|
1) You ladies are quite a ballsy group, crashing the warped tour a few years ago with your very own makeshift stage in parkinglots. And now here you are, actually on the bill in 2008 for the Warped Tour and playing on your very own Gritty in Pink stage. For those of us a little out of the loop, can you briefly explain the incidences that led up to you actually being part of the '08 Warped Tour?
"We didnt settle for playing parking lots, we actually drove our pink RV right into the venue and set up across from the skate ramp! After we crashed the Warped Tour, we got the greenlight from Kevin to run an all-girl stage.It was a huge undertaking and we showcased over 200 female fronted bands from across the US and Canada in 05 and 06, including Paramore and a special guest appearance by Joan Jett!
I took last year off to regroup, and with a new lineup and a new record we knew we wanted to return for Warped 08. So we approached Kevin about bringing our stage back for the West coast and East coast, and even got some dates added on the skate stage as well."
2) And you've gotten to pick the bands in the all-girl stage that you are performing on right? Tell us a little more about that.
"Yes, this year the stage includes our friends Blameshift, who we are touring with all summer, in addition to Civet, Von Iva, Me Talk Pretty, Kelsey and the Chaos! and many more. This year we kept smaller so we could focus on developing our own band. But it is still an honor to be able to bring more females to the stages of Warped Tour, and to have our own space to provide a platform."
3) What are the challenges you have faced while on the Warped Tour this year? I read that you had to share your RV with another band.
"Haha, NO we did not share our precious RV with another band! But we did have to share it with our gear when our trailer tire popped off in the middle of the Pacific Coast. She was in the shop, for a week- luckily our tour schedule took us back to LA to play Key Club."
4) Coming from a background in traditional theatre and ballet, and admitting your influences are Madonna, Pink and Gwen Stefani, tell me, what drew you to the punk scene? It seems like your tastes run from one extreme to the other - but also, fuse together well.
"Thank you. Honestly what drew me in was hanging in the scene and becoming friends with girls who were making music. I've been dancing all my life, even competitively and professionally (thus the love for dance and pop music) but I didnt start singing until I was 20, while studying abroad in London. The all-female post-screamo band Morgan Storm was a huge influence. Growing up Sublime was my shit, but when I went on Warped Tour working for Truth I got exposed to a lot of new alternative music and met Tim Armstrong (Rancid), who changed my life."
5) " Not Sold in Stores" was self produced and distributed, yet it still got you airtime with the music video "Kill It". You started out in Jersey/Philly then it just blew up from there. Where do you feel the turning point took place for Shira Girl?
"I feel the turning point is now, getting a complete new lineup together and writing all new music heading in a new direction. Showing staying power and growth, musically. Collaborating with my drummer/musical director Raine Palladino. Kill It was great and definitely in line with my theatrical roots. Now I am focusing more on singing and delivery and mastering my craft of music performance!"
6) And now you've played with Joan Jett, Rancid and your new CD "Play-A-Grrrl" is being produced by Joey Z. How do you think the success of your first cd is influencing "Play-A-Grrrl" or is it influencing it at all?
"Yes, it is influencing our current tour because it's great to have the old fans come out after a break! While we are mostly focusing on playing our new music we always try to include Go Go Go or another oldie in the setlist ;) Play-a-Grrrl is my DIY production/record company. Our new CD "Scream Spit Sing" is influenced by Not Sold In Stores in that it's still me, lyrically it has similar themes and it's still my voice but musically, I really think we grow in a whole new direction."
7) You have a couple of newcombers to your band too in addition to Joey Z. Is the 2nd album going alot smoother for you than the first now that you have more people involved?
"Yes it's amazing! Writing as a band has been very cool. Everyone is a lot more invested into the music, emotionally. It's defiinitely a group effort."
8) You also have your very own Play-a-Grrrl Productionz and fronted the fund raiser, all girl event "Girlz in the Hood" in Brooklyn. Please tell us about both Play-a-Grrrl Productionz and the benifit "Girlz in the Hood" and the success / turnout "Girlz in the Hood" had for the fund raiser / shows.
"Girlz in the Hood is our event in Brooklyn showcasing female-fronted bands, artists, DJs and bartenders! We did a fundraiser with GO! Magazine and raised money for a local health center for women's cancer. It was a huge success and even Theo and the Skyscrapers played for the cause.
Play-a-Grrrl Productionz is my own event production/record company. We've had 4 releases so far including our most recent CD sampler "Coming Soon" (featuring 4 tracks from the forthcoming full length recored.) We've also done a couple of all-girl stage compilation CDs, one of which was a collaboration with Blackheart Records and featured a rad unreleased Joan Jett song!"
9) Are you interested in being signed by a major record label or would you rather stick to the creative freedom of being on your own indie label?
"It's everyones dream to have the best of both worlds. Would love to have the financial support and reach of a large label but still have the comfort of creative control. Right now we are at the beginning of our journey to find the right team to take us to the top, no matter what label. We wont stop until we get to the top!"
10) What are your expectations for this years tour and Shiragirl as a band?
"As a band with a new lineup we are ironing out the kinks on the road. Every nite's show has been getting better and better! It's been awesome to be out on the road, see the country and live out our dreams onstage every nite. We get to wrap this tour with an opening slot for Murphys Law and Rancid. What could be better?"
www.shiragirl.com
|
