Interview: Vivian Girls

Back in 2007 three Brooklynites made a band. It wasn’t unlike any other noise punk rock band except for one factor. They were all girls.

Cassie Ramone, Kickball Katy and Fiona Campbell are Vivian Girls. There’s no article preceding that and there are definitely no preconceptions. Over the years drummers have come and go, and by pure coincidence, the replacement has always been a girl.

Vivian Girls didn’t start out to champion any political gender messages, but eventually it was inevitable and the lyrics became more of a reflection of the trio. Unintentionally the girls realised there was something nice about being an all girl band, with the exception of the media’s prejudice coverage. Apparently it’s a big deal when three girls make band. “No one says anything if it’s an all guy band... unless of course if it actually is a boy band like The Backstreet Boys or something” states lyricist Cassie Ramone. Tonight I meet the girls at Islington Academy where we have a pre-show amble about dogs, LastFM and their new album.

Do you have a sound guy yet?

Cassie: We have a budget and we try to stick within that. We use reverb pedals which is kinda like our own little portable sound guy.

Your 2009 album Everything Goes Wrong is quite a depressing album. You’re working on the third. Have you decided on the mood or will it develop as you create the songs?

Cassie: I think it’ll develop with the songs. I think the third album is definitely gonna be different from the other two albums. That’s just the natural progression for a band I guess.

Who pens the lyrics?

Katie: Cassie.

Cassie: We collaborate on the music but I write all the lyrics. I guess it’s a ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ kinda deal.

Katie I heard about the songs you’ve written about dogs. How’s the Myspace going?

Katie: Oh wow. (Laughs) How did you know about that? Basically I wrote two songs about dogs while staying with the band Male Bonding in London and I put them up on Myspace and called it 'J’aime des Chiens'. I’m really surprised you’ve heard about it.

Cassie: She recorded all the songs using fake garage instruments.

Just a side project then?

Katie: That was just fun but maybe a 7-inch will come out.. all about dogs. (Laughs)

You guys have a record label. How’s that going?

Katie: We do. It’s called Wild World. We’ve done eight releases but we’re taking some time off of it for now so we can concentrate on the third record. It’s really when we have time and money.

When was that established?

Cassie: It was established in Dec 2008 with our self-released 7-inch Surf’s Up. It was sort of an overwhelming project because it was released in a package deal with t-shirt, postcards and a button. We made 1000 and we took all these pre-orders. It was very labour intensive. After doing all that we were like ‘doing a 7-inch is gonna be a piece of cake’.

Katie: We recorded it in ex-member Allie’s basement and then we put the 7-inch out ourselves. It was the most hands-on, DYI experience.

Cassie: We posted 900 packages. The post office hated us.

I also heard that you said you “can’t make money off records, that’s why bands do so much touring”. Is that just the awful truth now that the internet has such prevalence?

Katie: Definitely.

So sites such as LastFM - do they actually make artists money?

Katie: I signed us up for that and I think we got $8 once. That was for like 1 million listens or whatever. I don’t think you can even transfer the money till it reaches $25.

What is the average recording length for VG song?

Cassie: We don’t really think about it but I think our songs have naturally gotten longer.

Does that mean the next record it gonna be...

Katie: Epic jams? Yes. (Laughs)

So will it be longer than the 35 min mark?

Cassie: I don’t think so they’ll just be less songs on it. We’ve already written a 7-minute long song, a 6-minute long song but then there are short ones.

When I interviewed Emily Haines from Metric  (interview here) she said there shouldn’t be gender in music, do you think it’s inevitable?

Cassie: It’s absolutely inevitable but I i wish it wasn’t. If it’s an all male band people don’t go 'I’m going to see this all boy band' but if it’s a band with one girl then it becomes that band with the girl in it.

Cassie you’ve said you’re “proud to be in a band of all women”. Do you think you guys would ever consider a man joining the group? Or would that completely change the dynamic of VGs?

Katie: We’re on our third drummer right now and when we had to brainstorm who to choose male drummers were always in the equation. We’ve had couple practice with male drummers but it’s nice being all girls I guess.

Cassie: I like being a three piece but we consider all options.

Worst decision you’ve made today?

Katie: Choosing to go to a coffee shop who didn’t do take-away. Then they forced me to sit down at a table to drink it with people I didn’t know.

Best decision?

Cassie: Eating at Wagamamma!

Do you care much about on-stage attire?

Cassie: One of our rules is not to wear sweat-pants on stage, but that’s a given! 

Interview by: Jasmine Phull