OFM Gallery: An Interview with Squirrel Flower
Squirrel Flower, the stage name of Chicago-based musician Ella O’Connor Williams, is an indie rock artist with a melancholy style who recently released her newest album titled Tomorrow’s Fire. She began releasing music in 2015 when her first album titled Early Winter Songs from Middle America came out.
One of her most popular songs is her cover of “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” by Caroline Polachek that she released in 2020. She is currently touring throughout the U.S. with support from alternative indie band GOON, and OFM had the opportunity to sit down with her before her show at Larimer Lounge on January 23 to learn more about her style and the inspirations behind her witch rock aesthetic.
Interview by Ivy Owens and Lydia Treml
What are your ins and outs for music in 2024?
My in is listening to music on CDs, and my outs are competitiveness and trying to make music that fits into the algorithm.
How did growing up in the suburbs of Boston influence your current music taste and style, and are there any bands in particular that stood out to you when you were growing up?
I think the Boston DIY scene was very influential for me in high school. I started going to shows when I was, like, 18 and just experienced some crazy shit. Being able to see what the music scene could be, and what music could be made, is what really made me want to create music in a scene like that. Guerilla Toss was a big one for me, and seeing Lightning Bolt shows when they would come up from Providence and play. Honestly, there are countless bands, but those are some of the main ones.
What inspired your newest album, Tomorrow’s Fire?
A lot of it comes from living and having moved to Chicago. It’s about living in the city and trying to balance daily life and its challenges while also being a musician and wanting that to be the main thing in my life.
Who’s your dream collaboration?
What’s the backstory behind the name Squirrel Flower?
I came up with it as a child actually, and it was sort of like an alter ego that I came up with for myself. When I started making this kind of music when I was 18 I didn’t want to use my name because it felt too boring, and I wanted a little bit of creative distance from it. I was trying to think of a moniker to use, and I remembered the name Squirrel Flower. When I decided to put music out under that name, I never thought anybody would hear it, and to be able to do this now, it’s really insane that people know that.
What’s a song that you wish you could have written?
“Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac.
Why do you describe your music as Witch Rock?
I don’t really like genre descriptors, and I don’t really know how else to describe it. I think it’s witchy, and it’s rock ‘n’ roll.
As an artist, why is reaching out to the queer community through music important to you?
I think as a queer person, making music, at least the way I experience it, is feeling like I have a responsibility to be vocal about things other than music. It’s about creating spaces that are truly accessible to all people and trying not to separate music from politics.
Do you have a favorite way to like listen to music? Like vinyl, CD’s, headphones, etc.?
I really like CDs. My van has a CD player, and I have a collection of CDs most of them being by Bruce Springsteen. I also have an old Bikini Kill demo, Nirvana on MTV live, and Madonna. I have a great collection, and when we drove here from Omaha yesterday, we listened to Nebraska on CD.
Photos by Ivy Owens
