Tobi-lea is a musician originally from Western Australia now living in Tasmania. I find her story inspiring and her music honest and straight from the heart. Her story, in her own words: “I ran away from my hometown Tom Price (a small mining town in the Pilbra, Western Australia) with dreams of starting a punk band when I was 16. I ended up homeless in Perth and living in a hostel for six months and mostly survived off the kindness of strangers… I was turned away from shit loads of punk band auditions for either being too young or not having a dick – that was fun – so I did solo acoustic shows for a few years waiting to find my band.” After giving her everything to start band Aaagh Bats! only for it to dissolve, Tobi-lea found herself broken hearted and wondering what to do next? Now, relocated and reinspired she’s working on new music. “I’m inspired by assholes, I use their negative energy to write honest angry songs,” she told me.

How did you first discover music?

TOBI-LEA: I first discovered music when I was like 3. My favourite song was a Michael Jackson song called Remember The Time. It’s rather funny really, a 3 year old trying to experience extreme romantic nostalgia [laughs]. My early music experiences were all from my mum. She likes all kinds of great music. I grew up hearing Cyndi Lauper, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Metallica, The Offspring, Jewel etc.

Who or what inspired you to want to become a musician?

T-L: I was inspired to become a musician by Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (that my mum of all people told me to listen to). The truth of it all just felt so good to me and I knew I had to start writing songs. Hearing My Chemical Romance inspired me to get a punk band and I ran away from home within months of hearing their second album!

You ran away from home with dreams of starting a punk band when you were 16 and ended up homeless living in a hostel and surviving off the kindness of strangers, was punk rock a salvation for you in those challenging times? Tell me a little bit about this time in your life.

T-L: That time in my life… ahhhh it was actually the happiest I had ever been. I left home for a reason, my home life was shit, you couldn’t even call it a home. Leaving home I felt free living in a hostel on Burwick Street and continuing at school doing my TEE was the happiest I’ve ever been.

I’ve read that when you first tried to find a band you were turned away from a lot of punk band auditions in Perth for either being “too young or not having a dick” how did you deal with that disappointment?

T-L: I wanted a punk band but unfortunately no one would make a punk band with me because I was young and chick. I ended up making this kind of bratty pop-folk music which lyrically I think is all punk. I never knew many punk bands and still don’t. I wouldn’t say I find salvation from punk music—I find truth. I still don’t listen to many punk bands. I just think it’s the best medium for me to work with. I’m not one of these punk nazis. I kind of think of it like a religion; you don’t need to go to church to have the spirit in your heart. I would say rock n roll saved me definitely. I think punk rock is an attitude. Dealing with disappointment, f*ck, I knew that they thought I was talented because a few of the bands I auditioned for, who wouldn’t have me as a singer, asked if they could use my songs. I knew I was on the right track and that they were f*ckwits. I just kept looking man. When you want something you have to go for it, you can’t sit around and be a ‘sadhole’—I was having a band and nothing would stop me!

Have you ever experienced other instances of sexism within the music community?

T-L: Oh F*ck yeah! Read any Aaagh Bats! review, it spends more time talking about my ass or the fact there’s girls in the bands than talking about our actual music! It’s bullshit. Everyone knows when you’re a chick you have to be twice as good for half the recognition and that every guy is going to be calling you ‘crazy’ or a ‘slut’ behind your back because you wouldn’t sleep with them or take their shit. It’s ok though, because shitloads of the people who dissed me or said they couldn’t be in a band with me because I was a chick, later tried to write songs with me and start other bands with me after Aaagh Bats! showed to be successful.

What’s the Perth music community like?

T-L: The Perth scene has f*ck loads of good bands but unfortunately not enough people. I love Blazin Entrails and Chainsaw Hookers. They’re pretty much the only bands in Perth I would actually have a drink with after a show and chat to. There’s a lot of wanker-y in the scene but, there is in any scene. I think it has a lot going on in ways of talent, especially in song writing, unfortunately just not much attention.

You did solo acoustic shows for a few years while waiting to find a band, how do you feel you developed as a song writer in this time?

T-L: I hated doing solo acoustic shit! I fucking hated it and still do. I don’t like being alone on stage, I want a band with me, I want distortion. I did it because I needed to. I think that the way I write hasn’t changed since I was about 18, I found my feet by that time.

Do you find that there are reoccurring themes in your songs? Do you write mostly from personal experience?

T-L: I think I only write from personal experience. There are definitely a lot of reoccurring themes: usually lust and mistrust. A lot of songs deal with betrayal because I’ve been f*cked over a lot!

Until recently you finally had a band called Aaagh Bats! What significance did that band have to you? Why did it fall apart?

T-L: Why did the band fall apart? Oh shit! F*ck… I think the band was like a relationship that the rest of the band didn’t want to be in any more but didn’t have the balls to tell me, until I was away on holiday and stuff started getting serious for us. I think the band fell apart because we were all too different as people and musicians, which is strange because, that was also the best part of the band. That band was my baby, it took years of homelessness, time, money and effort and years of rejection and bullshit to even get the band off the ground. I managed the band and wrote the songs—it was everything to me. I was engaged and he cheated on me and honest to god, my band breaking up hurt more than my engagement breaking up! It broke me in a way I think I’ll always be angry about it. I tried so hard to keep things together and make us successful but the rest of the bands’ heart wasn’t in it. They weren’t in it for the long haul.

Now you’re working on your own music project Tobi-lea and the Wolves and have hired some of your favourite Perth musicians to session with you for it, how’s it going? What can you tell me about it?

T-L: I’m too scared to have a ‘real band’ again! I think I’ll always try session musos from now on. I’ve recently relocated to Tasmania to be near my grandparents and I’ve got a new band in the works. I’m using my favourite drummer Nathan Sproule from Perth (also in Chainsaw Hookers, my favourite band in Perth). He’s amazing, absolutely f*cking amazing! I much prefer session musos, they do their job and don’t give you any bullshit. No egos.

What do you do creatively when you’re not creating/playing music?

T-L: When I’m not playing music I love to draw. I’ve always drawn cartoons since I was a kid. I’ve been working on comics since I was 12. One day I’ll get off my ass and actually finish and release them. I recently started dress making, which I love, because of the long hours you can really tune out. I love drawing because you can create your own world.

What are some things that you feel really passionate about and that really matter to you?

T-L: The most important thing I think is just to have personal integrity, to have some balls to stick up for yourself and your rights. I don’t know enough people who I could say have balls or integrity; who stick up for themselves even though people might not like it or even stick up for the rights of others. Integrity is the most important thing anyone can have.

For more Tobi-Lea.

Follow your dreams!

*Photo: courtesy of Tobi’s Facebook and taken by her best friend Emily Watts!

Tags: Aaagh Bats!, Blazin Entrails, Chainsaw Hookers, Tobi-lea, Western Australia Punk

Before I discovered prayer I used to have crazy panic attacks—I would think I was dying. I would go crazy. I thought I was having a heart attack. It’s the worst! I couldn’t even leave my house.

I would look at airplanes and have an anxiety attack. I knew I’d have to be in a plane at times in my life. I always thought, how would I escape this claustrophobic feeling? I had doctors telling me I should take Xanax and Prozac. I started to seek this other lifestyle: prayer and meditation.

I had a life changing moment the first time I flew to Australia. Goldfinger had been together for around four years. I had been suffering anxiety attacks. I knew I had to do an eighteen hour flight. I was like, how am I going to do it? Halfway through the flight -I had this little meditation CD -I had this sense that everything was going to be OK that I was going to be taken care of. It was a really life changing thing for me because I had to do so many flights after that to play shows. Ever since then I’ve been rid of anxiety attacks. It was a spiritual awakening to a certain extent. It wasn’t a big white light or anything but just a sense of comfort and ease.

I’ve done a lot of other work on myself too. I started running every day to get the physical stuff going. I stopped caffeine and sugar. I started meditating. Even after all that work though, it comes back to that moment on the airplane where I realised that everything will be OK. I still get an anxious feeling sometimes, but it has never been a full blown panic attack since then.

…When I pray, whatever it is that I’m praying to, the universe, whatever—to imagine a human God to me is ridiculous—I just look up to the stars and think, “What the hell is going on here?” When I pray I guess that’s what I’m praying to—the Universe, nature.

(Taken from a forthcoming issue of Conversations with Punx)

John is the frontman for band, Goldfinger. He is also a passionate vegan, father, animal & human rights activist, A&R rep and producer—working with bands such as The Used, Panic! At The Disco, Good Charlotte, The Veronicas and more!

Make each day count!

*Photo: courtesy of John’s Facebook.

Tags: anxiety, Conversations With Punx, Goldfinger, john feldmann, life changing moment, meditation, prayer

Recently I was cleaning up my desktop and came across this interview I did for an independent publication from my hometown, QPunx magazine. I’m not sure if it ever ended up being printed? I’m not sure if they’re still going anymore even? I haven’t seen an issue in a long while. Anyhow, I thought I’d share it with you! I even dug out some old photos from my archives to go with it. If you have any questions you’d like to ask me in relation to all that I do feel free to drop me a line: conversationswithbianca [at] gmail [dot] com. I’ve been putting together a series of posts featuring questions people have been emailing me asking. Want to know about zines? What to know about interviewing? Write me. I love connecting with you all.

Tell us a little about yourself on a personal level?

I value my family and friends dearly. I enjoy intelligent thought-provoking, thoughtful conversation. Writing and creating is like breathing to me—if I don’t do it, I will die. Singing makes me happy. Both love and creativity are sacred to me. I wish my artistic technical ability matched my ideas! I tend to always see the positive side of people. I really, really love interviewing people. It helps make sense of my life, the world and my place in it. This year I decided I wanted to live life a little braver and have been facing fears and challenges in my life head-on. My friends make me way cooler! I have the raddest friends on the planet; they’re the smartest, funniest, most loving, super talented people. I draw the greatest inspiration for those closest to me.

And on a professional one?

I am self-taught in all that I do. I come from a very entrepreneurial family—members have owned motorcycle, bicycle & skateboard shops, hair salons, restaurants, car yards etc. My parents inspire me greatly. My dad drove race cars in the 60s and my mum flew tiger-moth aeroplanes! I draw a lot of strength and inspiration from my grandfather Jose also. He was a playwright, actor, speech writer for parliament and fluent (and self-taught) in many languages.

Being a pro-active member of the punk community (making zines, putting on shows, having run a mail order) has taught me a lot. All of my business skills have been learned via my work in the punk world. Making a zine on the scale I did 15th Precinct, I had to fill many roles which also taught me many skills. Interviewing bands and artists over the years has taught me amazing communication and people skills. I feel that those I have interviewed over the course of my fifteen year writing career have been my greatest teachers.

I am constantly researching for my work. My mind is always on and open. I find inspiration in most things. I’m constantly working on my craft. It’s been really hard at times for me to learn and grow my writing in such a public way.

I started making zines around 1994. My first zine was called Social Stupidity, which was followed by my most well-known zine 15th Precinct. All my zines have been inspired by the punk community. I basically started making zines to share my love of all the wonderful local bands I would go see. First and foremost, I will always be the biggest fan!

I have made a handful of one-off zines to cheer up my friends when they’re sad. Recently I have made a couple of zines with a more personal focus Conversations With Bianca and At The Edge Of The World (if people want a copy they can contact me through my blog). I’m in the process of making a zine that uses punk lyrics as positive affirmations for daily life. We all know how pumped the lyrics: rise above / we’re gonna rise above gets us. I have also written for Brisbane street press Rave for fourteen years as well as various other national and international publications in print and online. I have recently formed a zine collective the Paper Cuts Collective with two fellow zinesters. We hope to create networking opportunities for zine lovers and makers and celebrate the awesome-mess of zines in general. Zines are really important, independent press is one of the most powerful tools we have to be heard, to express ourselves and share information and experiences.

What drew you to punk?

I first came to punk rock via way of my big brother Barrie’s record collection. My sister Julie also gave me a Sex Pistols tape. Growing up I idolised my older siblings and thought they were the coolest people ever so naturally I gravitated towards what they were into and it’s what I was around daily. Until my bro gave me the records I was listening to (and still do) Janet Jackson, Salt n Pepa and the like. I also have my brother and sister Juanita to thank for my love of hip hop.

The energy was a big attraction for me as well as the lyrics in both punk rock (and hip hop). I’m a huge fan of lyrics! I really enjoy the work of Matt from The Bronx, Efrem from Death By Stereo, Cinder block from Tilt, Brody from Spinnerette/The Distllers, Jesse from Operation Ivy/Common Rider, Jason from Strung Out, Rob & Vic from 108, Exene from X, Ray Cappo from Shelter and many more. Punk has been a platform for me to explore myself and in which I feel I have a voice. Punk has empowered me to believe that I can do anything that I want to in life.

Tell us the inspiration behind your work and what makes it so worthwhile to you?

As I mentioned before it’s my friends and loved ones closest that inspire both me and my work. Also I think a desire to want to know more and utilising my ability to question why. I’ve heard a lot of punkers say over the years that punk inspired them to question everything—the system, authority etc. I’ve always been the million and one question kid (just ask my family) from the get-go. Maybe that’s a reason I was drawn to punk?

In regards to the Conversations With Punx project it was inspired out of many things. One of those was a deep depression that I had found myself in. I was in a really weird place at the time. I knew there had to be something more than what I was experiencing so I went on a search for something more, something better; my truth. I choose to explore that through what I knew, and that was the punk world.

What makes it worthwhile to me is the fact that it’s helped me so much in my life; it’s helped and inspired those that I have spoken to for it. Imagine sitting across the table from someone you grew up listening to and that had inspired your life telling you that you’ve inspired theirs—it’s unbelievably surreal. The project’s taking on a life and energy all its own. I hope people get something positive out of reading it.

Tell us where this journey (best way to describe it I think) began?

The Conversations With Punx… journey started as a feeling, an urgency that I had to do this. Often I found myself asking questions directly related to me or someone in my life and what we have been going through. I remember talking to Duane Peters about his ten years of drug addiction at the same time a friend of mine was going through similar troubles. I knew my friend really loved Duane and paid a lot of attention to what he has to say so maybe in some way I figured I could help my friend by talking to Duane about his battle with addiction and giving it to my friend to read. Pretty much all my work centres on helping others in some roundabout way.

What was the highlight for you doing the books?

There were so, so many. For real! I am thankful and blessed for the whole journey and where it will continue to take me. The highlight would be the connections made and friendships forged. Hearing all of the stories from everyone was mind blowing. I was really thankful that I got to spend some extended periods of time with some of the interviewees. Also, another highlight was getting to spend a lot of time with my niece, Leasha who I did the layout design with. She’s one of my best friends. All the people that have reached out and connected with me because of the project has also meant so much to me. It may sound a little corny but it’s just a project that keeps on giving and keeps on unfolding. I’m excited to see what happens next.

Is there anyone you wish you could have had in the books not there?

No not really, the people that were meant to be in the book are. There were a few people I approached that declined to have a conversation on the subject. Spirituality is a very personal thing and not everyone wants to talk about their beliefs which I respect. One guy had me pay him for an interview! I’ve spoken to Mike Muir about spirituality and I wish I could have included that but he choose not to be a part of it. As a rule he chooses not to be a part of ‘punk’ related projects/books/docos. There were a few instances too where artists managers were super rude to me, not returning calls as promised, hanging up on me etc. One artist’s manager declined for the artist and then at a later date I interviewed the artist and asked them myself and they hadn’t heard about my request at all (and were pretty pissed they weren’t told). There are a lot of bogus managers and self-important PR people out there… luckily there are many, many more lovely ones too. Thank goodness.

Are there any bands from Queensland you absolutely love (past or present)?

Yes, many! I adore (in no particular order): Blister, Hobo Obituaries (plus Jhonny’s solo stuff is AMAZING and Hobo DJs), the Death Set (originally form the Gold Coast), Pangaea, Dick Nasty, Knaw, Operator Please, Against, Felinedown, Mad Occupants, Reichelt, Mouthguard, the Greys (and Mark Duckworth solo work), Bantha Fodder, A Secret Death, Blowhard. Fur from the Gold Coast is one of my all-time favourite bands. I loved and was affiliated with the Gold Coast punk community for a long while so bands like Vicious and the Freuds will always have a place in my heart. I know I have forgotten a whole lot, sorry guys!

If you could ask the one question what would it be?

What does love mean to you?

Where to from here?

More creativity, more zines, more blogging, more writing, more interviewing, more music, more art, more magic all the time! I’ve got my Hip Hop Insight project underway. I’ve already spoken to twelve people in the hip hop world for that. It’s similar to Conversations With Punx but I’m talking to hip hoppers. Plus I’m working on music projects and several other exciting things that I can’t reveal just yet. I eventually want to become involved in a lot more ‘cause’ related work. My pal Heidi Minx has a really great D-I-Y approach to helping the world with her Built On Respect project–she inspires me greatly. I love surrounding myself with good people doing positive, constructive, creative things. My biggest inspiration is my Jhonny, he is an artist and musician. He has taught me so much about creativity and inspires me to be better and do better every single day. In all my travels I’ve never met another person like him, he is very dear to me. I’d really love to start my own print magazine again…  you never know, anything is possible!

CREATE FOREVER!

Tags: 108 (band), 15th Precinct zine, At The Edge Of The World zine, Bianca Valentino interview, built on respect, Conversations With Bianca zine, Conversations With Punx zine, Death By Stereo, duane peters, family, hip hop, lyrics, Mike Muir, paper cuts collective, press, punk, QLD punk bands, QPunx Magazine, shelter, Social Stupidity zine, spirituality, the bronx, zines

In celebration of love, here are some thoughts on the subject from punk rockers I’ve chatted to over the years (mostly) taken from my

Conversations With Punx project.

“Maintaining a healthy self-image and really loving yourself is something that’s really important to me. People let life get to them too much and they get beaten down by it. They become cynical and jaded. It’s really important for me not to become like that. When I look back and say I want to love myself, it’s not because I’m running from my past, it’s because I’m learning to accept who I am with flaws. It is really hard to do sometimes in life if you weren’t raised that way. I wasn’t raised to speak up about anything or express anything that was upsetting. It was a quiet inner life. Feeling that my life is big and that I love it, is a big accomplishment.” Exene Cervenka, X

“Happiness is freedom. To be free in this life is very hard. You get moments of happiness. When you feel a triumph, that’s happiness and when you have the purity that’s around a little child and that mother-child unconditional love, that’s happiness.” Ari Up, The Slits

“Music symbolizes happiness. It’s not happiness inherently. When something moves you it is a simile and it says: this is what joy is like, this is what love is like and all these great things—where you’re moved to the point where you can barely contain yourself and you just want to hug yourself.” Ben Weasel, Screeching Weasel/The Riverdales

“Spirituality and love go hand in hand. It’s the same thing to me. Love is the foundation of all life. If we didn’t have that attraction and feeling, I don’t think there’d be anything.” Craig Fairbaugh, Mercy Killers

“Love god, love people, live in the moment and leave nothing behind.” Dan Jones, Ante Up/God So Loved The World

“Love. That’s something I forever and forever crave for. I am so a junkie for that. Music too. I get a natural high sometimes just hanging out, being around people and people smiling and having fun.” Efrem Schultz, Death By Stereo

“I don’t require my children to prove that they love me. I believe they do and it doesn’t really matter to the rest of the world whether they do or not. I am very motivated to do things that continue to nurture their love for me and I don’t expect anything from them—it is unconditional love. This is one example of something that doesn’t require science. It is faith and it applies to family and friends and interpersonal relationships in general. You could study it and theorize about it scientifically, but I think that is a fruitless pursuit of science because loving relationships come in such a variety that it is almost impossible to measure meaningfully.” Greg Graffin, Bad Religion

“Trust yourself. Whatever you’re doing, whatever you want to do, there comes a time when you have to ask yourself, why am I doing this? When you get to that point you have to do it for yourself, money, ambition and aspirations aside. You have to do it for the love of doing it. It’s where I am right now and I’m going to do my best.” Jason Cruz, Strung Out

“I believe that human love is a whole hell of a lot more important to spiritual development than I gave it credit for while I was living a monk-oriented lifestyle. Without human love, including romantic and erotic love – I notice that a lot of seekers tend to become obsessed with thoughts and words and ideas and become dried up a bit, wrinkled and twisted a bit.” Vic DiCara, 108

“Until you learn to love God you’re not going to be truly able to love other people. The ultimate reality is you learn to love God then you see God inside everybody else’s heart. Once you realise that we’re all coming from the same place you can truly have compassion for other people and try to help them.” Porcell, Shelter/Youth of Today

“It [love] is real important. It’s one of those things kind of like religion in a way: it fuels you when you don’t have it and it fuels you when you do have it. It’s a really cool thing. I’ve always just been built that way. I’ve always enjoyed having that connection with someone. It’s important to me as a person and the type of person that I am. I really enjoy having someone to pour all of my energies and emotion into. It’s awesome to have the respect from someone else and to have the respect in someone else.” Matt Caughthran, The Bronx

“I always wanted to have that feeling back of being a wide eyed kid looking at the trees, the sky or my mother. It sounds simple but it’s not. Part of the whole quest is to find a place within you that is comfortable and acknowledge that everything is connected. Whatever you feel that brings you closer to that place of pure love or consciousness, that’s what it’s about.” Robert Ehrenbrand, Boysetsfire

“I’m not going to get into all the hippie dippy shit but I love the animals and nature. My house – where I’ve moved from – if you walk out the door and turn right you go towards all the bars where all the bands play. Everyone jokes, “Tim always turns left towards the river. When everyone else goes out to go to shows he’s got a twelve pack of beer and is headed to the river.” [Laughs] That’s where I fall asleep.” Tim Barry, Avail

“It [love] is really important. When it’s there you can take it for granted easily but you really, really notice when it’s not there, once you’ve had love and it’s not there. When you’ve experienced something so deep and special and then the thought of it being gone kills you, I think that… it’s easier if you haven’t really felt that for somebody. For me, I have that. I’m married and I’m very happy and I couldn’t imagine not being with her. Before I met her I had no idea.” Mike Herrera, MxPx/Tumbledown

“I’m equally inspired by love and boredom and I’ve been a dramatic person all my life.” Brontez Purnell, The Younger Lovers

“Oh love is everything, it’s the motivating force. To me it means embracing fearlessness. The most important part of it, is knowing that it’s not about really being scared of what you might lose or what you’re almost on the verge of having; it’s this fearless acceptance of this is where I am and I’m really enjoying this moment or I’m not enjoying this moment but I’m here.” Lisa Kekaula, The Bellrays

Dedicated to the best person I’ve ever known:

I hope your day is filled with LOVE!

*Art: Jhonny Russell

Tags: Ante Up, Ari Up, Avail, bad religion, Ben Weasel, Boysetsfire, Brontez Purnell, craig fairbaugh, dan jones, Death By Stereo, efrem schultz, Exene Cervenka, god so loved the world, Greg Graffin, jason cruz, Lisa Kekaula, love, matt caughthran, Mercy Killers, Mike Herrera, MxPx, porcell, punk, Punk Rock Love, ramones, robert ehrenbrand, Screeching Weasel, shelter, strung out, the BellRays, the bronx, The Riverdales, The Slits, The Younger Lovers, Tim Barry, X, youth of today

• Punk In Africa a new documentary + check out the Punk in South Africa mixtape.
• Super stoked I found a Riot Grrrl Is Not Dead compilation to download for FREE of 53 bands = 2½ hours of music! Thanks to the lovely ladies at Riot Grrrl Berlin for this.
• Seth Casteel’s Underwater dog photography is pretty spectacular!
• Some of the cutest shoes ever!
• For real. Black Milk leggings would pretty much have to be the best leggings in the entire Universe!
• Brian Dettmer art is amazing! “He creates them by dissecting books by sealing their edges and slowly carving out his creations. Using surgical tools he shows certain elements and hides others.” Thanks for the heads up on this Roxy Epoxy (her blog rules too)! Roxy also recently brought this to my attention – give it a read…it’s pretty interesting for musicians and venue owners/bookers.
• Ever wanted to know how-to carve your own stamp? I haven’t done it since I was kid, this easy guide shows you how to make things in your world extra pretty. You gotta love crafting! Also, celebrate love with this how-to make a heart sweater guide.
• Grrrl Zine Network has always been one of my favourite resources for Grrrl related zines and DIY projects. Lots of interviews with female zine makers and features on zines, their history and info on where you can get them.
• I heart Belgium’s Little Trouble Kids! Fancy a trip to Adventureland? How fun does that sound!
• Superb pop culture column from Tobi Vail, touching on Debbie Harry, The Go-Go’s, Pussy Riot, M.I.A. and Madonna can be found on Collapse Board.

One of the Brisbane bands that I love Dreamtime (I interviewed their bassist Catherine Maddin not too long ago) has a rad new clip:

Hugs & hearts,

*Image Source

Tags: black milk, Brian Dettmer art, Catherine Maddin, Dreamtime, Grrrl Zine Network, Little Trouble Kids, madonna, punk in africa, punk in south africa mixtape, riot grrrl berlin, riot grrrl is not dead compilation, Roxy Epoxy, Seth Casteel's Underwater dog photography, Tobi Vail

I live in one of the most beautiful places. 15 minutes from my door and I’m at the beach and in the city’s centre, 30 minutes west and I’m up in the mountains. Currently, on the newly revamped foreshore in Surfers Paradise, they’re having a sand sculpture contest. The theme is ‘Pirates in Paradise’ and the intricate sculptures I spied were really neat. It was so lovely to get outside and into the fresh salty air and sunshine! Being by the sea always recharges my energy and makes my soul sing—nature is the ultimate.

I hope this post inspires you to venture outdoors!

Tags: Australia, Gold Coast, Pirates, Pirates In Paradise, Sand Sculpture Art, Surfers Paradise

I recently had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Kathleen Hanna!! She was so honest, candid and all-round lovely. I’ve been waiting to speak with her for over a decade! Here’s a little of the chat:

Didn’t you go to a Babes In Toyland concert and that experience opened things up for you and you realised you could do it too?

KH: Yeah definitely! I was with Tobi [Vail] and Kathi [Wilcox] from Bikini Kill too. We really bonded on the fact that we had just experienced such an amazing, life-changing thing. That show! Kat Bjellend played guitar better than Greg Sage from The Wipers! She was wearing a tiny dress with a huge bow in her hair and she looked so beautiful and so fucked up; she was doing the craziest shit with her voice. Lori Barbero hit the drums harder than anyone I had ever seen and Michelle Leon was just sexy as hell and could totally play the bass. I was like, wow! You really can have it all! You can make this amazing music which was about how beautiful anger can be to me. I’d never heard anything like it and haven’t heard anything since like it. It was just at somebody’s house in the middle of the woods.

Afterwards we went outside and there was this bonfire. I didn’t really know Tobi and Kathi very well but somehow we ended up standing together because everyone else at that show was talking about how much they hated it and how bad the band was. They were like, “They’re too pretty”. That was the big thing: they’re too pretty to be in a band. I didn’t even get it. They were totally stunning women but that wasn’t the main thing to us, it was definitely the music. It was also the fact that they were women and they looked how they wanted to look, they didn’t have to hide the fact that they were women to play this totally intense music; the combination of the femininity with the strength in the music in saying that femininity and strength weren’t the opposite of each other. It was really an intense experience. Me, Tobi and Kathi were like, that is the best thing we’ve ever seen! Everyone else thought it was the worst so it kind of became clear that we were going to be in a band together. No one else probably wanted to be in a band with us.

To read the full in-depth interview please go to: Collapse Board 

I cannot wait for the new The Julie Ruin record! I loved the lo-fi TJR record she made in 1998!

The art is by: Jhonny

Create forever!

Tags: Art by Jhonny Russell, Babes In Toyland, bikini kill, collapse board, Kat Bjellend, Kathi Wilcox, kathleen hanna, le tigre, Riot Grrrl, The Julie Ruin, Tobi Vail

Fiona Horne is a rock goddess, best-selling author, Wiccan priestess, actress, TV writer-producer and more! This year sees her back in the spotlight in a big way as her band Def FX gear up for a reunion tour, the first in 15 years. In her first interview since announcing the tour dates last week on the band’s Facebook page, Fiona chats candidly about her devastation at Def FX’s untimely end in 1997, the excitement of the upcoming tour, Def FX existing without co-founding member Sean Lowry, performing topless, her new book deal with the publishers of Harry Potter, what she’s been doing for the past decade and, of a recent near-death experience.

What’s life been like for you since you moved to Los Angeles?

FIONA HORNE: I moved a long time ago so L.A. is home now. I still get back to Australia as often as I can, that’s probably only once a year now to be honest. This has been my fulltime place of residence now for a decade.

What prompted the initial move?

FH: My first book that came out in Australia, Witch: A Personal Journey and then I had a second one, Witch: A Magical Year (they came out in 1998 and 1999 respectively) were edited together and I got a book deal with Harper Collins. The two volumes were released as one book and that came out here [in the US]. In 2001 I basically had a book tour in America and it went really well, it was received well, it sold well and I got the opportunity to do a lot of interviews on TV. I started to think that America was fun! It’s a big country.

Back in the day with Def FX we spent a lot of years touring here. The book tour in 2001 re-awoke the excitement in me that I would feel in America when Def FX toured. I thought maybe I’ll move across the pond to here and see if I could make a go of it in America, so I did. It all worked out. There were quite a few years there where it was really, really hard. Often it still is really hard because the entertainment industry here is very fickle, there’s a lot of other people wanting to do it too so it’s a lot of hard work. You have to be very tenacious and very resilient, very thick skinned [laughs]. Being an Aussie I think we have a strong work ethic and I’ve just knuckled down and diversified; I have a lot of rods in the fire at any given time because you need to over here. I’ve made it work and survived. I did get a TV show in 2004 called Mad Mad House and it did well enough to get me established in that environment, creating, writing and producing for television as well as being on screen talent. I’ve certainly used that as a stepping stone since then to continue to work in that capacity as well as doing books.

How is your health? I ask because I know that you had a bit of a health scare last year and you had surgery recently in December.

FH: I did actually. That’s the subject of my new book, Even Witches Get The Blues. I have two books coming out, I decided to write an autobiographical account of the last six months of my life. I will be self-publishing it I’ve decided because I want to get it out there rather than go through the normal channels of a publishing deal that can take months or even years until anything sees the light of day. I’m excited by the opportunities of online publishing. I was very sick the last six months. It was very interesting because I have always been focused on health, I do yoga all the time. This really blindsided me. What I ended up having wrong with me was not what I ended up being diagnosed with, it was really very serious. As challenging as it was I was very blessed to have support of people. There’s a whole story but I don’t want to give away too much, it will be in the book. I think in life I like to say, we don’t get older we get better. If you live a spiritual life or do your best to grow and evolve and learn ad take care of yourself and then stuff still happens… life is a never ending journey of self-discovery. It may sound really obvious but health is the number one thing. When you lose that whoa! When you lose it in a big way it’s definitely quite an experience—it was definitely a life and death experience literally on many levels: physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, personally and professionally. I feel really blessed that when I put a mention of it on my Facebook page, I was so blown away and really touched by the outpouring of support. I know that the positive energy that people contributed, just taking a few moments to write a few words of encouragement and support, contributed to so much of my healing. I don’t really want to call people ‘fans’ to me they’re all friends. They helped me through a tough time and I am really grateful.

Is your fitness regimen still raw vegan diet, swimming, walking and yoga?

FH: No. I stopped being raw vegan a fair while ago. You’ll actually be shocked that I went and ate meat for a while. I was vegetarian for a long time, then vegan. I was brought up a meat eater. Now I’m back to being vegetarian again. I’m thinking I might go forward to raw vegan again. Your body at different times in your life lets you know what you want. Certainly when I started eating meat again it was a bit of a struggle because politically and ethically I didn’t feel right about it but my body was telling me to eat it. When I started eating it again, the taste, the texture, it’s what I wanted. I live in a privileged country where we can eat what we want, we can go to the shops and we have choices so, I ate that for a while. A lot of the choices I made about eating food over the years was stimulated by political decision making – like not eating fish because the oceans are depleted. I’ve woken to a place where I feel I need to be vegetarian again. I’ve been eating a very simple diet since the surgery. I’ve lost a lot of weight though! I was shocked when the doctor weighed me, I’m usually 125 pounds now I’m 108 pounds. I was like, whoa! That’s less than 50 kilos so it’s pretty bloody skinny! I’m focused on putting on a bit of weight and easing back into yoga, which I’m pretty excited about, I’ve missed it so much.

The big news that’s in your life right now is that Def FX is doing a reunion tour; how do you feel about this?

FH: I’m feeling great about it. The support and interest for it has exceeded all of our expectations. The way it came around was… gosh we broke up 15 years ago now! There was a couple of times over the last decade of, could we do it? Sean and I formed the band, we were the two original members. The way the band broke up in 1997 was not good. I certainly didn’t think it was the right decision. I think it was a poor decision on a personal and professional level but, it was done. Sean and I haven’t really spoken since back then. There were a couple of promoters about five years ago that wanted to put the feelers out but Sean was adamant it was a ‘no’ and didn’t even think to do it without him. I was working on a solo album and doing other things. Last year a girlfriend of a mutual friend, came to America and hung out and we got along great. She works in promoting music tours in Australia and she said, ‘You know what? Maybe you should tour with Def FX!’ Long story short, that’s how it happened. Metropolis Touring said they wanted to put us on the road. It just happened. I approached Marty our original bass player and we did approach Dave Stein and Sean Lowry but they said they didn’t want to do it so, it’s Marty and I.

We have two new members. Def FX throughout our career had a never ending revolving door of members; Sean and I were the only original members. Marty left in the fourth or fifth year we were together because he wanted to start a family, we’d been living on the road out of suitcases and he’d had it. I remember speaking to him for the first time in 17 years and it was like it was yesterday. It was so awesome because he has such an amazing energy and is such a positive person. We had a great convo and we thought, let’s do it! His good mate Wiley [Cochrane] is playing guitar, they’ve been playing together for years, they live north of Byron Bay and surf together too. Listening to Wiley play I thought his style was a fusion of Dave Stein and Blake Gardner who were guitarist over the years in Def FX – he’s sonic like Blake and metal like Dave. The other person that is replacing Sean is Ant Banister. Ant is a founding member of Clan Analogue, they were a great inspiration for Sean and a huge influence on Def FX right back in the ’90s as far as the sounds and technologies we used and song writing elements, their whole approach was very influential on Def FX. We thought if we got Ant in we are still maintaining that creative substance that evolved in our band in the ’90s when we formed. Ant is just lovely. It’s not surprising Def FX has a new couple of members because we used to go out on every tour with a couple of new members [laughs].

So it’s simply the next evolution of Def FX?

FH: Yes, it’s another evolutionary step in the band. What we’re doing on this tour, we’ve been very adamant that it is a nostalgia tour. At the end of the day there has been so many advances with drum technology and music so the drums sound thicker and more solid, the timing is better on everything. We are using all of the original Nord keyboards and sounds from those ’90s keyboards. We will be very true to the original sound of the band except it will be a bit bigger and a bit louder! We are having some fun too… I can give you a little scoop, we’re having some fun with extended versions of the songs, some of the really popular songs over the years. The band is really looking forward to doing it hopefully as much as the audience is looking forward to seeing it and hearing it.

I came across an older interview that you did when you moved to L.A. and you were asked about Def FX and is you missed it and you commented, “I do not miss Def FX – it was an exciting period but I would never go back there, I am much happier as an individual now, living in Los Angeles and working successfully as an author and TV/radio personality over here.” Why the change of heart?

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Tags: Ant Banister, Australia Celebrity Survivor, big day out, Clan Analogue, Crass, Dave Stein, Dead Kennedys, Def FX, Def FX reunion tour, Even Witches Get The Blues (book), Fiona Horne, Harry Potter, Harvard University, iggy pop, Mad Mad House, majick, Marty Basha, Mary Kay, Metropolis Touring, Mindy McTaggart, PADI, Paul McDermott, PETA, Rolling Stone Australia, Sean Lowry, veganism, Wiley Cochrane, Witch Web (album), Witch – A Summerland Mystery (book), Witch: A Magical Year (book), Witch: A Personal Journey (book)

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• DIY: No Bake Healthy Treats for You & Your Pooch!
• Interesting art: Felted Anatomy and Cartographic Birds and Plants. 
• Iggy Pop features in a perfume commercial. He is also the ambassador for Record Store Day this year too! While we’re on the subject of records check out the doco: I Need That Record! “a documentary feature examining why over 3000 independent record stores have closed across the U.S. in the past decade.” (thanks Nick for suggesting it to me; check out Nick’s music)
• An interesting documentary made by Stacy Peralta and narrated by Forrest Whittaker, Crips & Bloods: Made In America. Also an insightful panel discussion hosted by Glen E. Friedman with directors Ice-T and Stacy Peralta, both have new films that premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

• Chernobyl Reclaimed – The Animal Takeover (recommended to me by Celeste – thanks lady!) “What would happen if the world were suddenly without people, if we vanished off the face of the earth? How would nature react and how swiftly?”
• I love pretty, bright, kick arse looking nails. A favourite: Freehand Cloud Design.
• Love Ever After, the love stories of couples who have been married for over 50 years.
• 20 Ways To Love Your Body. “Be an advocate for positive body talk. Whether it’s reminding yourself or others, just change the subject. Don’t participate, don’t allow others to participate in it around you, and spread the positivity revolution.”
• Such a cute idea. Love this custom pair of hand embroidered kicks!
• A feminist punk rock collective inspired by Bikini Kill.
• Some of my interviews will soon appear on MEOW (Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women) brought to you by the creator of US magazine ROCKRGRL!! “MEOW’s mission is to level the playing field for women in music through networking, education, outreach and advocacy”
• I simply adore markets and searching for pre-loved treasures!! One of a Kind International Flea Markets.
• Such a neat idea. DIY Project: Vintage Postcard Calendar Journal.
• Tod Seelie’s photos are so full of life and always inspire me. “Unstoppable Death Machines brought their sonic onslaught to an art gallery in Williamsburg as part of an interactive performance installation…”
• Get your life organised! 25 clever ideas to make life easier. Thanks Prue for sending this my way.
• Punk Rock Rainbow Sparkle!! The art of Natalia Fabia is AMAZING!
• An interview with one of my favourite bloggers Nubby Twiglet.

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Plus, the most popular posts (in no particular order) on ConversationsWithBianca.com for Januray 2012: 

• Artist Sonny Kay: Valuing Creativity, Psychedelics & Giving Voice To Ideas That Go Against The Grain
• Le Butcherettes’ Teri Gender Bender: Humble Beginnings, Supporting Iggy Pop & Finding The Self
• The Smashin In Fashion Jeannie Mai: Radiance, Celebration, Purpose & Praying It Forward!
• Photographer Harmony Nicholas: Conceptual Portraiture, Stopping Fraud & Exorcising Creative Demons
• Collapse Board is Where It’s At!
• Short. Fast. Loud.
• India Rose: Latex, Haters & Haunting
• Keith Morris: The Creator
• Lotus Mendes’ Victoria Cheatham: Precious Jewels, Magic & Making Women Feel Amazing!
• PYYRAMIDS’ Drea Smith: Making Music, Style, Doc McKinney & American Horror Story

Have a great weekend!

Tags: Chernobyl Reclaimed – The Animal Takeover, DIY Projects, I Need That Record! (documentary), Ice-T, iggy pop, Love Ever After, MEOW (Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women), nail art, Natalia Fabia, Nick Noon, Nubby Twiglet, One of a Kind International Flea Markets, Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap, Stacy Peralta, Unstoppable Death Machines, Vintage Postcard Calendar Journal

I used to go see Kellie’s band Screamfeeder play when I was in my teens, along with bands like Powderfinger, Custard and (my favourites) Fur. Kellie was one of the first local female musicians I ever saw play, it was definitely inspiring. I was stoked when Rolling Stone Australia’s editor asked if I wanted to interview Kellie about her solo endeavour.  Her album Magnetic North is simply put, in a word, beautiful. It has a honesty and vulnerability coupled with a lifetime of experience that makes it a captivating, engaging, heartfelt listen.

Screamfeeder’s Kellie Lloyd Strikes Out On Her Own

Finds her voice, independence and strength on second LP

On December 1^st Last year, Brisbane indie stalwarts Screamfeeder celebrated their 20^th Anniversary by playing a show in their home city. They did so knowing it might be their last time on stage together; drummer Dean Shwereb is relocating to the U.K. indefinitely. “We played for two hours,” tells Lloyd, “Tim [Steward, frontman] jumped in the crowd and was hugging everybody. It felt like a really important piece of time.”

As serendipity would have it the week the Screamfeeder door closed Lloyd opened another launching “Your Heart Is A Hunter” as the first single from new solo effort Magnetic North. Originally titled Holding Patterns “because I felt both the album and I had been in a holding pattern,” Lloyd admits it took some time to come to where she is at now. “These songs are more grown up,” she muses.

Confessing that 2009 found her with writer’s block and deciding to quit all musical commitments with her bands White Mansions and Warm Guns (“Screamfeeder wasn’t too active at the time”), Lloyd felt liberated in deciding to focus on a day job. “I’ve been in bands since I was 15. It was nice to have my nights and weekends back!” Another long held pattern of drinking was also broken. “I used to drink heavily. Being in a band and touring, what do you do after soundcheck? Have a drink! Giving up drinking gave me a new clarity.”

To read the full feature pick up a copy of the latest issue of Rolling Stone Australia on sale today.

For more Kellie Lloyd.

Support independent artists!

Tags: Brisbane bands, Dean Shwereb, Kellie Lloyd, Magnetic North (album), Rollings Stone magazine, Screamfeeder, Tim Steward, Your Heart Is A Hunter