Who/what inspires your music?

The "what" of my musical inspiration is definitely the experiences I have and the experiences I see other women having. It gets all mixed up with the weird horror influenced side of my imagination, and I end up creating little stories based on these experiences. Musically, my "whos" are a bit whiplash inducing (which explains my genre bending). I love Joni Mitchell, My Chemical Romance, Ludo, The Misfits, and Reel Big Fish.

 

 

How would you describe your sound?
I've comfortably settled on bubblegum horror punk.  When people at bars ask what that is I normally describe it as "the Misfits, but it's one girl with a ukulele and a penchant for sparkles." A lot of people seem to refuse to acknowledge that punk can be happy little ukulele songs; I always remind them it's about the content. 

 

If you could open for any musician/band, who would it be?
I'd be over the moon if I could tour with Bad Cop, Bad Cop or The Homeless Gospel Choir.

 

What does making music mean to you? What got you into it/keeps you continuing?
Making music is a human right, and it means everything to me.  I love making music, whether I'm an audience member or on the stage, and I love how music gives voice to what people are feeling at any given time; it makes the human experience less lonely. I've been singing, dancing, performing, or whatever, for my whole life it seems.  I've always been drawn to music as an art form.  I spent time as a classical performer, but I love making music that makes a statement.  I'm going to keep making music as long as there are asshats to write about.

 

How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired - how do you deal with creative blocks?
I've started reading/watching the news again, which is both helpful and horrible. Sometimes a newsline about some new fresh hell being unveiled really inspires me to write.  Sometimes I get fixated on an image in my mind and I just write a story about it.  I'm motivated by the connections I make through music.  I've had really meaningful moments post performance that remind me of why I sing in the first place.  When I hit a creative wall I try to experience something new: new music, new literature, new art.  It usually snaps me out of my block and gets me back on track.

 

Which song of yours was the most fun to write & make?
"Really Cute" was the most fun to write; I remember writing it out, singing it, and laughing at how messed up the concept was. Making "Eyeliner" was the most fun for me.  I made the initial recordings of all my songs in my walk-in closet, and I remember wanting "Eyeliner" to sound a bit unhinged. I wanted everything supporting the ukulele and vocal line to be way too happy to fit the melody.


I would also love to hear about your experience in the east coast/touring punk scene! The people, the stories, the struggles, etc!!
After a year of being Your Best Nightmare, I finally feel like I've started to find my niche in the scene.  At first I was getting booked for bills that were not very punk at all, and they were all pay to play; it was really discouraging.  Once I booked a show in Manhattan and this British couple was very upset that I was not playing jazz standards on my ukulele and walked out; I was too sick to even care, but I still had to pay the door! 


I think the biggest struggle, probably anywhere, is being a girl playing solo. If I was a dude with an acoustic guitar, or if I had a band I'd probably get more shows in the scene. I've had bookers for venues in the scene like my stuff, and then reject me once they found out I had no band.  I've had some venues never acknowledge me, but they seldom have someone who looks like me on the stage. I've been at shows where I've been overlooked by the other acts until I get up on stage and do my thing; no one quite expects a girl with a ukulele to sing about murder and vampires, I guess. Afterwards, the guys who played before me actually acknowledge me, but manage to talk down to me about the very thing I've studied for most of my life; or they tell me they'd be terrified to be my boyfriend. It's really frustrating to have years of classical training (and a whole degree in music) to be reduced to that.


Anywho, I feel like. I just wrote you a song about how real the struggle is for women lol.  Let me end on something positive. I've got some cool friends in the scene that I love playing shows with and places I love hanging out at. My gang of fellow nightmares grows a little more each time I take the stage, and I'm always really happy to meet people in the scene who feel empowered or inspired to make change because of what I sing about. I hope to have carved a very large spot in the east coast for all my sparkly punk girlies by this time next year.