Their Library: Mary Timony of Ex Hex

The classics never go out of style…

Mary Timony has been through more bands than you’ve had hot… wait… hot… days, in December? Suppose it depends where you live.

The point we’re trying to make here is that Ex Hex is the latest of several rock acts (Wild Flag amongst them) to call Mary a member. The Washington, DC power trio also features Laura Harris and Betsy Wright, and their debut studio set of 2014, ‘Rips’, was called the “air-guitar album of the year” by the Guardian. Nice!

Want a taste? Check out the songs ‘Waterfall’ and ‘Don't Wanna Lose’ below, ahead of Mary telling us all about her literary tastes for Clash’s regular Their Library slot.

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What is your favourite book?
“Well, I dunno if I have a favourite…”

What other authors do you like?
“I’ve always liked Kafka, Edith Wharton, Dickens – I guess I stick with the classics. I also like heading about medieval times and ancient Egypt, and I like rock bios, of course! The Patti Smith book was great. So was Richard Hell’s book. It’s been a while since I read it, but really liked the diary of Samuel Pepys. It’s cool to read someone’s diary that lived hundreds of years ago, about how they ate turtles and partridges and got fitted for wigs, got drunk and went to too many plays. It makes you realise humans are just humans and we always been the same way, just trying to get by in the world.”

What draws you to certain books?
“I like reading books that were written a long time ago, because it’s the closest you can ever get to talking to someone from the past, and really knowing them and how they saw the world… It's like time travel.”

Have you ever discovered a real lost classic?

“Well, obviously I didn’t ‘discover’ it, but I was obsessed with this book called Love Among the Butterflies, which is basically the diary of this Victorian lady called Margaret Fountaine who travelled around by herself all over Europe and the Middle East, hunting for butterflies and having adventures. She was a real badass.”

Do your literary influences have a direct impact on your songwriting?
“I mean, it sounds real pretentious, but I guess that’s true. Poetry definitely puts my brain into a creative wacky zone, I’ve noticed. It’s like feeding the beast.”

What are you reading at the moment?
“Well, we are on tour right now and I’m reading Viv Albertine’s book. I love The Slits. It’s a really great read!”

What is the first book you remember reading as a child?
“Green eggs and Ham, by Dr Seuss.”

Did you make good use of your library card as a child?
“I read a lot as a kid, yes.”

Have you ever found a book that you simply couldn’t finish?
“Umm… Yes. I start a lot of books and only get halfway through them.”

Would you ever re-read the same book?
“Well, yeah. I mean, it’s cheesy but at one point I read all the Jane Austen books at least twice. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice like five times, actually. But I got obsessed with her in my 20s, like a lot of girls do.”

Do you read one book at a time or more than one?
“Sometimes a few at once, sometimes none at all.”

Is there an author or poet you would like to collaborate with?
“Oh boy, I dunno… Sure, I’d like Mina Loy or Richard Hell to write some lyrics for us! That’d be real cool.”

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Photo: Jonah Takagi

Further Their Library features, with How To Dress Well, Esben And The Witch, Sage Francis, Charlotte Church, Ed Harcourt and more.

Ex Hex online. See the band live as follows:

February
10th Oslo, London (sold out, sorry!)
11th Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
12th Soup Kitchen, Manchester
13th Broadcast, Glasgow
14th Louisiana, Bristol
15th Green Door Store, Brighton

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