All Girls Arson Club focus on the mundane, the boring, the everyday and turn them into catchy punk songs with a Riot Grrl ethos. Taking tasks and hobbies such as doing the laundry or going to ‘Spoons and whacking a riotous riff over them, it sounds simple, but that’s only because they make it sound simple. After the release of their debut EP, Dark Fruits, we caught up with the trio.
Firstly, can you talk to us about the new EP?
The EP is a collection of the first songs we wrote, both as a collective and individually. We wanted the songs to be easily accessible so focused a lot of our subject matter on the mundane and the everyday. It was more about writing things for fun and for our own amusement. We never thought they would actually be released! We took things such as doing the laundry and going to Wetherspoons as metaphors for our personal experiences, mainly in love and dating. We recorded it at Delicious Clam with our good friends Calum and Ed, who were extremely supportive and gentle with us as we had no idea what we were doing. It was a really good period for us as we got to grips with our sound and became more comfortable as a band, in both performing and recording. All bands should have a Delicious Clam in their life!
There’s a certain Riot Grrl influence in your sound for sure! Which bands do you remember hearing for the first time and really being blown away?
I think a lot of our fascination with the Riot Grrrl movement stems from the the sheer don’t-give-a-fuck attitude of it all, the way in which those women just went for it. We too were frustrated with an abundance of boys in bands, and the lack of diversity in the scene, but maybe didn’t know how to approach it. After watching The Punk Singer together, it kickstarted us to just go for it, no matter how bad we sounded or how clueless we were.
For me, The Moldy Peaches were definitely one of the bands that I remember being blown away by. There’s something really engaging about their whacked out, DIY sound. I listen to them and I suddenly want to hang out and watch cartoons with Adam Green and Kimya Dawson. I think there’s a lot of credit to be given to bands that make you feel like, “I can do this too!”
Can you remember the first song you ever heard as a child that stuck in your head?
India: I’m pretty blessed to come from a family of music nerds. When my friends were doing family-friendly activities with their parents, my mum was sneaking me into shows, and sharing her new favourite bands with me. My happiest memories are being in the pit seeing bands like Fucked Up, and The Bronx with my Mum. Although, the first song that really stuck with me was ‘Firestarter’ by The Prodigy. That was my jam as a toddler!
Vicky: Mine was probably something by the Spice Girls or Steps. I didn’t really get into music until I heard the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s as a young teen. Karen O blew my tiny sheltered mind.
Alice: This is going to sound fake but I once heard Cher “Gypsy’s, Tramps and Thieves” one morning in the car and I literally lost my mind. I think the song had visited me in a dream about a week previous, unbeknownst to me, and hearing it on Radio 2 consolidated the entire experience for me. I was touched by Cher’s grace that day.
What was the first song you wrote as a band?
Our EP, Dark Fruits, is basically all the first songs we wrote. ‘Curry Club’ is the first song we wrote collectively. Vicky didn’t even own a bass at that point. We just sat around and made up the lyrics, then formed the band afterwards, and put them to what Alice was riffing. We all feel we’ve grown much more as a band, and as songwriters since then. The EP was the trial and error attempt!
Can you remember your first ever show?
Our first show was pretty incredible. We supported Dubais and The Wolves, which featured Allison Wolfe of Bratmobile fame. She was so encouraging, and couldn’t believe it was our first show. We were so scared, nervous, and tiny punk rock babies, and we were playing in front of Riot Grrrl royalty. It was mind blowing. It definitely gave us the encouragement to continue doing what we were doing.
Finally, can you talk to us about the Sheffield scene?
The DIY scene in Sheffield is very supportive. Delicious Clam has been our home long before we were in a band. They run a recording studio, rehearsal space and music venue. It acts as the centre for our community, and they have held our hands through all our teething problems and given us many opportunities. Sheffield is a really good city to get involved in the DIY scene, as it doesn’t feel super cliquey. Turn up to a couple of shows and you end up making friends with everyone there – before you know it you’re in a band.
Stream ‘Dark Fruits’ now.
