I was introduced to the band
Bad Girlfriend just about two summers ago, when a photographer friend of mine
invited me to a
concert at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. We Are Scientists were
headlining, and Bad Girlfriend was opening! I never really forgot that
show-- and between the four girls' sound (a garage-rock layered with melodic vocal harmonies), style (all four were clad in different polka dot dresses), and energy, Bad Girlfriend caught
my attention.
I had a gut feeling I would be running into their music again, so was not surprised when I encountered their newest song,
FEELINGS, on one of my favorite music blogs just a few months ago. The track, a beachy, feel-good, upbeat song-- was thrown onto one of my new music playlists immediately, and is still a go-to song of mine.
The band, which consists of Christan Owens, Brianna Lace, Savannah King, and Lyla Vander have been playing together since 2008. I jumped on the opportunity to interview the girls on their music, and I was so excited to see them perform again this past weekend at Pianos!
MF
Who is Bad Girlfriend?
Christian Owens:
Christian Owens, Brianna Lance, Savannah King, and Lyla Vander
MF
In three words, how would you describe your sound?
CO
Pobody's Nerfect & Concrete
MF
Three distinct musical memories:
CO
1) Playing The Black Cat in DC opening for We Are Scientists
2) The time we played Stonewall's in figure skater costumes & sucked
3) recording upstate at Justin Rice's studio attic
MF
Your earliest memory with a musical instrument:
CO
Hmmm… that would have to be my third grade piano recital. I played We Three Kings.
MF
Where are you from? Does this inform or inspire your music? If so, in what way?
CO
I'm
from Meridian, Mississippi, the DEEP South! Brianna is from Dallas, TX,
Savannah is from California, & Lyla is a NYC girl. I would say
yes-- our origins completely define us in so many interesting ways: the
blues-y, soul influence from Me & Bri's Southern roots, the West
Coast dream pop elements of Savannah's California girl vibe, and of
course the Rock & Roll NYC Bad Girl stuff a la Lyla.
MF
Describe your songwriting process:
CO
We
write all of the the songs together… which takes a minute! But the
thing is, the band really is about all of us and our friendship. We're a
close knit group of friends, and Bad Girlfriend is a vehicle for that.
Usually, me or Bri will come up with a very ruff sketch of a song,
bring it to the band, and jam on it. We'll flip it upside down, sqoosh
it, shake it up, and stretch it out until it's amaze… Other times it
will start with a riff & we'll jam on it till it blossoms into a
tune.
MF
What instruments can you play?
CO
I can play guitar, bass, Autoharp, omni-chord, glockenspiel, tambourine, and… a single-note keyboard
MF
What instruments do you use when writing new songs?
CO
Guitar mostly! But have written some Bad Girlfriend songs on Autoharp and the Omni Chord
MF
Favorite song you've written thus far and why:
CO
Hmmm,
probably the newest one-- it's called "True Blue." Bad Girlfriend's
songs usually tend to be complicated. I really wanted to try writing an
extremely straight forward-- a standard-structured song-- and I'm pretty
sure we pulled it off with this song.
MF
The first song you ever wrote:
CO
I
was in a band in college called The Sweater Club. The first song I ever
wrote was called "Lola & Crumpet." I was really into big-eyed kid
paintings by Walter Keane & Lee. The song is about a Lee painting
of a sad little girl & her poodle waving good-bye.
MF
Where do you draw inspiration from?
CO
Everything, but daydreams mostly? (I'm a Pisces, so I do that a lot.)
MF
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
CO
A Filmmaker
MF
Your ultimate goal:
CO
To
be a musician full time… to make records that people listen to, live
life in the studio, on tour, & at the Chateau Marmont (I can attest
the latter is a hands-down band-unanimous).
If you weren't a musician, you'd be a Game Show Host
MF
Style icons?
CO
Brianna Lance, Savannah King, Lyla Vander, & Nancy of I Love You Alice B. Toklas
MF
Five songs you couldn't live without:
CO
-Here Come The Girls by Ernie K. Doe
-Pictures of You The Cure
-Tennessee Woman/Mississippi Man by Loretta Lynn & Conway Twiddy
-Bo Diddley by Bo Diddley
-All Shook Up by Elvis
MF
Three albums that impacted your life:
CO
Bikini Kill's Pussy Whipped, The Beach Boys' Endless Summer, and Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual.
MF
Favorite spots in NYC?
MF
If you could play alongside any band, current or in history, who would it be and why?
BRIANA
Nick Cave in any of his projects. He just has the most mojo out
there. In history, there are so many! Well, Bo Didley because he was
the best, Gene Vincent and his two tall blond guitar players, the Monks,
the Ronettes, I could keep going and going it's too hard to pick just
one.
MF
Your last "oh my god" moment:
CO
Two days ago at a salon in Boston...
MF
A person would you like to meet (dead or alive)?
CO
Karl Lagerfield, Michael Jackson, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Woody Allen, Elvis… Stop me, I could go on and on!
