Interviews
9 Sep 2011
Interview | Ladytron
Ladytron first came to prominence over a decade ago during the electroclash fad. Unlike some of their early peers (remember Fischerspooner? Me neither), the four piece are still going strong, releasing a greatest hits compilation earlier this year. Their fifth album Gravity the Seducer is out on 12 September in the UK and 13 September in the US on Nettwerk. the girls are recently caught up with Helen Marnie, one of the band's dual lead vocalists, to talk about the new record. (more...)
27 May 2011
Interview | Marissa Nadler
Since releasing her debut album, Ballads of Living and Dying in 2004, Massachusetts-native Marissa Nadler has produced an imposing body of work, comprising five critically lauded albums, and garnering some lofty praise in the process. Likened to a siren luring men to their watery deaths, and a temptress beckoning woozy disciples to follow her into Hades, Nadler's distinctive vocal delivery and inherent mysticism have established her as an enigmatic, almost untouchable artist. In reality, Nadler is personable, arrestingly honest, and as utterly captivating as her illusive, yet highly personal music suggests.
After years of burgeoning creativity and critical success, 2010 saw Nadler being unexpectedly dropped by her then record label Mexican Summer – whose name is taken from one of Nadler's songs of the same title – signalling an abrupt change of direction for the musician. We caught up with her to discuss fan involvement, pornographic pillows, the joys of setting up your own label, and what to do when the chips are down... (more...)
26 Apr 2011
Interview | Agnes Obel
A Series of Fortunate Events
A sunny afternoon finds the girls are rocking the retro shades on a secret balcony at Bush Hall with Berlin based, Danish singer songwriter Agnes Obel. With no sign of pre-show nerves before her one and only London gig tonight, Obel is relaxed and happy to give an exclusive interview to our favourite women’s music website.
With stunning, classically laden piano forming the basis of her critically lauded debut, Philharmonics, the girls are had imagined Obel’s upbringing to have been that of a child prodigy, perhaps performing sonatas aged three to an audience of kings and queens in powdered wigs. So it was with a little disappointment that we find out that the artist’s path to future superstardom was ridiculously normal and the singer herself ludicrously modest and affable. “I started playing piano when I was little and basically kept on playing. I guess a lot of friends of mine, they played too, but they stopped at some point and I just kept on playing in bands, not because I wanted to be a musician, I had never really thought about it.” (more...)
5 Apr 2011
Interview | Lail Arad
With the nip of winter finally starting to thaw and International Women's Day celebrating it's 100thbirthday just last month, it seems only fitting to welcome Les Femmes S'en Melent back in Paris for the (formidable) 14th year running. Having begun way back in 1997 as a single gig, Les Femmes S'en Melent has been getting together for over ten years now in order to celebrate and promote a whole host of independent, women artists. A shining example of such indie brilliance is 26 year old, Brit singer songwriter, Lail Arad. With a healthy (and hilarious) stock of DIY YouTube videos online, including an impromptu performance during Devendra Banhart's show in 2007, Ms Arad is performing as part of this years celebrated French festival and has just released her debut album out here, to boot. We caught up with the songstress before her show at Le Divan du Monde for une petite tête à tête on being involved in such an acclaimed event, her online ode to Adam Green and the first ever women explorer... (more...)
1 Apr 2011
Interview | Matt and Kim
“Let me in, coach! I got this!”
the girls are is delighted to be invited to interview Matt and Kim in a very nice apartment in Camden today. Very nice is right. The weather is nice, the manager is nice, the tea is... a little bit strong but the thought is nice. And Matt and Kim are nice. So nice.The Brooklyn-based duo are perhaps best known for their videos which have seen them naked in Times Square, crammed into cupboards, pelted with food and, in their recent video for single ‘Cameras’, kicking the ever-loving crap out of each other. But under the Youtube phenomenalies are some high quality song craft that has earned them a passionate fan following. Formed in 2004, Matt Johnson (vocals, keyboards, dimples) and Kim Schifino (drums, vocals, tattoos) found some commercial success with their second DIY album Grand, the sense of messy fun and celebratory emotions striking a chord with gloom-hit audiences, not to mention an advertiser or two. Now touring with third album Sidewalks, we catch up with them to talk curry - “They say London is famous for curry. It’s all we’ve eaten since we got here” - parties and not pulling punches. (more...)
28 Mar 2011
Interview | Alpines
Bob Matthews and Catherine Pockson, from sleepy Kingston-upon-Thames, stand at the bar of a South Kensington pub for our interview. After a busy day of meetings, the 24-and 25-year-olds are fresh-faced and well turned out. Their aesthetic is a combination of conventional good looks and ever-so-edgy couture. It's certainly enough to warrant the double-takes they receive as they sit down in the corner of the genteel boozer. They're not just two intimidatingly attractive people, they're Alpines, and they're tipped for big things in the blogosphere and beyond.
Catherine, who's wearing a tasselled jacket and has waist-length black hair, says: "The aesthetics are very important. I don’t necessarily need Lady Gaga every time I go to a gig, but costumes are important and I like a bit of a spectacle. I call them costumes, they’re just a more flamboyant way of dressing." (more...)
13 Mar 2011
Interview | Wendy James
After making her name as the brazen frontwoman of Transvision Vamp before embarking on a long solo career and side project Racine, Wendy James is back with a bang. She released solo album I Came Here To Blow Minds last year to applause, and dropped into the UK (she is currently based in the States) recently to talk to the girls are about life as a solo artist.
We sent the brilliant Ruth Barnes from The Other Woman Music along to a Notting Hill pub to talk Americana, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, guitars, Paris and staying in control... (more...)
2 Mar 2011
Interview | devi ever
Who here likes guitars? Damn near everybody right? And who wouldn’t? Guitars are one of the leading causes of pregnancy amongst ugly people in the known world - right behind beer, “Babe, Iran just launched the nukes,” and the infinite despair of knowing that’ll you’ll otherwise die alone. Still, have you ever wondered what exactly makes a guitar sound so damn good? If you said ‘talent’ then you couldn’t be more wrong if you were a picture of Craig David with a Mobo.
For non-experts, the blind, and people who for reasons of debilitating neck injury have lost the ability to look down, a good (if varying) proportion of a guitarist’s sound comes from those little magic boxes strewn about their feet. They can be incidental, or in the case of some artists, define or even wholly make up their sound.
Most people will know their Bosses, their Digitechs, and some sad dole queue-rs will know their Behringers. But there is a huge underground base of circuit prodding boutique experimentalists out there, soldering off the beaten track, trying to bring forward less conventional sounds and designs to the discerning ear. One of the most highly regarded leaders of the pack in this respect is a woman named Devi Ever, who makes a living out of shredding celestions and taking names.
One of the few women in her field, and operating out of her home in Portland Oregon, Devi currently specializes in exceptional quality boutique fuzz. For those of you wondering what that is, Google it as I’ve already killed enough paragraph space. Mouth, words, go! (more...)
26 Feb 2011
Interview | Call The Doctor
Call The Doctor are a "jerky, girly post-punk" (NME) four-piece indie pop band based in Bristol. Formed over a mutual love of danceable but dirty guitar sounds, their new single 'Take It Out' exercises just that. The band of troublemakers are state of “emergency doctor” lead vocalist Patti Aberhart, British bred “animal doctor” Robert Hallworth on riffs, hairy “witchdoctor” Chris Davis on basslines and the handsome next “Doctor Who” John Raftery on beat duties. Despite having a real animal doctor in the band, the group are named after Sleater-Kinney and their seminal Call the Doctor album.
Their captivating 23 year old kiwi front woman Patti Aberhart, moved from New Zealand in 2009 and a year later they released their debut mini-album CTD, produced by Paul Tipler (Idlewild/Elastica/Forward Russia) to widespread acclaim. The hardworking band have completed two UK tours, supported acts such as Band Of Skulls, Shonen Knife, MEN and are about to embark on a Spring 2011 UK & European tour in support of their 'Take It Out' single release on independent record label Glasstone Records.
the girls are called up the music doctors and this is what they had to say... (more...)
25 Feb 2011
Interview | The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable first released their début single 'Austere' in 2008, a year when (alarmingly) Canadian crooners Nickleback climbed to the top of the charts once more. In light of this, The Joy Formidable's expansive and ethereal sounds were a beacon of light in a sea of otherwise mundane indie. Three years on and Chad Kroegar and co. have just announced plans for their seventh, yes seventh, release. Yet, there is something to be said for a gradual career building and, with their début album The Big Roar finally released just last month, The Joy Formidable certainly prove that slow and steady really does win the race. the girls are were lucky enough to catch up with the Welsh trio before their sold out show in Paris last week to talk about influences, a possible Febreeze sponsorship and incorporating cannons into their stage show... (more...)
