Cat Meows, Gary Numan and Growing Up Weird: A Chat with Beatowls' Darcie Chazen.
SOCIETÀ 38 : Darcie Chazen (photograph by Gary Lambert)
“I was a strange kid and always mimicked tones and melodies—whether from people, songs, or anything that caught my interest. Cat meows, scraping metal, you name it.”
Between the Baltic Triangle's warehouses and the ghosts of Mathew Street, Liverpool still writes its stories in sound. Here, where dock cranes scratched the sky and seagulls remix the morning chorus, Beatowls carved something different from the city's familiar frequencies. Not the nostalgic echo of Merseybeat or the studied haircut-cool of contemporary indie—instead, they've found those in-between spaces where electronic pulses meet human tones.
It's the kind of music that makes perfect sense at 3am, when the city's neon bleeds into puddles and night buses carry their cargo of half-remembered conversations. The kind of sound that could only come from a place where industrial heritage collides with digital dreams.
This is where we find Beatowls, turning Liverpool's perpetual rain into something that glitters. And now, with maXIon's remix of "(Do You Want To Be) Loved" being released, vocalist Darcie Chazen opens up about the voices that shaped her journey from bedroom harmonies to Beatowls’ moments of electronic beauty, the sounds that follow her home and the surprising journey from mimicking donkeys in primary school to becoming one of Liverpool’s most compelling vocalists.
It's a rare glimpse into the making of a voice—not just the one we hear on Beatowls' debut album "Marma", but the one that emerged from funeral hymns, bedroom singalongs and late-night revelations.
Between memories of Gary Numan marathons at her dad's house and the unexpected solace found in Jewish folk songs, Darcie reveals how every voice carries its own history. As maXIon's remix prepares to take "(Do You Want To Be) Loved" into new territory, Darcie looks back at the sounds that brought her here and forward to where they might lead.
BEATOWLS: Tom Roberts, Darcie Chazen, Carl Cook (photograph by Mark McNulty)
You know, I've always wondered about that moment when singing becomes more than just something you do—when it becomes part of who you are. Tell me about when that happened for you, Darcie.
DC: I was a strange kid and always mimicked tones and melodies—whether from people, songs, or anything that caught my interest (cat meows, scraping metal, you name it). I became fascinated with getting my impressions as accurate as possible, almost obsessively fine-tuning every detail to match the original source. In primary school, I even gained a mild reputation for my immaculate Donkey impression and for nailing one of those mad vocal gymnastic parts by Christina Aguilera.
Back then, it felt more like an obsession rather than a skill, and definitely not something I ever saw myself pursuing in a serious way.
Oddly, my first "gig" was at my Grandma’s funeral, where I sang Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers. I think from that moment, I started seeing my voice differently and allowed myself to feel valid in using it as a tool. That said, I often feel massive imposter syndrome musically, and I’m not sure if that will ever go away.
It's interesting how a performance can stick like that. Actually, while we're talking about songs taking on new meaning—what was your first reaction when maXIon reimagined '(Do You Want To Be) Loved'?
DC: I really love the build-up in atmosphere that MaXIon created with our track. It was always a little bit dancey, but there’s a sense of suspense in this version that feels fresh and works really well.
It’s interesting hearing a song I’ve listened to so much at this point be reworked and filtered through someone else’s perspective. You can really feel MaXIon’s take on it.
IN THE FILM ‘MESIBA’ (photograph by Omri Dagan / @omridagan)
I'm curious—we all have those voices that just stop us in our tracks, the ones that make us completely rethink what singing can be. Who's done that for you?
DC: I’ve always admired singers with complicated and almost ridiculous vocal ability—like Minnie Riperton and Mariah Carey. The kind of voices where you listen in awe but also think, *What the heck is going on? How is this even humanly possible?*
For the last five years or so, I’ve been appreciative of anything and everything by Alice Phoebe Lou. Her voice has this beautiful softness to it, yet there’s a raw, unpolished edge that makes it feel so real. I think every time she’s released an album, I’ve been going through something heavy, so maybe I’ve even projected my own feelings and characters into her stories.
Let's talk about when you're not being “Darcie from Beatowls”. What's on your personal playlist that might surprise people?
DC: It really depends on the day. If I need energy, I’ll crave ‘80s classics, R&B, and probably a large helping of noughties pop bangers. Bee Gees, Talking Heads, Barry White, Kate Bush, Sade, Kylie and Sugababes—what a party!
If I’m in a softer or more melancholy mood, I’ll lean towards something more instrumental, like Brian Eno, Nils Frahm, and Sigur Rós, or an album like Shaking the Habitual by The Knife. Or sometimes I’ll go full experimental and get lost in something by Arp Yellow Magic Orchestra.
I’m often on the lookout for songs that I can dance and move to and so I enjoy mixing things up a lot and listening to what I like, not what I think people expect me to like.
More recently, I’ve been part of a new project called GALGAL, where we reimagine Jewish folk songs from across the diaspora. It’s a really wholesome experience and feels like a modern homage to our culture.
I used to celebrate Passover down South with family every year, and one song that has always stuck with me is Ma Nishtana. Singing that melody in a group warmed my soul—it’s just beautiful. In the last few years, I’ve also really gotten into The Barry Sisters and their wonderfully catchy Yiddish melodies.
Growing up, my mum loved The Beatles, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, and Queen—proper classics. But whenever I visited my dad, it was strictly and unapologetically Gary Numan. No exceptions.
You know, Liverpool's got this incredible legacy of so many voices that break the mould— from John Lennon to Cilla Black to Ian McCulloch. How do you think growing up here has shaped your own voice?
DC: I don’t think I’ve ever really stopped to consider the cultural significance of growing up in Liverpool and how much iconic music is tied to this city. I obviously love and appreciate The Beatles, as did my mum, but I sometimes wonder if everything since then is just seen as trying to live up to that legacy.
That said, the city is always changing, and I really think local bands validate our collective experience. Cilla Black will always be the host of Blind Date to me more than a ballad legend, just as I definitely appreciate Yoko Ono’s performance art more than her screeching vocals (though, if I’m honest, I secretly love those too).
Some local artists from Merseyside that I’m enjoying at the minute are Muridae, Terry Venomous, Broken Down Golf Cart, Tits Up, and Luce Mawdsley.
Some songs seem to shape-shift every time you perform them. Has that been your experience with '(Do You Want To Be) Loved'? How has your relationship with it evolved since recording?
DC: There’s definitely something about playing Do You Want To Be Loved live that feels different each time. It can take on a more intense energy, or sometimes feels more laid-back, depending on the atmosphere of the room.
We haven’t actually played this song live too many times, but whenever we do, it usually lands mid-set. By that point, we’ve settled into the performance and the groove is feeling right.
It’s always interesting to see how it’s received in the moment, and it could be exciting to combine the original track with MaXIon’s remix live at our next gig.
“There’s definitely something about playing ‘(Do You Want To Be) Loved’ live that feels different each time. It can take on a more intense energy, or sometimes feels more laid-back, depending on the atmosphere of the room.”
Songs That Shaped Me
Darcie Chazen's Musical DNA
Every voice carries echoes of what came before. Here, Beatowls' Darcie Chazen traces the path from childhood bedroom to recording studio through fourteen tracks that changed how she thinks about singing. From Kylie’s 'Love at First Sight' to Kate Bush's rule-breaking brilliance, these songs map the moments where music shifted from something she heard to something she made.
"This isn't my desert island playlist or even my favourite songs," Darcie explains. "These are the songs that taught me something—about voice, about space, about what's possible when you stop trying to be perfect. Some taught me through their polish, others through their beautiful flaws."
This collection offers a glimpse into the sounds and stories that shapes her distinctive approach. Between Minnie Riperton's impossible heights and Peaches' deliberate disruption, you'll find the DNA of a voice evolving.
Press play. Listen closely.
The song that first made me want to sing:
Love At First Sight - Kylie
The voice that showed me new possibilities:
Inside My Love - Minnie Riperton
The track I return to when I need to remember why I do this:
Something Holy - Alice Phoebe Lou
The recording that taught me something about space and silence:
Fixture Picture - Aldous Harding
The performance that changed how I approach emotion in music:
How Sad, How Lovely - Connie Converse
The voice that made me realise perfection isn't always perfect:
Boys Wanna Be Her - Peaches
The song that showed me how accent and dialect can be beautiful:
Like Someone In Love - Bjork
The performance that proved vulnerability could be strength:
Skydda Dig - Julia Meijer
The piece that helped me understand the spaces between words:
Águas De Março - Elis Regina, Antônio Carlos Jobim
The track I wish I’d written (but I’m glad someone else did):
Harvest Moon - Neil Young
The song that feels like home:
Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
The track that showed me electronics and voice could dance together:
Are Friends Electric? - Gary Numan
The song I return to when the studio feels too clinical:
This Must Be the Place - Talking Heads
The voice that taught me it's okay to break the rules:
Watching You Without Me - Kate Bush
The songs I listen to when I need to feel absolutely sassy as fuck:
Me Myself and I - Beyonce
Cherish the Day - Sade
DREAMS CAN COME TRUE: Darcie as Gabrielle
“I’m often on the lookout for songs that I can dance and move to... I enjoy mixing things up a lot and listening to what I like, not what I think people expect me to like.”