by Todd E. Jones aka The New Jeru Poet |
In the word of glossy dancing female pop singers, some women wish to do something exceptional and distinctive. Mazzy Star, Stereolab, My Favorite, and Mojave 3, all have special female vocalists / musicians who contribute a unique style to music. Boyskout, is an all-female punk, new-wave band from San Francisco. While their influence of 80’s punk and new wave is evident, their music has a contemporary feel. Leslie Satterfield’s vocals and guitar work is complemented by China Lajczock’s vocals and keyboard melodies. Caroline Mills (on drums) and Hannah Reiff (on bass) are the rhythm section. These 4 ladies are not only beautiful, but are extremely talented and just extremely damn cool. Signed to Alive Records, they first got some exposure on “The Sound Of San Francisco” compilation. Their sexy music video for “Back To Bed” (directed by Leslie Satterfield) not only shows the band in raw form but also explores the sexuality between them. In the video, the ladies kiss each other and hang out under the covers with only T-shirts and their underwear on. There is a sexual mystery about the band too. Are they lesbians? Are the bi-sexual? They are called Boyskout (as in they scout for boys) but they have songs like “Girl On Girl Action” and display their romantic sexuality with each other in their videos. Their debut LP “School Of Etiquette’ is a tight, sexy, new-wave/punk masterpiece that instantly satisfies yet gets better with age. The hypnotic bass line on “Back To Bed” is just a taste of the passion of their LP. Songs like “Secrets”, “Imaginary”, “Ecstasy”, “Girl On Girl Action”, “New Black” and “Jesse James” all have weird and wild keyboards, strong use of guitars, and sensual vocals. Their music rocks without being annoyingly cacophonic or needlessly loud. Boyskout have found a balance between pop music and dirty new wave/punk. They have made an album that is tight and loose at the same time. It flows with punked out grace yet is has the energy of a drunken orgiastic high. There is not one bad track on the entire LP. No one is doing anything like this these days. On a cold February evening, I spoke to the entire band Boyskout about sexuality, music, San Francisco, drugs, and much more. The ladies of Boyskout are about to re-write the rules for the ‘School Of Etiquette’ with a little girl on girl action.
T.JONES: “What
goes
on?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“We love each other, we hate each other, and then we love each other
again.”
CARRIE MILLS: “And
we make music also.”
T.JONES:
“Boyskout’s
debut album is called ‘School Of Etiquette’. Tell us
about it.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“We recorded the first half in April 2003 and went back into the studio
September 2003 to finish the album. It was recorded by Jeff Saltzman in
Berkeley.”
T.JONES: “What is
the meaning behind the title ‘School Of Etiquette’?”
CARRIE MILLS: The
title comes from the name of one of Boyskout’s first songs. It’s also a
parody.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Play
on words. Using the phrase ironically since the lyrics of the songs
would
not play into traditional etiquette.”
T.JONES: “What is
your favorite song on the LP?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“‘Ecstasy’.”
CARRIE MILLS: “‘The
New Black’.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“‘Identity’.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“‘Circus Song’.”
T.JONES: “What
song
took you the longest to do? Why?”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“‘The New Black’, it just took a long time for all the pieces to fit
right.”
CARRIE MILLS: “The
song ‘Back To Bed’ was the first song we recorded and it took us a
while
to understand how we best worked in the studio.”
T.JONES: “What
song
took you the quickest to do? Why?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“‘Circus Song’. Its short and simple.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“The song ‘Jesse James’, all the riffs on the different instruments are
very similar.”
T.JONES: “In the
video for ‘Back To Bed’, there are two woman kissing and you also have
a song called ‘Girl On Girl Action’. Are you lesbians? Bi-sexual? Are
you
just experimenting? Are you all like that or just some of you?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Yes. We don't want to be pigionholed into a stereotype. I for one have
had relationships with men as well but I don't want to be labeled as
‘Bi’
or any other label. It really depends on the person for me.”
T.JONES: “Because
of the ‘girl on girl’ imagery and lyrics, have you experienced any
prejudice?”
BOYSKOUT: “No.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD
“Being from San Francisco, we have not experienced any prejudice.”
HANNAH REIFF: “San
Francisco and New York are largely open to sex and girls being with
girls.
It’s the small towns I’d love to play where kids aren’t exposed to open
attitudes about who they want to be.”
T.JONES: “What is
the creative process like? Is the music written first or the lyrics?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Both, together, it varies.”
HANNAH REIFF: “On
the recent songs we have been working on, we all bring in fragments
that
get stretched and bitten then, sewn back up by band-mates. It’s seems
to
work so far.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“One of us brings in an idea, either a riff or lyrics and it unfolds
from
there. For me personally, I've done both, written lyrics / music first,
but it usually comes together at the same time.”
T.JONES: “Who
writes
the lyrics?”
CARRIE MILLS:
“Leslie
and China wrote most of the lyrics for this album.”
T.JONES: “In the
video for the song ‘Back To Bed’, you ladies are drinking wine. What is
your favorite wine or other alcoholic beverage?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Port.”
CARRIE MILLS:
“Bourbon.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Sangria,
accompanied with sloppy dancing and serenades.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Cabernet Sauvignon or Jameson Whiskey.”
T.JONES: “Do you
smoke pot? Are you for the legalization of marijuana?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“I don’t but I think it should be legalized.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Occasionally, yes.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Lots
of cash is spent on ending the dangerous habit of smoking weed. Funding
pot busts is stupid when schools don’t have a dime. Certain things get
demonized.”
T.JONES: “How did
the members of Boyskout meet and eventually form the band?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Carrie and I were in another band together. I started Boyskout and
recruited
her into it and we both quit the other band.”
HANNAH REIFF: “I
was the last addition to the band. I met Leslie and Carrie at this dive
bar in San Francisco. It was dollar drink night and I was really poor
but
one of them bought me my dollar drink.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“China was working as a coffee girl when we met. We needed a keyboard
player
because we were about to leave to go play some shows in Portland and
Olympia.
I asked China to come along.”
T.JONES: “How did
you get involved with Alive Total Energy Records?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“We got an email one day from someone who had heard about the band and
this led to a chain of events which brought us to Alive.”
T.JONES: “Can you
explain the meaning behind the song ‘The New Black’?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“It’s about becoming someone’s new found object of affection.”
T.JONES: “How
often
do you practice?”
CARRIE MILLS:
“Between
0 and 17 times per week.”
T.JONES: “If you
could pick anybody, what artist or group would you like to collaborate
with in the future?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“I’d like to write a song with Chan Marshall.”
CARRIE MILLS: “I’d
like to play with Missy Elliot.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Jimmy Rogers, the yodeling cowboy.”
HANNAH REIFF: “David
Bowie, in his Ziggy Days.”
T.JONES: “Can you
explain the meaning behind the name Boyskout?”
CARRIE MILLS: “No,
I still can’t.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“We chose it during the time that a Boy Scouts of America troop leader
was being persecuted for being gay. We thought that it would be a
ironic
twist.”
T.JONES: “Are you
in romantic relationships? Married? How has being on the road (or just
in a band) affected the relationships?”
CARRIE MILLS: “Being
in a band is like dating 3 people but never getting any action from the
relationship.”
T.JONES: “Who are
some of your major influences?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Syd Barrett, Chan Marshall, Joy Division.”
CARRIE MILLS:
“Television,
Art Blakey, and Eric Satie”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Mildred Bailey, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, various accordion and
Romanian
music.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Sad,
classical piano, the Stones, Debbie Harry and Cyndi Lauper, and this
guy
on the subway that made a rubber band sound like a saxophone.”
T.JONES:
“Abortion
– pro-choice or pro-life?”
BOYSKOUT:
“Pro-choice.”
T.JONES: “Death
penalty
– for or against?”
BOYSKOUT: “Against”
T.JONES: “Where
were
you on the September 11th terrorist attack? How did you deal with it?”
CARRIE MILLS: “I
recall finding out when I woke up to move my car from where I had
parked
it on the sidewalk after a gig. This was in San Francisco.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“I woke up to my housemate crying on the phone. I thought her mom had
died.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“In San Francisco, taking the mission bus.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“We didn’t believe that it was grounds for our country to start a war
and
killing more people.”
T.JONES: “Since
the
attacks on the World Trade Center, censorship has become a big issue.
It
seems like many artists have to pick a side. Are you going to
pro-American
government or anti-American government? Patriotism in songs has
become
a controversial issue as well. The definition differs from person to
person.
Some artists believe that being patriotic means that we stand behind
our
government and faith in their decisions and actions. Others view being
patriotic as voicing their opposition and concern with actions our
government
has taken. How has music changed in recent years in regards to the
heightened
sensitivity to socio-economic and political factors?”
CARRIE MILLS: “Our
music reflects how we choose to live our lives. While we don’t set out
to make political statements in our music, our daily life is our
statement.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“We are involved in bands against Bush.”
HANNAH REIFF: “I’m
glad the elections are rolling around. Our government’s foreign
policies
are embarrassing but any history book will tell you that is nothing
new.
Slogans are absent from our music, instead the lyrics are quite
personal,
in a narrative style.”
T.JONES:
“Favorite
books?”
CARRIE MILLS:
“Dante’s
Inferno, Middlesex, George’s Marvelous Medicine.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“The Little Prince, anything by Jeanette Winterson, The Wake World.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Recently,
House Of The Dead and The Vice Magazine book.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“My life to Live.”
T.JONES:
“Favorite
films?”
CARRIE MILLS:
“‘Apocalypse
Now’, ‘Spellbound’.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Recently,
‘Lilya Forever’, ‘Bowling For Colombine’, and ‘Beat Street’.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Anything by Charles Bukowski.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“’Band Of Outsiders’ ,’The Hunger’.”
T.JONES:
“Favorite
foods?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Sushi.”
CARRIE MILLS:
“Sushi.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Fish
tacos and a beer.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Dumpster bread.”
T.JONES: “Word association. I am going to say the name of an artist and you say the first word that pops in to your head. Okay?”
T.JONES: “X-Ray
Specks.”
HANNAH REIFF: “One
hit wonder.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Saxophone.”
T.JONES: “Sex
Pistols.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Fish and chips.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Mind
the gap.”
T.JONES: “Joy
Division.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Leslie
is in their fan club.”
T.JONES:
“Portishead.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Lovely.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Bad-ass.”
T.JONES: “The
Strokes.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Bar Bathroom.”
T.JONES: “Mojave
3.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Desert.”
T.JONES: “Dead
Can
Dance.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Dead Can Dance.”
T.JONES:
“Spiritualized.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Spaceman 3.”
T.JONES: “Curtis
Mayfield.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Beautiful.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Influential.”
T.JONES: “The
Verve
(Richard Ashcroft).”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Cheek Bones.”
T.JONES: “Blur.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Brit Pop Vision.”
T.JONES: “Happy
Mondays.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Factory Records.”
T.JONES: “The
Fall.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Drums on a pillow.”
T.JONES: “My
Bloody
Valentine.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“The drummers is our friend.’
T.JONES: “Cocteau
Twins.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Ethereal.”
T.JONES: “George
Bush.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Monkey.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Lies.”
T.JONES: “What
was
the last incident of sexism you encountered? What happened?”
CARRIE MILLS: “We
try to let incidents of sexism fall below our radar.”
HANNAH REIFF: “This
guy started telling me how he knew I wanted to fulfill his fantasy of
him
with 2 girls. Maybe me and my girl were interested? I gave him some
points
on coming up with original lines. We ended up friends when I had
to get off the train.”
T.JONES: “There
are
2 singers in the group. Who sings what songs? How do you decide who
sings
which song?”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“I sing ‘Eye Make-up’, ‘Girl on Girl Action’, ‘Circus Song’, ‘Sunday
Morning’,
‘Boy School’, and half-and-half on others, the songs decide themselves.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“I sing lead on ‘Jesse James’, ‘Secrets’, ‘Back to Bed’, ‘Ecstasy’,
‘The
New Black’ & ‘Vitamin C’.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Carrie
sings also at our live shows. She does a little a cappella song with
the
drums.”
T.JONES: “What is
the biggest mistake you have made in your career?”
CARRIE MILLS: “We’ll
let you know when we make it.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Letting Leslie have whiskey often leads to undesirable effects.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“I usually drink wine.”
T.JONES: “Many
singers
do guest appearance on more electronic or dance tracks. Would you ever
consider this?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“I’d do it if I liked the music.”
T.JONES: “What
Boyskout
song would you like to remix? How would you approach it?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“‘Jesse James’ is currently being remixed by DJ Kin from Foxgluv.”
T.JONES: “What
songs
would you like to cover?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“‘Never Say Never’ by Romeo Void. ‘I Might Like You Better If We Slept
Together’, ‘Did I Ever Tell You I’m In Love With Your Girlfriend’ by
Irvin.”
CARRIE MILLS: “‘I
Came To Your Party Dressed As A Shadow’ by Piano Magic.”
HANNAH REIFF: “‘Ode
To Billie Jo” by Bobby Gentry.”
T.JONES: “What is
the favorite part of your live show?”
HANNAH REIFF:
“When people put down their beers and start swaying, bobbing, or making
moves on the dance floor. At a show in San Francisco that we played,
people
jumped on the stage and started having sex on the corner of the stage.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“When everything comes to life, the music pours out of you like blood,
sweat, snot, and tears and pours over the audience. You're both feeding
off of each other.”
T.JONES: “How has
your live show evolved?”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“We all have become more comfortable and have come into our own.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Like
China said, we’re more comfortable. I actually really love shows where
the stage is on the same level as the people who are there to watch the
band. Those shows always have more interaction going on.”
T.JONES: “What do
your parents think about your music?”
CARRIE MILLS: “No
matter how many times I play our music for my family, I’m asked ‘Is
that
you singing?’ When I say ‘No, that’s me playing the drums’, they get
bored
and start talking about other things.”
HANNAH REIFF: “My
mom wants to help promote our upcoming show in Northampton. She’s
excited
about the band.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
My father wishes he had given me more of a Christian upbringing.”
T.JONES: “What
has
been in your CD player, tape player, or on your turntable recently?”
CARRIE MILLS: “The
Seconds, The Inevitables, Vetiver, The Warlocks, Vaz.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“The Coachwhips, Devendra Banhart, Low Flying Owls, Two Gallants.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Death
of the Party EP, Oakland, ‘Baby Lemonade’ by Syd Barrett.”
CHINA LAJCZOCK:
“Black Heart Procession.”
T.JONES: “Do you
believe in God?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Yes, but not in the traditional he’s-the-man-upstairs sort of way.”
HANNAH REIFF: “I
can’t get a name or picture in my head, but I think there is a
connection
of all these little energies that is bigger than all of us.”
T.JONES: “What
turns
you on?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“Confidence.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Odd
flaws and eccentricities.”
CARRIE MILLS:
“People
who are emotionally unavailable and charismatic.”
T.JONES: “What
turns
you off?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“People with no regard for their health.”
CARRIE MILLS: “When
people are nice to me and want to form a healthy relationship.”
HANNAH REIFF: “Lies.”
T.JONES: “Do you
have many male groupies?”
CARRIE MILLS: “Yes,
we do.”
T.JONES:
“Cremation
or burial? If buried, what do you want on your epitaph (your
gravestone)?”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“I’d prefer to be cremated.”
HANNAH REIFF:
“Here’s
the plan - give away all the organs they want and then, cremation.”
T.JONES: “What is
next for Boyskout in the future?”
CARRIE MILLS: “We’re
working on new songs, possibly an EP out soon.”
LESLIE SATTERFIELD:
“And a world domination tour.”
T.JONES: “Any
final
words for the people who will be reading this?”
LESLIE
SATTERFIELD:
“Check out ‘School Of Etiquette’ by Boyskout!”
Thank you BOYSKOUT ! ! !
Quicktime Video of BOYSKOUT Live:
http://www.boyskout.com/videos/echoecho.mov
MP3’s
“Back To Bed”
“Secrets”
“Girl On Girl
Action”
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My interviews and reviews can also be seen
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