5 minutes with Joelle from Lockjaw Records

Joëlle is one of the most dedicated skate-punk fans Europe has to offer. Catch her at festivals and gigs all around the world : if there’s a band worth seeing she’ll be there.

Joëlle looks after all of Lockjaw Records’ social media, podcasts with her previous label Less Talk, More Records and promotes shows in Antwerp. We love her so we fired some questions at her.

Hello! Who are you and what do you do?
Hi, I’m Joëlle. I manage Lockjaw’s social media channels and used to run a DIY skate-punk label called Less Talk, More Records (2011-2017). Sometimes I’ll record a podcast under that name (LTMR) with my mate Judy. I travel a lot for gigs and have recently started promoting as well.

How did you first get involved with the punk rock community?

Message boards! Back in the day, when Facebook wasn’t a thing, message boards were where it was at.

As a teenager I frequented the Groezrock and Skatepunkers.net messageboard to find new music, gigs... This must’ve been 2006 or 2007. As a really shy teen girl, a punk gig could be rather lonely, so it was really nice to have this online skate-punk community that I could talk music with. I ended up meeting a lot of them in person in the late 00’s and early ‘10s at gigs all around Europe and some had become really close friends by that point.

I had been helping my local punk promoter pals out behind the scenes regularly for years, but in 2011 Less Talk, More Records was born from the depths of the Skatepunkers messageboard. That really took my ‘involvement’ to the next level.

What’s your favourite album of all time (and what do you love most about it)?

Propagandhi’s Potemkin City Limits. Although I think Propagandhi has albums that are more my cup of tea musically (all their recent stuff), I love the effect Potemkin had on me. It widened my taste in music a bit more, it helped shape my views on politics. I discovered Propagandhi through this album in 2006 and it’s been a great love story ever since. I love it so much that I even got the album cover tattooed on me.

Who’s your favourite new band right now?

Press Club and Fabled Mind. Press Club’s most recent album is one of my favourites of 2019. It’s been on repeat for months.

Same with Fabled Mind really, I’ve been listening to their album regularly for months (the perks of working for a label) and recently got to see them live in Portsmouth. I’m impressed. Excellent live band.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about music?

“If you’re not digging it, you’re not digging it. End of story.”

I used to feel bad if I didn’t like a release someone sent me or one of my favourite bands released a new album that wasn’t my cup of tea at all. I’d try really hard to like it anyway because I felt obliged to or owed them an explanation. I don’t need to spend my energy justifying myself for not liking a certain release or band. 

Musically, what’s been your proudest moment?

I find it incredibly difficult to answer that as everything I’ve ever done with music is ‘support work’. I’m very proud of bands and people I’ve worked with and watching them grow is amazing but that's their achievement, not mine. 

I’d say the inception of PNKRCKR Collective and investing time in community, instead of trying to do everything on our own, is something I look back on with a lot of warm fuzzy feelings. Can you tell I’m a social worker? 

Following that, when Rob & Lesley asked me if I wanted to help out at Lockjaw Records, it made me feel like I must’ve done something right in the years before, even if it never felt like it (hello impostor syndrome).

More recently, being at Brakrock this summer with Cedric, Rob and Much The Same was a highlight. I thought we did really well there as a label, and to have one of my bucket list bands on the Lockjaw roster is SO COOL. 

Who do you most admire in the scene at the moment?

Anyone that continues to invest in the punk rock community, whether that’s their time or money as a promoter, a label boss, attender of gigs or sharer of posts. 

If I had to pick one? The KNRD Fest crew. They really stick to their values and are a positive bunch of people I wish I could hang out with more. 

What have you got coming up that you’d like people to hear about?

My friends and I recently hosted an awesome gig in Antwerp. We’re already planning not one, but two gigs in 2020. It would be cool if you could give our brand new page a follow so you don’t miss our announcements.

Oh and my 30th birthday gig on January 4, with The Cosmosians, Coral Springs and Headshrinker.

Follow Joëlle on Instagram for more Less Talk, More Lockjaw updates. She also updates all of our Lockjaw Records socials - why not give those a follow while you’re here? Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.