Getting Sick with Sabrina Fuentes

October 03, 2022

From her flat in London, Sabrina Fuentes called me in New York, the city where she and her rock band Pretty Sick were born and raised. Though Fuentes, otherwise known as Sicky Sab, first found her way into the Downtown scene as a teenage model, her foray into music from fashion at age 13 was swift and impossible to ignore.

In the public eye, authenticity — the prized possession of a punk rocker — can be the absolute hardest thing to find, and yet harder to hold onto. But there is something special about Sabrina Fuentes. She’s real. She’s dealt with the luxury and challenge of growing up, literally and creatively, in our direct line of vision, and held her own. From the first time I saw her screaming from a skater-lined stage on the Lower East Side, I recognized someone who saw what they wanted, and since then we’ve seen her go for it.

Interview by Anna Zanes
Photos by Ophelia Horton

Last week, Fuentes further proved that point, releasing her latest album, Makes Me Sick, Makes Me Smile under the Pretty Sick moniker under her new London-based label.

Though Fuentes’ band has been classified in categories such as “‘90s grunge” and had many a Riot grrl group used as a reference, Pretty Sick’s sound is anything but derivative. There’s definitely an always welcome touch of Courtney Loven here, but the emotions and stories Fuentes has put into this album are all her own. I got into feelings, fears, and the Foo Fighters with the artist in our conversation, below.

So how do you feel that the move from London to New York affected you? Has there been a creative shift with that physical move?

In a lot of different ways! My label is here. I signed to a label after living here for two or three years and so creatively, my work process is different because before that, I was self-managed and self-releasing everything, and kind of only doing music when I had time for it between modeling and school. And now music is my full-time job, which I am super grateful for. And London is a place where you just have a lot more space to yourself than in New York, so I just have more space to think about my craft. I developed this whole album in London. It was a super long process, and it became my full-time job because I'm no longer in school. I don't really model that much. Music is what my full-time job is. So I was just waking up every single day going through my routine, thinking about writing more music, going through the songs I already had, making so many lists, showing music to all of my friends, and whittling down these lists. And then basically, trying to put an album together out of 40 songs over the course of a year.

Yeah. So what's your routine when you say you've got your routine?

I mean, I don't have as much of one now as I did then because that whole year was just about this album. And so I'd wake up, have a tea or a coffee because I habitually quit coffee for three to six months at a time and then get back on it. I just go upstairs and would have three different notebooks where I was planning the same thing, writing out those plans for a few hours, and then listening back to all the music that I have. So this was 40 songs, 45 songs at the time and counting because I kept growing and writing more.

What do you feel makes your music different?

I remember I read a good amount from young creatives talking about how they fear they'll never make anything original and it's just never been anything that really concerns me.

Creating out of fear is never the move, anyways.

Yeah, yeah. Exactly. I just don't feel like I'm ever going to be happy with anything I make if I'm constantly worried if anyone has done anything similar ever before. And so, I don't know, I just like to make stuff because it feels good and make stuff because it helps me express myself, more than anything. It's the best and only way I know how to communicate.

I think maybe what makes it different from some other rock music that's coming out right now is it really doesn't take itself too seriously. I feel like I poke fun at myself a lot throughout the songwriting process and poke fun at my peers. While I'm angry, I have a lot of other emotions that go along with that. And while I might be in love, I'll have a lot of other emotions that go on with that. I don't like to deny that one or the other. I think that they can coexist in songwriting and they definitely coexist in my life. So maybe that's what makes it different? But ultimately, I don't think any music is that different from the next, you know?

I feel like it's about finding a balance between being in your personal experience and in those basic human emotions everyone can relate to. Do you feel like your work is super personal and focuses on things that you're going through? When you're on stage, do you feel like it's you or it's a stage persona?

I think it's all really personal and all really vulnerable. I'm pretty terrible at communicating in my personal life and so this is kind of the only way I can do it. I feel like that's why I started making music when I was a kid. It's always something I wanted to do because I have a love for music. But when I started writing it wasn't because it was something I thought I'd be good at. It's just because I didn't really have any other way to express myself. All of my music is really personal and extension of myself. For a long time I didn't even really think that I would share it in a very public way, especially not something like for a long time, I was like, "Oh, I'll just play cafe gigs and sing my song for the rest of my life, even if I have other jobs." But it being on the internet was something that terrified me because it's so permanent, and committed, and once it's out there, it's really out there. Going all in with music as my career choice and as what I do as a person is really nice for me because it's just me being as much myself as I can, more even than in my personal life sometimes. So it's really vulnerable on stage, offstage, recording, every step of the process.

What was the first show you ever went to?

Well, the first show I ever tried to go to, my mom tried to take me to a Camp Rock Today Show thing in New York and she was like, "We're not fucking waiting in line for this," and we left. The first show I actually ever went to was a concert the Foo Fighters organized as a fundraiser for this studio that was closing where Nirvana recorded Nevermind, the Bee Gees recorded, Stevie Nicks recorded, and all these other iconic bands recorded. Everybody who had ever recorded in the studio got together and did a tour together. Stevie Nicks and the Foo Fighters, Cheap Trick… and they all played their big three hits. And then whenever they weren't playing their big three hits, they would pick up an instrument and play for the next person who was going to play their big three hits. I was on my dad's shoulders, and I was like 11 or something.

That’s crazy. Speaking of icons, the references that are thrown out around your sound and style tend to be kind of a throwback. Do you feel like you have a sense of nostalgia for a time that you weren't alive for?

I think most of my creative influences are from the past, but I don't really know if I have a nostalgia for it. What I have nostalgia for is more feelings, and parts of my life that went quite smoothly, were very easy and I felt carefree and joyous — without it having to try to be. I don't really feel like I have nostalgia for even the aesthetic or visual aspects of that time in my life. It's more just the way that I felt. So not really, but I draw mostly from older influences and stuff like that, stuff that I wasn't alive for or from alive during.

What's your favorite track on the album?

Probably 'Drunk' at the moment. 'Drunk', 'Heaven', 'PCP'. I'm really proud of my screaming on 'Drunk' and I like the song structure of it. Normally, I write really straightforward pop structured songs.

Cool. And what are you most excited for in regards to touring?

I feel like I get a lot of energy out every single night, so I can kind of turn my brain off otherwise. I've never toured America or the U.K., so I'm going to see a lot of new stuff for the first time. I also read and write a lot, so I always feel like I'm kind of doing productive internal work on myself. I function quite well on the road. I feel like it grounds me a bit, in a weird way, even though it feels like it probably shouldn't.

Yeah, well then you're on the right career path.

Music

Jesse Jo Stark Is in a Genre of Her Own

April 19, 2024

In the midst of a total solar eclipse, I got the chance to talk about music and style with Jesse Jo Stark.

As I’m on the phone with her from New York, Stark is on a tour bus with The Veronicas, driving through the Colorado mountains to enjoy some time off in between shows. The Veronicas have just started their Gothic Summer North American Tour, and Stark is opening the show. What’s special about this tour for the lifelong music obsessive is the sense of powerful feminine energy encapsulating the tour. “We just started [tour], but it’s been really lovely. I’m obsessed with the fact that we’re all women — it feels like a very powerful crew. The Veronicas are lovely, the crowds have been so fun, and the venues are beautiful. It’s gonna be a good month.”

Photography Sophia-Liv Maguire
Styling Marc Eram
Interview Angelina Hazzouri
Talent Jesse Jo Stark
Hair Antoine Martinez with PARADIS using Roz Hair
Makeup Sydney Szramowski
Photo Assistants Mia O’Neal, Rashaun Richardson
BTS Ms Josephine
Creative Producer Olivia Roper-Caldbeck

This is Stark’s second time touring since the release of her full-length debut album DOOMED in late 2022, which was very well received and led to Stark’s first sold-out international headlining tour on behalf of the album. Previous to her solo tour, she’s opened for various notable acts, such as Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. I asked Stark, who’s been writing and playing music since age 11, what it was like to prepare for her first sold-out headlining tour. Unsurprisingly, before any tour, Stark goes into what she describes as “bootcamp mode” — dancing every day, vocal training, rehearsing with her band, and of course, working on her outfits. “That’s the sort of homework I love,” she says, smiling. (Even though we’re on the phone, I can tell she’s smiling when she talks about the outfit part. I’d smile too if I had her tour closet.)

What’s unique about Stark as a musician is that she has ultimately created her own universe by embracing every aspect of her creative upbringing, her raw talent, her fascinating influences, and her unwavering beliefs in not needing to fit into a certain box when it comes to her art. She creative-directs and styles all her own looks, referencing an ever-evolving list of influences that range from Vegas showgirls to Halloween to old films to her parents in the 90s. “I think when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from,” she tells me, “but now it’s just my blood. I constantly reflect on my childhood and everything I was taught and everything I saw. My brother and sister and I are constantly pulling influences from our parents from the past. I think, more than ever, I’m heavily influenced by them.”

Stark, the daughter of founders and owners of the self-made American fashion brand Chrome Hearts, and now its creative director and designer, is someone who always knew what she liked, but as she describes it, had to ‘go through the motions’ that come with growing up and knowing one’s identity. Today, her self-efficacy is palpable — and it’s inspiring.

...when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from, but now it’s just my blood.

When she’s on tour, Stark is growing with herself and with her art — she’s not afraid to take life as it comes and learn through the process. With every show, regardless of whether it was on her DOOMED tour or this tour with The Veronicas, Stark understands the importance of human connection through music. Seeing faces of music lovers like herself, meeting those who have traveled to see her, and visiting familiar and unfamiliar cities has reminded her that she loves being on the road. “The growth that happens on tour is so important to me as an artist.” Sometimes we have to leave behind what’s familiar in order to rediscover what’s important, and Stark is a proponent of this growth mindset.

Growth doesn’t just happen on tour with Stark — this evolution of herself happens within genre as well, and for Stark there’s no such thing. Since her first release Driftwood in 2017, the artist’s sound has shifted year after year, but in a harmonious way that still feels central to her gothic Americana roots. When asked if she’ll experiment with genre in the future, Stark confidently answers, “I think I’ve only experimented with genre. I don’t think anyone knows what genre I am.” (She calls herself a “horrific hillbilly” — a perfect descriptor.) Steadfast in her belief that we as humans can constantly evolve in our work, Stark thinks it’s antiquated to fit yourself into a certain box and focus on one specific trade in order to succeed. “If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time. I want to experience different things.”

Since Driftwood, a two-song EP rooted in rock and country, Stark has experimented with more robust beats and 808s on DOOMED, and her most recent single “skeleton” features a softer, grungier punk sound. Without fitting into a specific genre, Stark’s music is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly her own, transcending the boundaries of what many artists struggle with when finding their sound. “I don’t think we should have to label ourselves in any way, shape, or form; so I’m not going to. I will continue to make all types of different music.” Fuck yeah.

If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time.

This goes beyond just music — in terms of her personal style, the same mentality applies. We discuss the idea that clothing and dressing is a sort of playground, and personal style comes from within. Stark isn’t about following trends, but rather, she thinks it’s important to tap into different stylistic elements that amplify who we are at our cores. On her DOOMED tour, Stark wore a lot of leather and stuck to a fairly dark color palette. Right now, she’s into more bourgeois satin and lace, experimenting with different textures and wearing things that feel slightly daintier and more delicate. On this current tour with the Veronicas, Stark is making it more of a point to take everything in — absorbing inspiration from every city, writing songs on the road, recording video on a friend’s super 8 camera, styling and wearing new outfits, learning and performing new covers — ultimately growing through the whole experience.

It’s endearing and inspiring how well Stark knows herself. A Los Angeles native, she proudly tells me that the tour finishes on May 5 in her hometown, a show that she’s especially excited for. While we can’t predict what thoughtfully-curated outfit she’ll wear or what songs will be performed, with new music already underway, one thing is clear: Jesse Jo Stark is just getting started.

Music

9lives' Latest Single Continues to Push Sigilkore

April 19, 2024

The versatile artist, producer, and pioneer of the sigilkore genre, 9lives, has recently unveiled his latest single "CANADA" featuring jnhygs. In less than two years since his emergence onto the music scene, 9lives has carved out an impressive niche for himself as a prominent figure within the digitally-driven sigilkore movement. "CANADA" sees him teaming up once again with experimental dance artist jnhygs, following their successful collaboration on "XTAYALIVE".

With aspirations to establish himself within the mainstream arena of experimental music production and artistry, 9lives is blending his distinct dark production style with collaborations with a diverse array of influential artists who trust him to create innovative sonic landscapes. "CANADA" marks his second release of 2024, as 9lives continues to champion the burgeoning sigilkore movement, pushing the boundaries of genre, evolving into a multifaceted artist, and solidifying his status as a rising star with an expanding audience.

Image by Connor Pritchard

Reflecting on their latest project, 9lives shares, “In early 2023 jnhygs found my music and we started chatting through TikTok, releasing our first song together called "XTAYALIVE"." He adds, We’ve been friends since this song had a viral moment, and fans have been heavily requesting for us to work together again all over our videos.” Describing their creative process, he explains, “I sent a bunch of new ideas to jnhygs via Discord and she sent back vocals to “CANADA”, which I then used to create melodic layers and extra percussion to complete the song.

Music

Eclipsed at Vampire Weekend

April 16, 2024

It had been about a week since the goosebump-inducing communal howls at the moon, as it covered the sun through a cloudy Austin, Texas sky, left me needing to take a seat—suspended in awe of the totality of the event and the synergistic break from routine. I overheard someone say, “I mean, it feels like we’re all going to die, but in a way that’s okay, you know?" under the shadow of the eclipse's peak, ceremoniously brought in as the band performed “Jonathan Low,” (in Vampire Weekend's familiar ironic hue) a track they wrote for the third movie in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

It had been five years since the band had released an album. In celebration of their latest album, "Only God Was Above Us," ticket holders wrapped the streets in blocks outside the venue for the band’s first Stateside show in about two years. Event managers searched to replenish the venue’s stock of eclipse glasses, while the band prepped a show reminiscent of 'getting the boys back together again'.

Words and photography by Rianne Akindele

In between newly released songs like “Classical” and “Capricorn”, the boys filled the almost two-hour-long show with old favorites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Diane Young” and a genre evolved rendition of “Sunflower” as the crowd danced barefoot feeling the Earth’s energy intertwined with their own and the vibrations from the amps on stage. People stole glances at the imminently darkening sky, artists doodled, friends grabbed onto each other to scream the lyrics in each other’s faces, and onlookers from the highest level of the parking garage across the street cheered on in a symphony of nostalgia and anticipation.

Adding to the layers of the celestial afternoon, the band invited to the stage the likes of Thomas Mars from Phoenix, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and guitarist Brian Robert Jones, inducing further levels of indie revival euphoria.

As the show drew to its close, and the zydeco/country-rock “Cocaine Cowboys” medley fiddled through the air, a conversation could be picked up between two sisters in search of their Lyft driver through closed-off streets,

“I wish this happened more often.”
“Eclipses or shows like this?”
“Both.”

It’s moments like these that remind us of our shared humanity and the power of collective experiences; a gathering of souls under the same sky, sharing the joy of music and a wonder of the stars above. Perhaps it’s the rarity that allowed such transcendence, reverence, and gratitude to be felt. Either way, what a beautiful moment in time it was.

Here are a few shots from the Monday afternoon: