Five questions with…. Horsegirl
Photography and interview by Drew Reynolds. Intro by Heather Hawke.
The Chicago based band Horsegirl creates fizzy, guitar-driven garage-pop and the newest track/video, “Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty),” off their debut album (Versions of Modern Performance – out now) is proof of that. Chicago is baked into the core of Horsegirl’s debut. The members who make up the band, Nora Cheng (she/her), Penelope Lowenstein (she/her) and Gigi Reece (they/them), met and learned to play — through the significant network of the city’s youth arts programs.
Just as in their “Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)” video, which features the band and their friends (aka members of bands like Lifeguard, Friko, Dwaal Troupe, and Post Office Winter) taking full advantage of getting the reins to Penelope’s elementary school for a full day, Versions of Modern Performance, too, provides a small look into their Chicago scene. Their debut album was recorded at Chicago’s Electrical Audio with John Agnello, and it features tangible elements of the ‘80s and ‘90s independent music that the band loves so deeply and sincerely.
As a band who does everything as a collective, from songwriting to trading vocal duties and swapping instruments to sound and visual art design, their captivating debut captures the true essence of this trio’s unique bond.
Horsegirl’s web/socials: Website – Bandcamp – Soundcloud – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter
1. Coming from Chicago, how did the three of you meet, and what are some of your musical influences?
The three of us had been floating around the same music program for a while but were never actually introduced until Nora brought Penelope and Gigi to the same DIY warehouse show. We are mostly influenced by now-defunct independent music scenes, like 90’s indie rock and 80’s and 90’s Flying Nun bands. We are also very influenced by our youth peers in Chicago, who are making what we believe to be some of the most exciting new music—Lifeguard, Dwaal Troupe, Post Office Winter, and Friko.
2. Versions of Modern Performance was recorded with John Angello ( The Breeders, Dinosaur Jr., Waxahatchee) at the iconic Electrical Audio studio. How was it working with John? What moments gave you chills, and how long was the recording process for the record?
We worked with John for about two weeks, and it was an incredible experience. Recording this record was our first time in a real studio (everything up until that point was recorded in basements). It felt incredible to be able to focus completely on playing. Working with John was a dream. Not only are we huge fans of his work, but we quickly developed a very trusting and fun relationship with him. We made eachother laugh a lot over the two weeks. We remember listening to Electrolocation after adding each new layer of noise and coming to the realization that we were really making a record. That was one of the first points, it seems, that really set in.
3. What are five of your favorite Matador artists & why?
Belle and Sebastian, Yo La Tengo, Mdou Moctar, Kim Gordon, and Times New Viking are our favorites, though it is difficult to choose. Listening to all of these bands together, as well as reading and discussing Kim Gordon’s book was integral to our friendship and time as teenagers. It is completely surreal to be listed among these artists on the Matador roster.
4. Your playing your hometown Lollapalooza this year… Did you ever attend any of the past Lolla’s? if so, what artist(s) blew your mind & who do you want to see or hang with in the artists village?
Crazy enough, only Gigi has been to Lollapalooza! They went for one day in 2018 and thought it was exciting. We have some friends who run a zine and who are really hoping we bump into Metallica and ask them what they ate for breakfast. We also adore the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster, so seeing them would be surreal.
5. If you could have anyone remix “Anti-glory” who would it be & why?
We’ve never thought about having that song remixed! If we could have anyone contribute to it we would probably choose Laeticia Sadier or Cate Le Bon since both are masterful at arrangements. It would also be so interesting to see how more electronic groups like Land of the Loops, Mount Kimbie, or Kelly Lee Owens would reinterpret the song. And Dean Blunt sampled The Pastels, so we’re sure he could pull something wild out of our also indie rock leaning song!
