Jehnny Beth up for reuniting with Savages

Jehnny Beth, in town this weekend to kick off her first North American tour in three years at Riot Fest, said while she is not nearly finished as a solo artist, she would welcome playing again with the critically acclaimed UK band that she fronted from 2011 to 2017.

In an interview on the festival grounds after her energetic set, Beth did not shy away from the possibility.

“Why not?” She said, adding that “it’s not just on me. We’ll see. I haven’t finished what I want to do with Jehnny Beth yet.”

While no official talks are underway, the reuniting of Savages would no doubt thrill a legion of fans. The band released two acclaimed albums during its brief tenure and stopped because members were increasingly preoccupied with side projects.

Beth, who moved back to her native France six years ago, said she still communicates with her former bandmates, Gemma Thompson, Ayse Hassan and Fay Milton, but does not see them often.

“We all live all over the place so we don’t really see each other much but we’ll check in to see how we’re doing,” she said.

Representatives for Thompson, Hassan and Milton did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Had Savages stayed together, they likely would have been scheduled in a prime time slot at this year’s Riot Fest. Instead, now solo, Beth played an early afternoon set, although her fans didn’t seem to mind.

However, without the acclaim of Savages, Beth said that in many ways she feels like she’s starting over. Her first and only solo studio album, “To Live is To Love,” was released in 2020 and her tour in support of that was cut short because of the pandemic.

“It was a hard road in 2020 until 2022. When you release a record and everyone is home and you’re home, it’s hard, especially when you’re starting something new. I had worked for years on that record, so it was bad luck.

“I don’t mind starting over. It’s interesting to find the energy. There’s an energy to climb the mountain,” she said.

Perhaps because she’s more of a veteran than a rookie, she said the experience didn’t crush her. 

“In someone’s career there’s ups and downs. I’ve had good luck and good things always return, what matters is what you do in between and how you handle it,” she said, adding that “I’m a lifer, I don’t think that will change.”

Fans of Savages can only hope that one of the “good things” includes the band itself.