After their explosive set at the Stamping Grounds Music Festival the fierce girls of sat down with Larry Heath to discuss their plans for upcoming shows, a music video, and world domination (in that order).
Let’s get into it so we can get back to drinking later! That was a fun set, how’d you enjoy it?
It was fun, it was good! We were shaking afterwards, which is always good, and I really got into the microphone… it’s a good kisser, lipstick all over my face. Tash [drums] sustained a few injuries too, look at her finger. It’s a real blister coming up. It’s fucked. But we can tell we’ve had a good gig when Tash’s finger is half-falling off.
Any drummer would agree with that.
It’s got puss and blood, it’s fucking fucked. It’s graphic, so it means we have to get really drunk so we don’t remember it. Or see if we’ve got some bandaids.
It’ll make you stronger, it’ll be a nice hard callus! Well, you had your show last night at FBI Social and we’re here today, and we’re all celebrating the new single, after three years in the making! It must be exciting.
Yeah! It is, it’s very relieving. We only wrote that song within the last year, so that song itself isn’t three years in the making. When we say ‘three years in the making’, we mean that Tash and I [Nikkita, rapper], have been gigging together for about three years. I was a solo artist, and she came on and was drumming, and made the live set so much better – as she does – and then we decided we were going to make an album together, and started in the studio with some other musos and stuff, and I was looking for this amazing korg sound, the exact same sound that Sarah had, and she came in and was like ‘where do I sign up?’, and that was about a year and a half ago. And then we had to find a guitarist, which took a bit longer – we were putting up posters in Surry Hills and taking phone calls, and we had violinists coming in saying they were guitarists. And guys that were like, ‘I’ll be in it. I’ll wear a dress.’ They’d sing to us over the phone at 3 am. And then around six months ago, we found Darcie. So really, we’ve been together for six months.
It’s a nice journey. It’s a story. I’m just picturing the guys in the dresses on the phone – you’ll know you’ve made it when you have the “He Rex” cover band.
That’s something to look forward too!
So there’s a music video for the track coming out soon. What can you tell us about it? When do we get to see it?
We had some amazing people on board for it… It was actually styled by the fashion director of The End magazine. And there are some really cool plants. The idea is, it’s about this kind of tension, because we feel like it’s our 11th hour even though we’ve only been together for six months, we’ve been working on it for so long. The song is symbolic of the journey! But in an abstract way.
So when do we get to see it?
Around three weeks, maybe. It needs some more editing, but it’s looking really cool so far. We saw a rough edit this morning.
Awesome! I can’t wait to see it. What else is coming soon? I can’t imagine that you’ve only been working on one track.
Well, we’ve got another song which is the last one we played in our set, which we think is a single – like the single, the big one. And then an EP, and then world domination, and then us as benevolent dictators.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
Aim high. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it.
Now you snuck in a little Qu– Rage Against The Machine–
Were you about to say Queens of the Stone Age?
I was, I–
That’s awesome, that’s next, they’re one of our favourite bands.
Well I started thinking about that when you showed me your injured finger, because I met Dave Grohl once after a show, and he had his fucking thumb with the nail just coming off.
You met Dave Grohl! That’s a favourite. Oh my god.
I did! When I first started doing all this stuff, it was like, that was the goal.
And you’ve done it, now you can retire! What was it like?
It was actually a bit disconcerting, because that was kind of a five year plan, and it happened so quickly, and then I didn’t know what to do with myself after that.
If we make that a five year plan for us, will that happen quicker?
Maybe. But his fingernail – he’d been playing the whole night with just, blood pouring down his hand.
Fuckin’ rock and roll. I mean, I’d lose a nail to meet Dave Grohl… I was going to say ‘for the band’ but I changed my mind.
But yes, Rage Against The Machine! You did a cover of them today, and yesterday, and that was fun. It actually inspired me to go back and watch some videos from their Big Day Out Show from many years ago.
So we’re advertising for them.
You’ve had a lot of comparisons to them.
Which is funny, because when we started it wasn’t like we set out to be like them. As much as we love them, we didn’t think of them as an influence on our sound that we were trying to achieve, but it’s the sound we get compared to the most. I guess it’s the easiest, what with all the rapping and rocking… It’s an obvious comparison. But the other one, which we’ve gotten twice, is if M.I.A. and The Doors had kids. Love child. Love… quadruplets… and that’s gotta hurt.
That gets the bodies ready for rock.
Gives you a tough mum.
Have you got any other shows coming up?
We’ve got quite a few coming up, October’s a hectic month. A couple at the Brighten Up Bar, two trips to Newcastle, and Secret Wars, which is an awesome live arts battle at Oxford Art Factory, and… that’s on October 10. So there’s a lot in the works.
Well it looks like it will be an exciting time ahead. I look forward to seeing you again, and congratulations on the single!
Thank-you!
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Hear She Rex’s brand new single here: http://soundcloud.com/sherex/11th-hour
And check out their facebook for details on their upcoming shows.
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