Beautifully inarticulate: Juliana Hatfield’s favourite REM album
By her mid-20s, singer and musician Juliana Hatfield had single-handedly become the poster girl of indie rock in the 1990s. Having grown up in a warm yet restrained New England household, her story unfolded before her like a well-thumbed record, scuffed at the edges but deeply loved and cherished. Hatfield’s musical journey has been revisited by fans and critics alike, her sonic world pulled from its beloved spot on the shelf time and time again for us to explore and admire.
With a family history of national service and the lingering shadow of the Vietnam War, Hatfield’s most formative years were set against the backdrop of quiet tension. Setting off to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the social and political tremors of the 1970s provided Hatfield with a powerful canvas for her work: the anxieties and fears of the time spoken through song. Whether it was through word of mouth at friends’ parties or whispers at dimly lit gigs, there was a definite local buzz about her stage presence, and Boston’s music scene began to take notice.
Around this time, another band had captured Hatfield’s attention. Founded in 1980, long before the idea of fame was a twinkle in her eye, Georgia-based alt-rockers REM had stormed onto the scene with a sound that can only be described as ‘college rock’. From restless campus nights to sticky fumblings in dorm hallways, REM had created the ultimate watershed moment for young Americans who felt hopeful but also profoundly lost.
Amid their rise, Hatfield found herself drawn to their 1983 debut album Murmur: “It’s unpolished and kind of raw, but there’s a lot of beauty to the songs. The band was not a stardom vehicle for the singer – everything was equally important and working together to create this totally new sound.”
Hatfield admired frontman Michael Stipe’s unconventional style of singing and felt connected with his struggle with self-expression: “I related to what seemed like the inarticulation of the words because I was very inarticulate myself, I didn’t really know how to communicate. So I liked that the singer wasn’t making all the words clear. All the feeling came through, regardless of what the words were saying. Music, for me, was always about transmitting honesty and emotion, and it wasn’t so much about the words. Up until my 20, I never even really listened to lyrics, it was all about just hearing sound.”
With diverse musical influences and a well-stocked arsenal of collaborations, Hatfield has proven herself to be somewhat of a musical shapeshifter. She has performed with and co-founded various groups, including Blake Babies, The Juliana Hatfield Three, Some Girls and The Lemonheads, all while launching a red-hot solo career. In the coming years, Hatfield has worked tirelessly on honing her craft and carving her own niche while also recognising and paying tribute to the work of others.
Much like REM, Hatfield’s music echoes the same themes of vulnerability and isolation. In an interview for the book I’m Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Hatfield revealed that she was considering REM for her next cover album but went on to select Electric Light Orchestra instead, titled Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO. This follows on from previous projects where she paid homage to The Police and Olivia Newton-John.
The Juliana Hatfield Three are currently wrapping up their tour with Soul Asylum to celebrate the “30thish Anniversary” of their debut album Become What You Are, released after Hatfield’s run in Blake Babies. The trio will play the album in its entirety, along with other songs from their catalogue, before two headline shows in Hatfield’s well-trodden stomping grounds in Massachusetts.
