The Jezabels

The Jezabels

The Jezabels are a Sydney, Australia indie rock band that forms in 2007 and remain active. The group consists of Hayley Mary on vocals, Sam Lockwood on guitar, Heather Shannon on piano and keyboard, and Nik Kaloper on drums. Their music sits within alternative rock and indie rock, and they describe it as “intestindie”, reflecting a mix of different styles.

Formation and background

The band comes together through a series of chance meetings at Sydney University. Heather Shannon and Hayley Mary already play music together before moving from Byron to Sydney for higher education. Nik Kaloper and Sam Lockwood are also studying at Sydney University when they join the group.

The Jezabels present themselves as aiming to make pop music with self-awareness, emotional weight, and a tone that does not take itself too seriously. They also say they want their work to push the culture industry in a more human direction.

Members and individual roles

Hayley Mary handles lead vocals. Sam Lockwood plays guitar, Heather Shannon plays piano and keyboard, and Nik Kaloper plays drums. The band also gives short personal descriptions of its members: Shannon studies piano at the conservatorium and reads Russian literature; Mary draws on pop ballads; Kaloper is a science student; and Lockwood is associated with country music and political ideas.

Releases and recognition

The Jezabels issue three EPs: She's So Hard, The Man is Dead, and Dark Storm. Their debut album is Prisoner, which appears in 2011. The album wins the 2012 ARIA Award for Best Independent Release.