DeadJournalist.com Exclusive Interviews
The Ettes
EXCLUSIVE Interview: The Ettes
Chuck Norton, DeadJournalist.com
10.31.06
Want to get excited about rock ‘n roll again?
The Ettes, based out of Los Angeles, don’t lack for energy. They’re like that kid in school that couldn’t eat any sugar, because if he did, he’d run around the classroom, tip over tables, throw crayons at teachers, knock books off of shelves and do a double knee-slide down a hallway while trying to get away from the principal ... all with a huge grin on his face.
Actually, that might have been a two girls and one boy.
Given their stage show and debut album, the Ettes lead singer Lindsay "Coco" Hames, and drummer Poni Silver would the girls and lead bassist Jem Cohen would be that boy guilty of inducting you into rock ‘n roll middle school.
The trio creates a style of high-energy energy music that’s heavy on ‘60’s beat/brit rock and classic punk and heavier in enthusiasm. Produced by Liam Watson (the White Stripes, the Kills), the Ettes are laying a groundwork for a successful follow-up to their debut LP, Shake the Dust.
For more information on the Ettes, visit their Web site www.theettes.com or their MySpace.com page www.myspace.com/theettes.
DeadJournalist.com brings you this exclusive interview with Coco Hames of the Ettes.
So you're from New York but met in Los Angeles - how exactly did the Ettes get together?
JC: Poni and Coco met working retail in a shop in Los Angeles. It was a pretty dismal job, so they invented an air band and would jump on furniture and entertain the shoppers. And Coco got fired. Then Poni said, “Let’s start a real band.” And Coco said, “Yeah, sure …”
So when Coco came back from holiday, Poni had taken a few drum lessons and Coco was forced to pick up music again (she was a little alt. country singer and songwriter in a previous lifetime) with this wild little person from Queens who had a serious and natural knack for drums.
Jem, all along, had been playing in his own excellent bands, with one of whom the early Ettes played a lot of shows. When various members of Jem’s band moved away, etc., and the Ettes had a bassist void, the Ettes asked Jem to come with them to London and play bass on the record. He did, and though Poni and Coco weren’t sure whether Jem would be a permanent Ette, Liam (Watson, producer and owner of Toerag Studios) said, “This is it.” And so it was.
So, before the Ettes, Poni was not a drummer, Jem was not a bass player, and Coco had quit music for two years and had kind of given up on it.
How would you describe the band's sound?
CH: There are a lot of really specific and very different influences on our sound. Coco, the main songwriter, was raised on country music (Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Gene Pitney were absolute favorites) and ‘60s pop, R&B, and beat. I mean, almost exclusively. Those were her parents’ records and she only ever listened to the oldies station on the radio.
Jem was always a Beatles freak who loved the reinterpreted blues of the Rolling Stones and the endlessly interesting and beautiful melodies and cheek of the Kinks.
Poni loved southern Rock, Led Zeppelin and classic punk rock. When Coco first started writing songs for the Ettes, she was really just trying to entertain Poni with punk songs. But as Coco settled into the band, she allowed her true influences to come into her songwriting. And with Jem, old songs took new direction and new songs (some of which Jem co-wrote) really showed the evolution from wannabe-Headcoatees to what we assume is the ‘60s-influenced Stooge-y Stone-y kickin’-boots rock and roll it is now.
What are the greatest musical influences on the band?
CH: We once read an interview where the journalist asked the band, “What’s your biggest influence besides the Beatles?” That would work here, definitely. But, truly, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones (Between the Buttons is Coco’s favorite), the Stooges (we just love the fierce energy pulsing out of Raw Power). Greg Cartwright is absolutely shocking. Nancy Sinatra. Tina Turner. There is a lot of really excellent ‘60s garage and beat that just electrifies us. Nuggets offers a good summation, though there really is so much out there. We just love rock and roll. Just love it.
How did you end up signing with Sympathy for the Record Industry?
CH: We went to London the first time around with our own money. We worked really hard and came back to the States saying, “My God, this sounds great! Someone is bound to want it!” But no one did. No one. I mean, we had what was to be our debut album, with these great sounds and this awesome experience, and no one even wanted to hear it.
Then one day, when we were driving back from a gig in San Francisco, Coco checked her e-mail and she had these messages from Long Gone John at Sympathy for the Record Industry, and they were just amazing. Jem had sent him some of the songs we’d done at Toerag, and John totally understood the music, loved it, loved us, and wanted to work with us. It was such a magical moment, because here we were, with this half-finished record wondering how in the hell we were going to finish it, if we were just going to release it ourselves as it was … and there was John saying, “This is great stuff. Let’s do this.”
We just kind of looked at each other, really relieved and happy that someone was going to put it out. We said, “Well, you guys, people get to hear our record now.” It wasn’t until after that blissful resignation that we realized it was Sympathy! Then we just started going through all the records Sympathy had put out that we just adored, and then we really and properly flipped.
The band recently released your debut LP, Shake the Dust. What was the inspiration behind the album?
CH: Shake the Dust is a solid goodbye to a lot of what inspired the record in the first place. There was a lot of frustration and desperation in some of those songs, feelings that we all had about Los Angeles and the “scene”. None of us had ever been a part of a “scene” before, musically or personally. In fact, Poni and Coco kind of started the band (before they were even playing music in it) as a Switchblade Sisters type of gang to defend themselves. We always had our fists out.
Suffice it to say we just didn’t fit in. And we tried and we tried, and attempted all the things one does when one wants to fit in. But we realized we couldn’t. Not that we think alienation and displacement are town-specific. But it’s all right to say “no” and it’s all right to say “goodbye”.
How long did it take to record the record? Did you enjoy working with producer Liam Watson?
CH: The first time we went over to London to record with Liam, we were there for two weeks. To finish the record (work on existing tracks and add new ones) we took another week. So three weeks in total.
Liam is extremely talented and knowledgeable and experienced in his field. We couldn’t dream up a better producer for us. Besides the amazing studio, we were just so impressed with him. He really runs his shop like EMI studios back in the day. He even used to wear a lab coat. He’s very tidy and very precise, and he has excellent ears and a superb imagination.
Our favorite times in the studio would be when we’d be working on something, and Liam’s face would light up and he’d say, “Hey guys, I’ve got an idea…” We would all just laugh because every time he did that, he’d come up with something – a sound, an instrument, a method, an invention – that we’d end up loving and using.
We really love Liam and can’t wait to work with him again.
The band just wrapped up a two-month US tour. Did everyone make it back in one piece?
CH: Oh, we’re in one piece all right, and we’re set to do it again! We’re headed to the UK and France in a few weeks for our first tour over there, and then when we come back in December, we’re touring back out east. We’re doing kind of the lower half of the United States in December. Touring is exhausting and can be really stressful, but it’s pretty awesome. We really love it.
What's the most important part of your live shows?
CH: Energy. Enthusiasm. One thing we don’t get is that bored, stoned deadpan in rock and roll. I mean, some people can pull it off, but it’s just not our style. This is rock and roll, people! We love to get up there and move. We love to interrupt your conversation at the back of the bar. And it’s a great release. Singing and screaming and jumping around.
And Poni’s definitely the fittest Ette. You should see her. One time, we were watching this thing about us on television, and the camera zoomed in on Poni and all the crazy action she gets up to when she’s drumming, and Coco said, “That’s what you’re doing back there? No wonder people freak out!”
What does the band have planned for 2007?
CH: Everything! Touring, touring, touring. Not to mention a new record. We hope 2007 is even more freakishly busy than 2006. We really feel like we’re hitting our stride. We’re comfortable with ourselves, confident, and we’re really happy together. That’s where we feel luckiest.
What were you listening to back in 1996?
CH: 1996 ... good gracious. Okay. We never listened to much new music, any of us. So basically everything we’re still listening to today and what we were listening to before that! We were all just probably starting to realize there was new music out there. 1996 was likely Coco’s Britpop phase, Poni was hitting the punk rock shoving mosh pits, and Jem had his indulgence in Pavement and Smashing Pumpkins. Blur. We all liked Blur.