Band Meeting: Good Habits
Good Habits are a dynamic Indie-Folk band (Bonnie Schwarz, Pete Shaw, and Jenny Walinetski) fusing virtuosic energy with vivid storytelling in a whirlwind of folky brilliance. With international acclaim, they’ve played Glastonbury, toured Australasia and the UK, with their album ‘Quarter-Life’ hitting the UK Top 40 Folk Charts. We asked if we could have a quiet word…
First things first – ‘Good Habits’ why that name and what were the other contenders for a band name?
Pete: If only we had a wild story involving nuns and late-night epiphanies. Truth is, we just stumbled across a name that felt right at the start, long before we had any idea this would become our full-time adventure. “Good Habits” has stuck with us ever since—it feels like us. (Although thanks to Ed Sheeran, we often get introduced as “Bad Habits” by mistake!)
Where do you call home?
Bonnie: That’s something we’ve only recently figured out. We’ve just made a little place outside Sheffield our long-term base, which feels lovely after so much time on the move. Before that, we spent years being happily nomadic, living on the road and chasing tours. But “home” does still feel in many places—New Zealand is home too, with family and friends there, and so are the places we grew up.
I see you’re described as indie-folk and whilst that’s clearly there, your music doesn’t follow the verse-chorus format but has instrumental breaks and unexpected bridges and twists – do you feel you have a genre ?
Pete: Indie-folk does often make people think of soft guitar singer-songwriters, which isn’t at all what we do. But finding neat words to categorise ourselves is tricky. Indie-folk feels like the closest fit because we do draw on folky elements, but then twist them into our own songwriting style. And “indie-folk” can mean so many different things—it can even stretch to three people hitting a cello with chopsticks..
What are the benefits and pitfalls of having just 3 of you in the band?
Bonnie: For most of Good Habits’ life we were a duo (and since Pete and I are also a couple, that made sense!). It’s only this year that we’ve become a trio, so it doesn’t feel like “just three” to us—it feels like an exciting expansion of something that’s already the most important project in our lives. Since it’s the two of us plus our drummer Jenny, it’s really tight-knit and easy to organise. I often look at bigger bands and imagine it must feel like herding kittens just to get everyone in the same van. Having a small band gives us so much more flexibility and ease logistically, which suits us perfectly.
You have a lot of live video footage and you look like you’re having a ball. Do you enjoy being in the studio too?
Pete: We do! In fact, we’re in the middle of recording right now—and loving it. Watch this space
For three people playing live you have a very full orchestral sound, do you use looping and stuff like that?
Bonnie: We don’t use looping, everything is created there and then live on stage. We do use effects pedals, when I send the plucked cello through a delay pedal it creates a ricochet like sound which I love using, and when I use that pedal on rip-roaring solos it really holds attention!
You’re coming to play Things Happen Here, have you played ‘round these parts before?
Bonnie: Yes! Our first Totnes gig was at The Barrel house, which we loved. And I actually spent a lot of time in Dartington as a child, since my mum attended the summer schools there—so it always feels a little like coming full circle when we play nearby.
Who’s in charge?
Pete: On stage, no one’s in charge—we’re all listening and following each other in the moment, which is what makes it exciting. Off stage, it’s very much a team effort between Bonnie and me. We’ve got our domains, we run things together, and Jenny brings a lot of calm to the mix too.
Bonnie: Me
One for Bonnie… You literally wear the cello on stage – never seen that before! Is the strap setup complicated and how’s your back?
I love the strap, sitting whilst playing just wouldn’t allow for the movement and expression I’ve come to enjoy so much in Good Habits. The strap system was actually developed by an American cellist called Mike Block, and it’s wonderfully simple. Once you get used to it, it feels very natural and surprisingly light. Everyone thinks it must be bad for my back—but honestly, compared to carrying Pete’s accordion, it’s nothing!
Your website says you were ‘happily stranded’ in New Zealand. What occurred?
Pete: Our first big adventure as Good Habits was a tour in New Zealand in early 2020. We planned three months, but… well, you know what happened in 2020. We didn’t make it home until the end of 2021. We bought a tiny van and toured troubadour-style in between lockdowns. It turned into two of the most magical, formative years of our lives.
The music is great by the way, who composes it?
Bonnie: Thank you! Usually one of us brings the seed of a song—an idea, a melody, a half-finished sketch—and then we develop it together, throwing it back and forth until it feels like “us.” Then Jenny adds her magic, and we shape and mould from there.
The coming tour is quite a jaunt across the UK in a short time – do you enjoy the process of touring?
Pete: Absolutely. Touring feels like a natural rhythm. After two years living in New Zealand vans, and two years living on the UK road after that, we’re very at home in the ever-changing tour life. This tour is particularly special though—we’ve chosen key places where we really want to introduce our trio line-up, so it feels like a celebration more than anything.
I notice that Pete dresses very lightly – don’t you get cold?
Pete: Every gig is basically a workout when you’re strapped to a heavy accordion. I’m my own central heating system. There have been some rather brisk gigs of about -3 degrees in the Southern Alps of New Zealand which felt pretty fresh!
You can check-out the music on their bandcamp page here and Good Habits are coming to Things Happen Here on Friday, November 7th and tickets are available here.