| It’s common for little girls to idolize pop stars. However, there’s a growing movement of young women in the United States who aren’t content to look up to musicians – they want to write and produce their own music. These ladies are not only inspiring other kids to pick up guitars, they’re also influencing adults to create venues where they can learn and play.
One band that has garnered a lot of attention is the Seattle pop duo Smoosh. The band is made up of two sisters – 10-year-old Chloe (drums) and 13-year-old Asya (vocals and keyboards) – and have been indie faves since the release of their 2004 debut album She Like Electric. The record contains mature pop songs with irresistible hooks that make you forget that their combined age is 22. These girls are no anomaly and rock harder than most musicians twice their age.
Signed to Seattle record label Pattern 25, Smoosh have opened for such bands as Sleater-Kinney, Pearl Jam, Rilo Kiley and Death Cab for Cutie. In fact, Death Cab drummer Jason McGerr – an instructor at the renowned Seattle Drum School – is also Chloe’s music teacher.
"Well, I got my drum set when I was six and Asya was playing piano her whole life," Chloe explains. "I kind of got inspired by (my sister) when she was always playing shows and open-mics and stuff."
Before getting signed, the girls distributed their demos for free from a family-run website. Their new record is selling well with help from Seattle radio stations and North American campus radio has also shown an interest. They both had a great time recording in a real studio.
"It was a lot of fun," Chloe says. "It took us... wait, hang on a sec," she says before shouting away from the telephone receiver, "Asya, how long did it take us to record the album?"
A voice belonging to her older sister hollers back, "Three days."
"Three days," Chloe confirms. "I thought (the album) sounded really cool and I also liked it when we were at the (recording studio)."
For those of you thinking that Smoosh was the brainchild of pushy stage parents – you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Chloe and Asya’s supportive parents didn’t school them in punk rock or indie music when growing up, rather they let the girls do their own thing. Being a couple of indie scenesters is something that came naturally – Asya hasn’t even taken a single piano lesson.
"(Our parents) aren’t musicians, but they had a lot of Louis Armstrong – a lot of famous music like Bob Dylan and stuff," Asya says. "When we were really young we would listen to it a lot."
Asya is the band’s principal songwriter and composes songs about love, frustration and playing on a soccer team.
"I know when it’s a good song and it’s new and I should keep doing it," Asya says. "But then, after awhile, when I keep playing it, I don’t like it as much because I’m used to it. But usually I know when it’s a song that I’m going to keep."
Chloe and Asya are two of many young musicians who’ve attended the Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Oregon run by executive director Misty McElroy and a staff of volunteers. The camp boasts an impressive lineup of celebrity counsellors like Sleater Kinney, The Gossip, Mirah and Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock. It began in 2000, when the then 30-year-old McElroy decided she wanted to help girls with chord progressions. It was only intended to be a one-time thing, but soon grew to include sessions throughout the summer as well as after-school programs.
"(Growing up) I looked up to male musicians and instead of wanting to get their autographs or dream of marrying them, I wanted to be them," McElroy says. "I never thought my adolescent experiences would still translate for girls today."
Five years later, the camp gets about 300 to 400 applications per year from girls across North America between the ages of eight and 18. The instructors teach sessions on how to play instruments, self-defence, zine production, size oppression, graphic design, songwriting, sound tech, booking shows and media literacy. After the session is over, the girls perform a showcase.
"It’s the best show of the year," McElroy says. "Girls who have never picked up their instrument of choice before this week, are performing an original song onstage in front of a sold-out crowd of 650 people. It’s transformative for the girls, the staff and the audience. None of us leave the same."
There are rock ’n’ roll camps for girls set up in Nashville and New York, with chapters opening in Washington D.C. and California. Besides Smoosh, the camp is responsible for spawning more girl rockers and McElroy says to watch out for bands like The Ready, The Black Peppercorns and The Fringe to make an appearance in 2005. McElroy has even started Third Wave Records, designed to teach girls how to run a label and put out their own music.
According to Chloe and Asya, the best thing about being in Smoosh is getting the chance to perform and meet new people. They both say that recording and touring has been a great learning experience.
"I wanna grow up to maybe be a soccer player," Asya says. "But I’ll do music until it’s not fun anymore." |
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