You bring up the idea of knowing why you're making music, knowing why you're going on tour. What's your reason?
We have stories that are important to tell. I think what we're doing on stage is very important in these times. I mean, we have a band of women and non-binary people. And we are telling stories about queer life, which, today — is more important than ever.
I think wherever you go, you're really building a community — which isn't to say it wasn't already there…
Yes. I mean, it is really something that we also create together, gathering in a room and listening to music. It's a very strong force. And it's something that we just have to continue to do.
And no show is ever going to be the same — you're never going to be at that venue with that same group of people again, so it's a very surreal experience to know that, everyone who's there, they're there for themselves and for you.
Yes, it's something you can feel. You can feel an audience and you can feel that there’s something going on between us and that there’s something going on in the room, which can be magical. It's a very strong thing that happens.
Are there certain aspects of queer culture that you take and transform for inspiration?
That's a good question. We have very specific inspirations — like John Waters' films and all these ideas about camp. Those are very present. And there’s so much — it’s an old thing in the EU/UK, based in a kink and BDSM scene, and we were collecting a lot, looking at pictures, and we made the plunge in the last album. It's still quite present in our aesthetics. Both of us look at so many things and read a lot of old stuff, old queer history, and culture.
Yeah! When I was looking at the images, the BDSM and the kink influence is very clear, with the fishnets and vinyl gloves.
Yeah, it's beautiful. It's a very powerful thing to be able to continue queer history, to be able to continue telling queer stories. In these times it's so important — it's about existing.
I mean, if anything, this is a testament to our existence.
We can't be erased.
You know, especially with the state of American politics today, I think your work is extremely relevant.
And it's happening in Europe as well, with right-wing conservative movements happening in so many places now.
Globally, everyone's talking about how much we've progressed. But when you think about it, if this is progression, then our bar was set really low.
