Bitch is a classically trained violinist, poet, feminist, and a force to be reckoned with. She burst onto the scene as half of the duo Bitch & Animal in 1999, and their first album What’s That Smell? unleashed the secret track “Pussy Manifesto” upon the world, a world which was never the same again. An accomplished violinist who trained with Andrew Bird, over the past decade she’s released albums on Righteous Babe Records and Kill Rock Stars. Her latest record, Blasted, is her first release on her new independent label, Short Story Records.
After successfully producing and recording an album for her friend Ferron, she decided to record Blasted on her own using Pro Tools. She raised money on Kickstarter to put the album out, and just finished a tour of the US. I got the chance to have a fabulous chat with her over coffee when she stopped in Seattle. We discussed her recording process, her humpy little dog named Elvis, Lisa Frank, Guerillith Fair, and more.
So, what was it like fund raising on your own?
The fund raising process that I went through with Blasted was an experiment for me in social networking. It kind of forced me into dealing with that whole paradigm. It was very empowering, realizing I can have direct contact with my fans. I loved it. It was also great because it felt like the third part of making the record was opening it up to my supporters, and being like, “Hey, you want this? Then, ya know…” [motions her hand in a “give it here” gesture] It was a very healing experience; it made me feel very…held.
Did you have a bad experience with your other labels that [prompted] you to go out on your own?
No. Not at all. In fact, I would work with either of those labels again. It’s just…I think with the changing of the music business and everything, I think people are just scared, and it’s hard. I feel like I gathered a lot of information from Kill Rock Stars and Righteous Babe, and saw how they did things. I learned so much — I feel like I learned from the best. I was feeling a little scattered, like, this album’s over here, that album’s over there, you know? I was just excited about creating a space for everything I make, and I feel like it’s actually going to put fire under my ass to make more, more often.
How often do you write songs?
All the time.
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All the time?
Yeah, I have so many songs that I’ve never recorded. Blasted was my first record I produced on my own, and I recorded it all on my own, and so now that I’ve got that skill down I’m psyched, because as soon as this tour’s over I’m going to go start recording again.
When you were sitting there with Pro Tools, how long did you give yourself to make the album?
You know with any project like this you always think like “Oh, I’ll just whip it out in a few weeks,” you know? And (laughter) then an eternity later you’re like, “I can’t believe I’m still doing this!”
I remember as I was getting near the end of the Ferron project — because that took me a good year working full time on that album — I thought, I’m never making another record again! Now that I have a concept of how fucking long this takes — I’m never doing this again, you know? And then a few months go by and you miss it, and you start all over again.
So with Blasted, when I started making it, I didn’t realize I was making a record. I was just kind of doing it on sheer impulse, just to work out new songs and things like that. Once I realized I was making an album I thought, Okay this should take another four or five months — and it probably took another eight or nine.
I’ve seen a lot of people that are doing that fundraising thing; did you know that Public Enemy is doing that right now?
No.
Yeah, Chuck D is trying to raise $75,000 to make his next album.
That’s amazing! I love that; that whole medium is so cool.
I think it’s great; you really just take control, and then there’s no one dictating you how long you can take, no timelines. It’s you, your art, and your fans.
I can’t believe Chuck D is doing that, I love that. I know, I was just telling Kathleen Hanna to do it because they’re working on a Le Tigre DVD and they need all this money to finish it. I was like, listen, dude…
Are you going to do another video? I loved the one for “Kitchen.”
Yes, I’m releasing a video for “Open Up.”
Oh, cool. That should be great.
And you know what else I want to make a video for, “Afghanistan.” That would be an awesome video.
Yeah, that would be.
We’re actually done shooting [“Open Up”] but Billie, who made the “Kitchen” video, is also making that video and she’s on tour with us. So, you know, who’s got time to edit video right now? We thought we were going to release it halfway through this tour; we’re like, “Oh, we’ll just edit while we drive.” Well, that’s not happening. So we’re going to put it out as soon as we get home from tour.
Right on. How is tour going? What’s with that guy cancelling your show due to your name? What happened there?
Lincoln, Nebraska…this guy booked our show and I guess, like, refused to list it on the website, didn’t hang any of our posters, and didn’t print out the flyers that the promoter asked him to print out. He was just sabotaging the whole thing! And then day of show, he called the promoter and said, “I don’t want them to come.”
That’s horrible.
I know.
That’s so unprofessional.
I know; trust me, it’s only one minor slice of misogyny that I have dealt with in our lifetime — I mean, we deal with it all the time, don’t we?
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, it’s like, why would you book the show in the first place, you know? It’s not like we were faking it and saying, “Oh yeah, my name is Lucinda Williams” (laughter). Kill Lola was going to be opening and I guess they had these posters that had a drawing of milk cartons or something and instead of, “Have you seen this child?” it was, like, “Have you seen this cock?”
Did they put that up?
No. I think he was doubly freaked out by the thing that was about to happen (laughter)…that kind of shit, I mean gosh, that’s what keeps me alive.
At least it adds excitement. Get the fuck out of that town!
Oh yeah, we just took a beautiful walk, my dog came back in covered in ticks, and we moved on.
You have your dog on tour with you? Aww!
Elvis, yeah.
Your dog is named Elvis?
Yeah, he’s adorable. He’s exhausted, we just stayed with [my friend] Emily last night and she has two dogs, so he was running around topping everybody all morning. (laughter) “Uh, you’re six times taller than me? Fine, I’ll hump you.”
(laughter) That’s so cute. I want a dog so bad.
And why don’t you [have one]?
Because I live in an apartment that won’t allow me to have dogs…or a garden. That’s my dream, actually, is to have a house with a dog and a garden, that’s what I want.
Aww… You will then, you will.
So, back to Blasted. I hear sounds on the album that sound a lot like guitar, and is that really all violin?
Most of it’s violin.
So that rippin’ sound is you on the violin, like on “Afghanistan?”
That’s all violin. And same with “Catskills.”
Really?
All violin, yup. “Lost you,” all violin. “Open Up,” all violin. Yeah we got some good sounds, I was psyched.
When did you figure out how to do that, the electric violin technique? I don’t really think I’ve seen you doing that in the past.
It’s part of my new thing, yeah. The electric violin on Blasted is something that’s been in the works for awhile, as far as making that “rock” sound. I don’t know if you ever got my EP Bitch and the Exciting Conclusion — that’s kind of where it started. Once I found that sound I’m like, “Oh my god, never going back!”
Yeah, you hit the spot. That rockin’ sound sounds perfect next to your voice. So I’m a nerdy writer, like a poety-type person…
Yay! Me too.
…and I thought it was awesome that Blasted was kind of hatched during a writing workshop at Ferron’s house. What kind of writing workshop were you guys doing?
[Ferron] is a great writer and a great poet and she is making…a kind of a community. She does these things where she invites people, they have this retreat space, and people come and stay at the house and she runs a writing workshop every morning. [She] gives us assignments and we come back and share our work. We talk a lot, and all that, and I was spending a lot of time there because I had just come off tour with her, so I happened to be there while she was doing one of these workshops. I loved it…being given assignments, for a writer, is so good, you know? It just gives you something to do.
Yeah, exactly.
You know, it’s hard to be constantly be self-regulating — imposing ideas or giving yourself jump starts or whatever — so I really thrived in that environment. I wrote so much good stuff that week. I’ve been writing my whole life, you know. Just compulsively.
Yeah me too, since like, second grade. What kind of notebook is your favorite kind to use?
These. [She motions to my wide-ruled spiral notebook on the table]. I use spirally, my mom used to read my diary when I was little and I was totally traumatized by it. You know when people buy you those nice diaries with the locket? I just get writers block when I look at those things. They’re too formal.
Yeah. Same here.
Lisa Frank is my favorite artist. I’ve been wanting to collaborate with her for years.
(laughter) Oh my god that so makes sense–with your “look” and all — the bright colors you surround yourself with.
I know! I’m like, c’mon, make a notebook for me!
She should do your next album cover!
I want her to do a stage backdrop and album cover, I know! I don’t know if she’s a real person or if she’s just a corporation. I’ve tried to write to her, but it’s like, you know, some fan club or whatever. Like, who is Lisa Frank? Where are you? Do you really live in Arizona?
She lives in a land of butterflies and rainbows.
Yeah, and unicorns, damn her! (laughter)
Do you design your own clothes?
Well, I like say I cut my own clothes, yeah. I’m a thrift store hoe.
On your Facebook I was looking at what people say and I was like, everybody’s asking her about her clothes!
Just last week, right?
Yeah.
Two comments were like, “Why you wearing soccer shoes and lederhosen?” I’m like, back off — why aren’t you?
Yeah, totally. (laughter) I love your clothes, I love your style. We need more people who are creative with their outward appearance. I wish I was more daring.
Thank you! When I was in college I went to acting school, and our acting teacher gave us an assignment our second year — we had to make a physical change and then see how it affected our lives, and see how differently people treat you. One day, you should, just like, put on something bizarre and then see how much it changes your reality.
I want to wear a wig. I want to wear crazy wigs.
Do it. Come on — get thee to a hooker store!
(laughter) I really should! So, when you write in your spiral notebooks, do you journal or specifically write songs or poetry?
Yeah, [I write poetry and songs]. I never journal. Hardly ever.
Really?
Yeah, I did morning pages for a long time — for a while I got into the morning pages from The Artist’s Way.
I think I’ve heard of that.
First thing in the morning you have to write three pages. That was definitely awesome but it’s not my instinct to journal. I mainly just write poems that then become songs, or don’t.
So, I saw you were following Lilith Fair on Twitter and I was wondering if you were going to play any dates there.
I want to, of course! And no, they passed on me.
What? Screw that!
I know, I hate it. So, I’ve been talking…I guess I could announce it here…I want to do the Guerillth Fair, where we show up in the RV and play a concert out in the parking lot every night. And I thought, I’m just going to follow, like, four dates…but it’s all over the place.
It’s really disjointed.
Yeah! Are they like flying the whole thing? I don’t understand how they’re moving it. I feel like dates are still being filled in so I’m just kind of waiting to see what part of the tour makes sense for me to do it and you’ll probably be hearing about it. Guerillith Fair — we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re in your parking lot!
So, you have an RV?
Yeah, it’s parked right out there in an illegal parking spot. Camp TWAT is the name of my RV. Animal and I got that RV in 2001 and I’ve had it ever since. TWAT stands for “Tenacious Women and Trannies.”
Awesome! Do you still talk to Animal? Are you guys still close friends?
Yeah, we’re forever connected, you know what I mean?
Yeah. What’s she been up to?
She just finished an album that I think is going to come out on Righteous Babe next fall. She lives in San Francisco — she’s Ani [DiFranco’s] nanny. Tranny nanny.
That’s so cute. Where is your home base? Do you have a home base?
New York.
You talk about being rootless.
I know, [I am], and I’m so over it. I also want a home with a garden and a dog, oh my god. I live in New York, but I gave up my apartment before I came on this tour, that kind of thing. I’m such a traveler and I always have been. I really can live anywhere, and so…it’s hard for me to just decide where to settle, you know?
I love the city and it feeds me creatively and I love it, so I’m going to go back in the fall and stay there for a while, and then hopefully figure out where I’m going to get a yard.
So, last question — what’s your passion?
Wow. What is my passion? I guess…liberation.
Liberation. Like liberating yourself?
Yeah, and all people. I feel like that’s actually the point of all my work.