explains. "I look at the songs I have now and I go, 'okay, so I've got maybe 20 songs, and out of these 20 songs, for me, I think, maybe four of them are amazing,' and I want an album that's all amazing songs. Time has been another big thing."

Indeed, the flashy 25-year-old is one busy boy. Aside from pursuing a career in pop, James is also the creator of 'WAR', an oh-so trendy club night at Andrew's Lane Theatre.

He has lived in New York, has a degree in Greek and Roman Civilisation and Sociology, and is obsessed with clothes. "I'm a distinct dresser in my day-to-day life," he says, "so I, of course, would be a distinct dresser on stage."

sound

Not that's it all about the image. Ask James to describe his sound and he'll tell you that it's dark pop. Oh, and "super fun".

"It's much harder, I think, doing what I do," he offers, "and trying to get people to take you seriously, than it is if I was standing there with a guitar. So, you just have to work that little bit harder to change people's perceptions."

"It's really nice, and it's really flattering and encouraging," says James of the positive hype surrounding Bitches With Wolves, "but it's not the be-all and end-all. I'm a firm believer in keeping your head down and just working your ass off. I don't ever really believe that I'm deadly or I'm great because I have such a fear of being a dick!" he laughs.

So, with some sort of release on the way in the near future, I ask James where he sees himself five years from now. "I would like to be touring album number two, and I would like to be . . . ginormous!" he says. "I think I'd like to be bigger than Madonna! Sure why not?"

Bitches With Wolves play Castlepalooza festival tonight in Tullamore

- Chris Wasser

///ENDS/// - Evening Herald newspaper


"Hard Working Class Heroes 2010"

Bitches With Wolves @ The Grand Social

It’s approaching midnight, and the large crowd who have gathered in The Grand Social to see Bitches With Wolves are ready to dance. The ever-flamboyant James O’Neill is greeted by huge applause as he appears onstage – and if tonight’s performance is going to be even half as interesting as the jacket he’s sporting, then it’s gonna be a good one. It’s straight into party mode with the frantic ‘Burnin’ Up’, followed by a cover of ‘Toca’s Miracle’ to take the crowd on a journey back to their teenage disco days. O’Neill was born to be on stage – his audience adore him. Credit must be given to the Bitches With Wolves astute approach to building up their fan-base – to date none of their music has been made available to purchase; they have garnered popularity based on a combination of online hits and acclaimed performances… and with killer dance-pop tunes like ‘Broken Hearts’ and ‘Good As Gold’ in their arsenal, whenever Bitches With Wolves DO release a single or EP you can guarantee it’ll be a success. In the meantime, their live shows are there to be enjoyed and that is exactly what the crowd did tonight. A ridiculously fun (albeit very sweaty) end to the HWCH proceedings at The Grand Social. - State Magazine


"Bitches Back - Demelza de Burca talks to frontman James O'Neill"

BitCHeS BaCK
Demelza de Burca talks to frontman James O" Neill.

Introducing James O’Neill, the Ga-Ga gorgeous man responsible for giving mouth-to mouth resuscitation to Ireland’s pop scene. But beware this Bitch ain’t afraid to bite!

Mirror: My main man James...can you tell us who are the Bitches and who are the Wolves and give us a brief history of the band?

James: Ah ha! They can be whoever you want them to be - see I’m like a young hung and fun Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (minus the mammaries, thank god). The whole thing started at a party in London when this Croatian club promoter told me and my mates that we should be in a band, as we could be like the ‘new Bananarama or something’.Of course I told him we were and made him book us for a gig in Shoreditch off the
back of a song called ‘You Can’t Piss To This’ that we’d made up after my mate had just tried to piss on a fridge. Perfect. Waking up the next day, my mates balked at the idea, but I ran with it. Bitches With Wolves was born and now here we are. BANG.

Mirror: You were tipped as the hottest thing since R-Patz last year blazing the trail for dark pop in Ireland, how’s all that going for you?

James: It’s been awesome so far. I’m always so, not surprised, but amazed that people know who I am and like what I do. Since that first gig I’ve been lucky enough to fill up the dance tent in Oxegen, play Electric Picnic and support some awesome acts like Fatboy Slim and Calvin Harris. All within a year – that’s pretty
mental ay?
I popped over to London recently to work with Calvin Harris’ team and the song we did, Broken Hearts has been picked by radio and was even placed in the Hype M top 5 most tweeted about. AND I haven’t even released anything yet or even done my own set of shows. That’s why the three night stand in the Academy 2 is so awesome, as I get to have the run of the place and do as many different costume changes as possible.

Sun: Do you think BWW are an acquired taste?

James: Oh hell no! Who doesn’t want to escape from the monotony of daily life? Bitches With Wolves are about escapism from grey reality and there is nothing wrong with or to be derided about that. What I’ve tried to create is accessible yet intelligent pop music that’s for everyone to enjoy. It’s about throwing it down either in your kitchen or the dancefloor and have a rollicking good time whilst at it and who doesn’t enjoy that? Well maybe crusties who only derive enjoyment from listening to manic depressives strum guitars, gross.

Mirror: What’s in store for BWW for the rest of 2010? Is there an album in the making?

James: We’re working on spreading the good glitter embossed word by doing more festivals and travelling with the music, at the moment. I’m going to be hopping back over to London too to craft up some more songs, which I’m really looking forward to. In terms of an album, that’s a little down the line as I want everything to be perfect before I properly put it out there. If all goes to plan, I’ll have an EP to release by summer’s end. Whoop!

Mirror: You’re 24 from Dublin – how are you so freakin’ stylish?

James: Oi Vei, you charmer! Believe me I wasn’t always like this. When I was a nipper bopping about in UCD I was all about my Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie and Fitch. Vom. I moved to London when I was 21 and quickly realised that dressing like an extra from the OC wasn’t going to cut it with the Denizens of Shoreditch. London and my East End mates taught me that dressing is all about having the craic and enjoyment, as well as self projection. There’s a true artform to it, which you learn as you go. I used to arrive at Boombox in a bonnet, fur coat and leggings – and I was tame compared to most of them. Then I moved back here and had two choices: assimilate or keep on playing dress up. Clothes are such a passion of mine and every morning when I hit up my wardrobe is like choosing what character I’m going to be. However, I may have taken it step too far as my mates love coming over to play dress up. I guess that’s what you get for having a sequin drawer.

Mirror: What’s in store for attendees of your 3 night stint in The Academy?

James: I’ve been working on making the show as high octane and enjoyable as possible. So people can expect lot’s of dancing, interaction and some awesome costumes and visuals. It’s all about leaving your woe’s at the door and dancing your hoop off. Who wouldn’t want to do that?! What I’d be delighted for is people to leave it on a high and to have an opinion about it. The show is much the same as it’s endorphin raising and visually fulfilling. Well, it would want to be with the amount of money I’ve spent on costumes... Bahahahaha!!!

Mirror: So do you think you could sing without c**ting, I mean cursing?

James: Ahaha! At my poor mother’s insistence, I’ve actually become far better with my language, thank Christ. My first gig was the worst. I was saying the C word left right - The Irish Mirror (The Beat supplement)


"The Great Irish Pop Hope"

I often lament that we don’t have any proper popstars in Ireland. I mean you’ve got your Westlifes and all but it’s not the same. And while you can’t deny that everyone from U2 to The Script have flown the flag for bands in different shapes and sizes we’ve never had someone to be our Madonna as such.

Well thank goodness then for Bitches With Wolves and their star in the making frontman James O’Neill. Bitches With Wolves have garnered plenty of buzz over the last year. Thanks to a strong live show, some high profile support gigs (I'm sorry did someone say Groove Armada, Fatboy Slim and Calvin Harris?) and a couple of exciting tracks on their Myspace BWW feel like a proper pop force in the making.

Their current track Broken Hearts is a fine example of what makes the group so exciting. Sounding like a MSTRKRFT remix, Goldfrapp on a boozy Friday night and early 80s Madonna if she were born today all put in a pop blender, it’s a pleasing piece of crunchy, dirty electro pop.

If that weren’t enough the group have also announced a string of dates at the Academy 2 starting this Saturday (the 3rd of April). I can only imagine the kind of antics James and co. will get up to onstage but whatever they do it’s sure to be poptastic.

I can’t help but love that poster too. Who hasn’t sat on their disco ball and thought about the world? Get more info on the gigs here, add them on Facebook and make sure you check out Broken Hearts on the band’s Myspace and if you really like it, remind the fine folks at Spin 103.8 of the fact as they’ve added it to their playlist. Lovely stuff. - Pop Culture Platinum


"Faces of 2010 - Bitches With Wolves"

The end of the week and we reach our final Irish band to watch in 2010. Come back next week for our downloadable compilation of the acts that we’ve featured but in the meantime we’ll leave you with these words – “I’ll start a riot once I’ve fixed my lipstick”. Meaningless nonsense perhaps, but in the hands of Bitches With Wolves nearer to a manifesto. Born in London, raised in Dublin, the band have benefited from the resurgence in the capital’s club scene – although they’re as far from your average grim dance night out as possible. Fronted by the flamboyant James O’Neill, the trio underpin their extroverted glamour with a genuine sense of musical adventure, as inspired by the sound of sixties girl group pop as more darker influences. And if that means that O’Neill can strut his stuff in front of thousands of Fatboy Slim in a pair of hot pants, that’s fine by us. - State magazine


Discography

Hurricane (EP) - released October 2011.

'Hurricane' tracklisting:
1. Hurricane
2. Electric Love
3. Strictly Pleasure
4. Rewind
5. Hurricane (Ghostboy remix)

Photos

Bio

Starting as a con to a club promoter at a party in London two years ago, Bitches With Wolves was born with nothing more than an eye set firmly on the stars, a good wardrobe, a gig date and a random song title.

Since that debut performance, Bitches With Wolves - a.k.a. James O' Neill and pack - has snowballed from playing open-mic nights in clubs to performing live in front of 6,000 people at this year's Oxegen festival. Along the way, Bitches With Wolves has supported a slew of diverse yet stellar artists including Fatboy Slim, Erasure, Datarock, Calvin Harris and Hercules & Love Affair to name but a few.

Musically, Bitches With Wolves mainlines electro beats with a pop sensibility with lyrics that sing of sin, joy and heartache. Darkly delicious, the end result is one that transports the listener to a place of cosmic and sonic escapism.

Following a successful summer in 2011 on the Irish festival circuit and with a debut EP scheduled for release in October, Bitches With Wolves continue to galvanise a solid and loyal fan base. Expect a return to the studio in October to complete work on an a debut album that will see an international release in Spring 2012.