Interview with Girl Fight

Remove caught up with feminist garage-punk duo Girl Fight to find out about their latest releases, band philosophy, and what lies ahead. 

What are the band’s origins? 

Around the start of the band Jake's other projects had fizzled out and he was itching to start a new project. We both listened to the same music and had just recently seen one of our favorite bands with a two-piece stand up kit. I had no music experience whatsoever but he knew I could figure it out. I clearly remember him saying “we’re going to start a band. You’re gonna drum, sing and write the lyrics. It’ll be fine.” From there out we practiced constantly and took every gig we could find. 

Give us an update. What have y’all been up to lately?

We’ve been taking it a bit slow! Playing shows regularly but taking our time putting together our next release which we are now taking on full force. 

Tell us about your latest releases, the She’s a Killer LP and Swarm EP. 

After we put out our first demo (Fight Back) we had a clearer understanding of how we worked together. We wanted to respond to that and She’s a Killer came together quickly. She’s a Killer elaborated on the core idea of our band by experimenting more with our sound. With the Swarm EP, we were starting to re-evaluate our process and sound - especially with the re-recording of Man Hunt. That EP helped us set the precedent for what’s to come. 

Painters Tapes just put out a tape combining the releases. How did that collaboration come about?

Jake has known Charles Stahl who runs Painters Tapes since he was in high school and Chuck was in middle school. They have always skated together and been into the same music. Girl Fight and Chuck’s band The Stools have played a few shows together and when we brought up the idea of releasing a new tape Painters was down. 

What’s the band’s philosophy?

We love the idea of aggressive positivity - to allow people to express their frustration in a fun and constructive way. As one of our favorite bands, Idles, put it ‘joy as an act of resistance’. 

Any particular message you’re trying to get out there? 

We want people to come together and get talking. Release their anger through shouting lyrics or dancing or banging on drums or whatever gets it out. Things can be serious and fun at the same time. 

 

Who are some of your musical or non-musical inspirations? 

Ellen: The Gits, AC/DC, The Stooges, L7! The news inspires rage so that helps too. 

 Jake: skateboarding, Jay Reatard, Black Sabbath, and cute animals. 

What are some of your favorite bands you’ve played with? 

 There are too many to list! The ones at the top of our list are: Teener, Kitten Forever, The Stools, Pussy Riot, Macho, and Dear Darkness 

What’s next for the band? Any future plans or goals? 

We just wanna keep on making records that we are better than the last for as long as we possibly can.

Questions by Joey Molloy

New Release Roundup

Its been a great couple of weeks in terms of new music, so we wanted to take a moment to highlight our favorite releases from the past month or so!

Enjoy, and remember to support the artists if you like what you hear:

STREET LINES B/W THIS CITY SLEEPS by quality cinema

STONED/ERASE by 208

KILL/SWARM by Girl Fight

PAWN by H8 Mile 

JAZZ 1 by Rastakraut

THAWING by Jake Aho

LET NO ONE SEE by The Hand

Interview with Craig Garwood

Remove had the chance to chat with the prolific home-recorder Craig Garwood on his approach to live shows, songwriting heroes, and his most recent record Sarah + Abraham. 

What have you been up to? Give us an update on The Craig Garwood Group.
I have a new lineup for the band now. we’re a four-piece now consisting of Elton Defrance, John Shaughnessy, and Dylan Marcinkiewicz. we’ve been practicing pretty heavy since our last show around Thanksgiving time.

 Your recordings and live shows have two distinct energies. What's your approach to the live show? 
 basically to play very loud and for me especially to put a lot of emotion into it. I feel like nobody wants to see someone stare at a microphone and barely move a muscle. that’s how I feel at least.

 Would you ever do a live album? 
 yeah! whenever the opportunity approaches us. I wish I would’ve done one with the previous lineup before it changed. but I’m not actively seeking it out.

 Tell us about your most recent record Sarah + Abraham. What's the story behind the album if there is one? What kind of headspace were you in when writing it? 
 It’s pretty much the same story with any of my other albums. I was listening to a lot of Smashing Pumpkins at the time, and a little bit before I was in a band with Krystian Quint and he used a big muff so that inspired me to write some louder songs. that’s pretty much the only thing that’s different. As for the title, I got it from one of my professors when I was going to school. It was a comparative religions class or something like that. He wrote “Abraham + Sarah” on the board and I liked that so I used it. And for my headspace, I guess I was kinda melancholy when writing all of the songs for it. I felt like everyone was out to get me.

 What does songwriting mean to you? 
 I feel at this point in music there pretty much is nothing I personally can bring to the table. so style is everything. If I write, I don’t know, basically a Beatles song and I do it in my own style and my own way it’d come out as something really different and be uniquely distinct probably, whether it’s good or bad.

 Who are some of your musical heroes? 
 Rick White is for sure really high up on my list. Kim Deal is who I try to mimic my vocal style or whatever from. I think Jeff Tweedy has really good lyrics. Mark Kozelek has way with words too. I have to add Beat Happening too they’re great.

 Are there any interesting stories behind in any other songs in your back catalog? 
 Yeah, actually one that comes to mind is the song 'Chainsaw' off PEEPHOLE. I was working for my city's parks and rec department and I was using a chainsaw and not really paying attention, and it caught my pants and tore a big hole. I didn’t get hurt but I felt really stupid so I wrote a song about it.

 What’s your favorite part of playing and putting out music?
 putting out or recording music was something that appealed to me more at first than playing shows. I just really like recording and writing songs, and I feel like it’s the only thing I’m kinda good at, or at least confident with. I view it mainly as a hobby that I invest in. I don’t think it’ll ever get boring for me. playing, in general, is something that I don’t even recognize anymore. I play at least guitar every day not out of necessity or anything but just because it’s something I love doing so much, and I feel like if somebody else likes the way I play or likes the songs I write it just makes me love it more and keep doing it for as long as I’m alive.


  Questions by Joey Molloy

5 Records From: Charles Stahl

In our '5 Records' series, we ask local artists to share with us five of their favorite records and explain their choices. 

Up next we have one of the most prolific punks in Detroit: Charles Stahl.
 Chuck serves as drummer for The Stools and is also a part of badass bands like Pharma, The Dumpsters, and H8 Mile (which is rumored to have a new tape coming). He's also behind the incredible Painters Tapes. Beyond that, the dude is a total underground music encyclopedia. 

Here are his picks:

Generic by Flipper

An album I came across in my early high school years. The second the feedback in “Ever” kicked in I was hooked. Basslines to die for from start to finish. Slow and filthy. Kind of like myself. 

House Rockin' by The Gories

I cant exactly remember when I was first shown The Gories but it must have been sometime in high school (Probably from will or kq.) Is this THE BEST Detroit Garage record? I think so. This record is the epitome of 'less is more'. Few records make me wanna boogie down quite like this. I don’t know if it's the simplicity of Peggy's drums, Danny Kroha’s tone, or Micks’s gritty vocals but this is an album I never want to end. 

Soul Food by The Oblivians

The Oblivians have such a strong discography it blows my mind. But at the moment, I think Soul Food takes the cake. Soul Food is nothing but rippers from front to back. My two Favorite genres are probably punk and garage, and I feel The Oblivians have the perfect balance between the two. 

Big Lizard In My Backyard by The Dead Milkmen

Between the satire, angst, and twang Big Lizard is just one perfect record. My father had instructed me to listen to the Dead Milkmen sometime in my early teen years and I've never been quite the same. Every time I went over to KQ's apartment I would put on his copy of this record. So much to the point he traded me it for a jacket I owned (I definitely came out on top with that trade). Also, that is one THICC lizard on that cover. 

Too Many Humans by No Trend

 This record sounds the way you feel when you're dealing with food poisoning from the subway. Maybe it's more like the way your stomach feels after a shot of tequila when you haven’t eaten all day. An album for those mornings you don’t want to get out of bed. Go to work. Speak to humans. Exist. No Trend brings the noise. 

 CrazyNDaLazDayz by Three 6 Mafia

 666

Uploaded by Joey

Interview with Torus Eyes

Torus Eyes is a Detroit based Avant-Garde, Ethereal Darkwave duo made up of Gwendolyn Dot and Rho Solomon. They recently released their debut EP "Pythia" and have been steadily performing live as they work on their first LP. We spoke with the duo about their recording process, the future of music, DIY vs DIT, and more. Enjoy!

TORUS EYES

FB:https://www.facebook.com/toruseyesmusic/

IG: @ toruseyes

Bandcamp: https://toruseyes.bandcamp.com/releases

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5AJFxZ1JnWEEdns7n5wXru

Tell us somethings about yourself and your project.

We both studied music growing up and are classically trained, Gwendolyn on piano, Rho on guitar and voice. This project is a collaboration between us, both serving as composers, lyricists, singers, instrumentalists and producers. We create all of our music live in the moment, combining live human elements with those of sequencers, synthesizers and samplers. The idea of making electronic music live on the spot is very exciting to us.

What are some of your influences?
Elemental aesthetics, spiritual and existential philosophies, ontology, nature, labyrinths, yin and yang, healing music, rhythms and scales.

Have you played in bands prior to Torus Eyes?

Yes, we both have been in various projects as well as releasing music as a solo artists (Gray/Bliss and Gwendolyn Dot). 

What are some of your favorite venues?

UFO Factory, Outer Limits, Tangent Gallery, Lincoln Street Art Park, and various underground locations 

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in music?

Practice, find your passion and the way to channel your creative skills. Music is a language that closely communicates emotions and nuances that often times are not easy to express in spoken and written language. It’s important to be in tune with your emotions while making music and to be aware of your intentions. The lyrical output also has a lot of power and it is good to be mindful of what you are putting out into the world with your words.

What messages or themes are you trying to convey through your music?

Darkness will always change into light if you allow transmutation to occur; transcending from chaos to confidence; divinity is within you; meticulous architectural sound design; poetic and emotional lyrics; moving mind and body and creating depths and heights. 

How long did it take you to record the EP? What was the recording process like and what instruments did you use?

Cumulatively the EP took about 1 month to be recorded. Even though we have experience with recording and production, this EP gave way to new knowledge and understandings. We used the Roland RD 2000 synth-keys and TR-8 drum machine, Korg Minilogue and Monologue synthesizers, Alesis QS7 synth-keys and production in Logic and Protools. 

The cassette tapes look super nice. How did you put them together?

Thank you! The art is a collage Rho made last year. Our friend helped us design the layout and tape design. We’re very happy with how they turned out, and they sound excellent!! 

What are you working on next?

Our first LP and experimental soundscape recordings. 

How do you feel about the future of music/art?

True art is getting further away from the mainstream public, who is unable to identify art in terms of craftsmanship and higher aspirations. In mainstream media culture, we notice a lot of irony and cynicism  as the main source of inspiration and output, and an emphasis on looking towards trends for inspiration instead of inside the human being making it, which is always more unique. Previously extremely expensive equipment is offered at more affordable prices, and alongside technology, creation and output is democratized. This has changed music making and will continue to expand and develop. The future also points towards AI programmed and manufactured music which might be used in the commercial and advertising field. What is certain is that people will not stop making music, and there will always be interesting and exciting art to discover if you look in the right places.

What does DIY mean to you?

Further than DIY, we prefer DIT: do it together. So much great music is DIY, like Prince or Fugazi or Aphex Twin, and the list goes on. It’s a source of community and collaboration, support and camaraderie. 

What do you think of the Detroit music/arts scene?

The performing/visual art scene in Detroit is very special and unique. It’s not found everywhere. It’s fun, passionate, inspiring, and creative. We are definitely very happy to be witnessing and contributing to the music culture here.

Shinner

Hailing from New Jersey, two knucklehead punks impulsively drove across the country to check out tonight's gig at the Beaconsfield House. Claiming to be diehard fans of The Stools, the lads moshed their hearts out to the exhilarating sounds of Toeheads, Zilched, Pat & The Pissers, and the mighty Stools themselves.  As it would turn out, the dudes also happen to be a garage-punk duo called Shinner. And as it would also turn out, they totally rip. 

Check out their Bandcamp and give them a follow on Instagram!

We hope Detroit treated you well, come back soon guys.

Uploaded by Joey