After a decade of silence, Howling Bells return with new music and renewed energy. “Unbroken” is their first single in years, a track that brings back the dark romanticism and raw sound that made the Australian band stand out from their 2006 debut. With sharp guitars, a captivating vocal delivery, and lyrics full of persistence and passion, the band seems to return more mature, yet hungrier than ever.
Juanita Stein and her bandmates had already left their mark with four albums, tours alongside major names, and a sound that blended dark melodicism with indie-rock energy. During their hiatus, the members explored solo projects and collaborations – experiences that, as they say, strengthened them creatively and brought new depth to their music.
The spark for their reunion came from a series of shows that reminded them of the powerful bond they still share on stage. From there grew the desire for new music and the collaboration with producer Ben Hillier (known for his work with Depeche Mode and Blur), who gave “Unbroken” the force and intensity they had been seeking.
On the occasion of their return, Juanita talks to SounDarts.gr about the challenges of creation, the artistic influences that continue to inspire her, the experiences that shaped her as a frontwoman, and the band’s plans for the future. A conversation that highlights not only the journey of a band, but also the resilience of music itself as a force of inspiration and connection.
You’ve just released “Unbroken”, your first new music in over a decade. What was the moment when you all felt: right, now’s the time to return to Howling Bells together?
It was like a couple of years before we recorded the single, when we were asked to play some reunion shows for a really cool company that tries to promote live music. We went and did a bunch of shows and that was the first live shows we’d played in maybe eight years or something. We were so excited, we had so much energy, we all got on so well and nothing had changed musically or emotionally. I think that was probably when we started thinking that it would be nice to get back into the studio and write some more music. That didn’t happen till about two years after that.
The song has “weighty guitars and sweeping melodic pay-offs” wrapped around your voice, Juanita, with lyrics full of dreamy persistence. How did “Unbroken” come into being — did it start from a lyric, a riff, or a mood?
No, that was something that I wrote. I wrote the song, then I did a demo of it and I sent it to the guys. Joel, the guitarist, has a home studio, and so he took the song that I wrote and he wrote a wonderful riff, which is the main riff in the song. Then we got into the studio and jammed it. That’s how that happened.
Juanita, you described “Unbroken” as a testament to grit and irrationality, and the will and love of music. What were some of the biggest challenges during the making of Unbroken, and how did you overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge was probably making the really loud, grungy riff that comes in and out, the refrain that comes in and out of the song. Sonically, we struggled a little bit to get it to be as huge and big as possible. So that took a few goes and in the end it was nothing that mysterious. It was just layering more and more and more guitars on top of each other until it sounded absolutely undeniable.
When you first formed in Sydney and later moved to London, you were influenced by Tom Waits, Sonic Youth, Björk, etc. Do you still feel drawn to those same touchstones, or have new ones emerged for you lately?
I’m still drawn to the same artists, and I have new ones. So we grew up in a house with our parents who were obsessed with music and there was always music playing. One of those artists was Tom Waits. So I have a deep, deep connection to his music because of that. It reminds me of being a child. Also his music is so left of center that he really told me that you could take something really classic and really fuck with it. That’s what he did. Later on, you discover your own music, like I did with Bjork, Nirvana and Fiona Apple who was a big one for me, too.
During the break, you released four solo albums; Joel has Glassmaps; Joel and Glenn played with Brandon Flowers’ solo band. How have those experiences fed back into Howling Bells – in terms of songwriting, performance, or perspective?
I can only speak for myself, but making solo records has strengthened my songwriting, I think, because I haven’t had anyone else to lean on. It’s just been myself. I’ve had to really sharpen my tools as a lyricist and a songwriter, and I think that has brought a lot more to the band all these years later.
You’ve announced a very special London show on 5 November at the Lock Tavern in Camden. What does it feel like to prepare for your first full-band performance in so long?
Unbelievably exciting because it’s the first show back in a while. Like I said, we still have so much energy in the band and so much ambition and desire to play music and to really affect people. The peak of that experience is being in a room with them and feeling their energy. Much of the reason why I make records is to then take that music and get into a room with people and speak to them and have them speak to you. For that reason, we’re all really excited to play an intimate show.
Are there songs from past albums, perhaps less played ones, that you’re especially excited to bring back live — or maybe re-imagine?
I think for a long time we played mostly songs from the first album and we ignored some of the tracks I think on the other records. So we’re looking forward to revisiting some of the songs from “Radio Wars” and “The Loudest Engine” and “Heartstrings”, the other three records and give them a go at the at the show.
Can you name a few?
I think for me, there’s a song called “Treasure Hunt” on the second album, which I really, really love. And “Cities Burning Down” is another song of the same record. Our drummer is really pushing for his favorite song, which is called “Paris”, and that’s off “Heartstrings”. So we’ll get into all those.
Is “Unbroken” just a single, or does it mark the beginning of more new material (EP, album)? What are your plans for new music over the next year?
It’s a secret. Who knows? But definitely I would say stay tuned. You’ll have to interview me again sometime.
We also have a mailing list, so if you sign up to the mailing list, we will give you whatever latest news or updates or shows that we might have coming up so that we can keep in touch.
Looking back at the band’s debut in 2006 and now at “Unbroken” in 2025, what feels most different about you as an artist and frontwoman?
My experience and my wisdom are undeniable at this age. I’ve got two daughters, I have lived a whole life, I’ve experienced the peaks and the dips of life as we all have. Also, the world itself feels like a very, very different place to me than it did in 2006. Technology is wildly advanced since we released music in 2006. So I think all those things have made me a lot wiser and a lot warier. I could say more than ever music is important now than it ever has been. I think there are a few things that connect us in spirit at this point in time, and I think music is definitely one of them all. Alcohol is the other one. Having a glass of wine, listening to good music, these are the things that bring us together.
Are there dream collaborators, producers, or venues you hope to work with / play in, now that you’re active again?
Well, this is the first time we’ve recorded as a band with Ben Hillier, who produced “Unbroken” and it was such a joy. He connected so well with the band. I think I could confidently say we’d be very happy to do a lot more with him. In terms of venues, it’s a dream to play in some classic venues in London, or the Roundhouse in Camden and the Brighton where we live. There’s a beautiful venue called the Dome. I saw Patti Smith there not long ago and it was the most beautiful show. It’s like a really, really old theatre and that would be a dream.
If you’re looking out for old theatres, you should consider Greece too.
Yeah, well, I mean, I’m talking old to you. We would absolutely love to play in Greece. We never got there. That would be wonderful. I’ve only been to Greece once. I went to Ios for a holiday and that was magnificent. I would love to come back.
If you could go back to the moment you first decided to form the band, what advice would you give yourselves – especially about staying together, or handling the long quiet periods?
I think all these years later, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the history of the band and some of the decisions that we made. I think that I would say to my younger self to have a bit more patience because I’ve always been so impatient. I’m always like wanting to go to the next thing but a part of me does wish that I sat still for a bit longer and appreciated what was happening. Also, there were so many times where as a young woman, I ignored my instinct, where I knew in my heart what the right thing was to do or what some of the right decisions might have been. I ignored that because it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by the people that you work with, record labels, managers, whatever. So I think I would say “hold your decisions with a bit more resolution and strength”.
What is your motto in life?
So I would go back to what I was saying 30 seconds ago, which is that my motto now in life is to never hesitate in listening to my own voice and my own heart. That’s it.
Interview: Theodore Kolliopoulos
