How would you describe your music?
We are a four piece and play punk and pop influenced music with a more folk/indie inspired tone. I am the primary songwriter and write mostly on acoustic guitar before arranging it with my band, who are all men. Our influences range from The Clash, Guided by Voices and The Descendents to Billy Bragg, Ani Difranco and Neko Case.What is your role in your band? In the studio? In business or marketing decisions?
"I'm the primary songwriter and share those duties with our other guitarist. We bring songs to rehearsal almost fully formed and work with our bandmates on the final arrangement.In the studio we all participate in deciding the final sounds on the record. We each care a great deal about our individual instruments and their role in the record.
I do most of the promotional work for the band, have booked all of our tours, and create all of our record artwork, posters and other promo art."
Describe your gear.
I play a '72 Fender Telecaster Reissue through a Vox AC30 headRelated Themes: Gear
Do you think being a woman and a musician is different from being a man and a musician? If so, how? Was there a moment that made a difference clear to you?
"It's absolutely different. You automatically have to prove yourself far more than a man does and even though people may think they're not being sexist, most people will give guys the benefit of the doubt when it comes to whether or not they're a serious musician. Most men assume I play bass instead of guitar and I still get asked if I'm actually IN the band and not just WITH the band. A lot of people are surprised when I say that we go on tour all the time and that I sing and play guitar.Once you're in a band and start playing shows, it's much easier to forget those sorts of things when people know about your band, but they're absolutely still there. I've read so many comments online about my appearance and whether or not men find me attractive. When people are still talking about ""girl bands"" or qualify their liking my music with whether or not they like ""female vocals"", you know that it's absolutely still making a difference that I'm a woman and not the expected male front person.
When we go on tour and I'm regularly the only woman playing an instrument out of four or five bands, still, in 2010, it's glaringly obvious to me that there's something stopping most women from being in full-time touring bands. It's unfortunate but true."
Related Themes: Onstage
Do you see differences between generations of women musicians?
I don't think it's necessarily a generational difference but I do see more women today playing genres of music that are seen as more masculine like metal, noise, or guitar heavy rock. It's amazing and you see a lot more women taking the lead in those sorts of bands.Related Themes: Off The Clock
Did anyone ever give you any valuable advice about making your way in the music industry? What advice would you give to a woman musician just starting out?
I think the most important thing is to play what you love, don't compromise that to sound more attractive or accessible, and don't take any crap from anyone about it. No one wants to listen to music you're not passionate about and even if certain topics may be heavy or difficult to think about, that's when music gets really powerful. I think it's really important for women to not be afraid to write about what's really on their minds and affecting their scenes and communities.Related Themes: Advice
Why did you choose to play the instrument you play?
I wanted to write songs and it was the easiest for me to play and sing at the same time. I loved performing at open mic nights when I was a kid, and a guitar made the most sense. I'm a classically trained pianist and already knew a lot about music theory and song structure, so picking up a guitar was pretty easy for me when I started playing at age 14.Related Themes: The First Time
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