Lorna Irvine catches up with the punky choppy pop band Trash Kit to talk Marc Riley, Miley and touring.
You have just done your first session for Marc Riley on 6Music. He's a bit of a legend. How was it?
Rachel Aggs: Scary but fun! Was daunting thinking about how many people would be listening - this huge invisible audience... But Marc is so nice that he made us feel really comfortable and it turned out to be really fun. I wanna do it again!
Rachel Horwood: A lot scarier than I thought it was gonna be, but like R.A said Marc and the sound man and everyone else was so nice, that made it really lovely. I was in a glass drum cage with some headphones on which made me feel like a real musician! Ha ha!
There seems to be a resurgence in great punk and post-punk influenced music just now, particularly with female artists. Tune-Yards, Savages, Honeyblood, Teen Canteen and Deers spring to mind. Why do you think that is?
Rachel A: To me punk/post-punk is an attitude rather than a sound. It says you don't need some kind of permission--you should just make music, make noise, disregarded rules about genre/ technique/keys/chords... I think that’s why it opens up a huge door for women and queers and all kinds of people who might feel marginalised in an otherwise dude-filled music scene/education system/music press, etc... So I don't think there's a resurgence--I think it's an attitude that never went away since the Slits and the Raincoats, and I'm sure it will never go away either!! Deers are great. I saw them play in Leeds recently and they all looked like they were having the best time on stage--it was powerful!
Rachel H: I agree with R.A.: it’s not something that’s ever gone away. When we first started in 2008/2009, there were loads of other great female led "punk/post-punk" inspired bands like La La Vasquez, Pens, New Bloods, Explode into Colours and more. When I look at the mainstream music world it still seems to me that there are very clearly defined genres and to be within those you must look and fit into those criteria. With the more DIY scenes you can just do whatever you want because you’re not trying to sell anything (although it would be great to be able to make this our living!): you’re doing it for yourselves and I think within this space it is, like Rachel said, much easier for women to make some sort of mark within these scenes. Women are making music in all genres but they just get more overlooked.
Your sound is impossible to pigeonhole, crossing genres. Who are your biggest influences?
Rachel A: The Raincoats! I think they are the best band in the universe! We don't sound like them ‘cus I don't think anyone ever could, but that's what’s inspiring about them. They sound exactly like themselves--they make this music that is intimate and honest but can also be dark and aggressive. Sometimes we get compared to them and it makes me feel very proud! Also we are big fans of the EX and we got to tour with them this year, which was amazing.
Rachel H: Both The Raincoats and The Ex have been huge influences on us. Being able to watch and play with The Ex has really inspired me as a musician and just makes me want to grow and become better. Kat it also a really amazing drummer and I just love to watch her play. Another big influence for me is Kate Bush. I saw her play at the Hammersmith Apollo and pretty much just blubbed through the whole set. It was bloody amazing!
What do you think of people like Miley Cyrus claiming to be feminists?
Rachel H: Great! It doesn't really bother me. I think the word has become quite broad but if she says she's a feminist then great. It might get some of her younger fans interested and they might actually find out what feminism means!
Rachel A: I really don't know much about her! I'm not into her music so I don't know if I care about whether she's a feminist or not...I think I'm happy looking to my friends and family for my female role models. She's obviously hugely famous though, so I suppose it's good that she's bringing the word ‘feminist’ into people's homes, but it's also a scary thought that she may be misrepresenting that word through her actions and the way she lets herself be presented/objectified through all kinds of mass media...
You have been on a bit of a hiatus, touring with other bands. How hard is it to juggle?
Rachel H: It's been much easier for Ros and I as we haven't been as busy as R.A., but music is what I want to do so I will juggle as many bands as I can!
Rachel A: It can be hard! I'm disorganised but the others are much better....
You just got back from a big European tour- where are your favourite places to play?
Rachel H: We haven't played in that many places, but Brussels is always great; we always get a good turnout and the crowd is always up for dancing. We also played in Lisbon for the first time in September, which was so much fun. We'd never been before and it was sunny. We went to the beach and everyone was up for a party! I hope we get to go back soon.
Rachel A: Aaah, everywhere!!!! We got to tour recently with our friends Alligator who are a drums and bass duo from Lyon. Getting to see them play each night made every show special.
I only ask a few people this (Lederhosen Lucil's answer was great!)--favourite power ballad to perform at karaoke?
Rachel H: Definitely M People all the way! I also always find myself doing ‘Shout’ by Tears for Fears, but the end always lasts a bit too long.
Rachel A: Moving on up by M People: dunno if that counts as a power ballad?? Me and RH sang it together at Trannyoke last time we were there--that's every Tuesday at the Joiners Arms in Hackney! Our mate Ruby Waters, aka Andrew Milk, hosts it and the Joiners is probably gonna get knocked down soon to build luxury flats soon, so you should all go support it!!
The video for ‘Medicine’ is really fun--rather Mighty Boosh-esque: was it as fun to make as it is to watch?
Rachel H: Yes! Our friend Hattie Ladd directed it and we got all our friends to come and be in it. It was just a day, though we had to do a bit of practising for the dancing, but everyone was up for it and we even finished the shoot early. I went to a vogue class ages ago and now Rachel wants me to do some vogueing in a video, but I'm pretty rubbish. We'll need to practise first!
Rachel A: Yess!!! It was great. Rachel H is one of the forest creatures dancing about--it was so cool watching people doing a choreographed dance to our music!!! Really want to make more dance videos now.
To learn more about Trash Kit visit: http://www.upsettherhythm.co.uk/trashkit.shtml
Feature was edited for content and length. Images by Ochi Reyes and Emilie Gouband
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