Huarinami On New EP, London Scene And Immersing Themselves In Performance

With their sophomore EP ‘nothing happens’ out today, we chat to Pauline Janier, vocalist of French London-based four-piece Huarinami

Stepping into a sharper, louder new phase, Huarinami are carving out a space that feels both chaotic and deliberate: a self-described “lush punk” project that thrives on contrast. Formed in London by a close-knit group of friends, the band began as a bedroom collaboration between Pauline Janier (vocals, flute, guitar) and Kevin Siou (lead guitar) before quickly expanding into a full live lineup with Timi on bass and Romain on drums, transforming the sound into something more immediate, more physical, and far more volatile. 

Their debut EP ‘super soft‘ introduced a softer, more textured side of the band, but its follow-up ‘nothing happens‘ – out today – pushes everything outward. Despite its title, the record captures the opposite feeling: a world in constant motion, overloaded with work, emotion, and overstimulation, where stillness is rare and meaning can feel just out of reach. It’s a reflection of modern disorientation as much as it is a burst of release. 

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Your new EP ‘nothing happens‘ arrives on 5th June. What’s the story behind the title and how does it reflect the record as a whole? 

In terms of the music itself, I’d say it’s the opposite of the title! Well, we hope so, there’s a lot going on! But when it comes to the deeper meaning behind the record, nothing happens reflects the feeling that it’s hard out there! We work hard, juggling a million things at once, always in motion, almost losing any real sense of time or space. And somehow, despite all that movement, it can still feel like nothing happens. You know what I mean? 

How does this EP build on or differ from your debut release ‘super soft’? 

Well, when people ask what kind of music we make, we always say “lush punk.” I guess our first EP, ‘super soft,‘ leans more toward the lush side, while this new EP, ‘nothing happens,‘ is definitely more punk, it was really born out of forming the band. 

We only started Huarinami last year and when we wrote the first EP, it was just Kevin and me making music in our bedroom. We hadn’t even started playing with Timi on bass and Romain on drums yet. 

Your sound blends elements of French new-wave, garage rock, and psychedelia. Who or what were your biggest influences while making this project? 

Kevin is super into King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Wolf Alice, Pond, and Tame Impala.

On my side, I’d say my main influences for this EP were Saya Gray and Erykah Badu for their total freedom in creativity, Shygirl for her flow, my friend Lady Sold Out and Basile Lacroix-Boettcher who always inspire me, and Men I Trust for the softness of their sound. I’m also a huge fan of October and The Eyes, Amyl and the Sniffers and Wet Leg!

As a French band formed and based in London, how much does the city shape your music and identity as a group? 

The city and the people we surround ourselves with have shaped our music so much. I honestly don’t think we’d be able to do this anywhere else. There’s a groove to London that makes us feel like we can actually chase our dreams. 

You’ve become associated with the wider Windmill scene – what’s it been like being part of that community over the past year? 

We love Tim, I mean, it’s an honour! The Windmill Brixton is such a heartwarming space; the curation and the people are just incredible. We’re part of the Windmill scene? I mean… what? Pinch me. We have the best time every single time we play there 

You’ve already received support from stations like 6 Music, KEXP, and Radio X quite early on. Has that attention changed the way you approach the band at all? 

Receiving that kind of support really helped us build confidence in ourselves as a band and encouraged us to think bigger. But in terms of how we approach everything, nothing has really changed, we’re still just a bunch of friends having the best time together. 

Your live shows have built a strong reputation – how important is performance to Huarinami compared to the studio side of things? 

Oooooh, do our live shows have a strong reputation? I guess the performance is pretty different from the studio recordings. We have a lot of free-form jam moments during the set where I improvise on the flute, which really brings out our psychedelic side, something that isn’t reflected as much in the studio tracks. 

More recently, I’ve also managed to fully immerse myself in the performance, which is still really new to me, and I feel like it’s changed everything. Now it feels like the four of us are completely inside the music, with no compromise, and people seem to really respond to that energy. 

You’re playing your first headline show of the year at The George Tavern in June. What can people expect from the set? 

We’re maybe preparing a little techno interlude in the middle of the set… 🙂 

You’re surrounded by a really interesting creative network of musicians, producers, and artists – how important is collaboration to the way Huarinami works?

We love our friends! And, it’s so important, I guess we feed off each other’s creativity. When you don’t have money or a network, I feel like what’s left are the people, and this is what we have! 

Looking ahead, what do you hope people take away from ‘nothing happens,‘ and what’s next for the band after this release? 

With ‘nothing happens,‘ I hope people can just think, “fuck it, let’s have fun.” 

What’s next? We’re trying to organise more dates outside of London… first stop: Manchester on the 25th of June!

Listen to ‘nothing happens’ here:

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