A friend dropped over to the @rcade the other day and introduced us to a new Irish sound – VAG, Very Angry Girls, a punk rock band, like no other. After making initial contact with the band we hoped we could grab them for a quick interview, following the girls life online you very quickly realise how busy they are – with gigs up and down the country, rehearsals and recording sessions and even more practice, they live and breathe music. So when offered a chance to meet up with them we jumped at it!
VAG are made up of Carolyn, Larissa, Louise and Sinead, meeting them at their apartment, we very quickly realised how much these girls really love their music. Every inch of the abode is covered in music stuff, guitars, drums, amps, recording equipment, sets, we felt like a roadie or even a groupie sat amongst all of their stuff and were very excited to meet them all. Instantly it’s very clear why these girls produce such an amazing sound – they have a perfect harmony between them which became very clear during the interview. Their music has taken them all over Ireland, only after playing with the Heathers, the girls are now getting ready to share a stage with Sophie Ellis Bextor, Alexandra Burke and Roisin Murphy, at Europe’s first LGBT music festival Milk.
With their hectic schedule, we press on with our interview…
Can you tell us a little about yourselves?
Carolyn: I am Carolyn, I live in Tipperary, I’m a New Media and English student and I play lead guitar in VAG. I am really into punk and rock music and a lot of 90’s music – the Melvins are probably one of my favourite bands.
Louise: My name’s Louise, I play bass and I am a big computer person! I do all our promo stuff online and I do video and sound tech in LIT. I grew up listening to a lot of 80’s stuff and I like my indie music.
Larissa: I’m Larissa, I’m the drummer and my life is pretty much art and music. I volunteer a lot; I am doing some work with a youth cafe at the moment, love the old social work! I am a punk and metal fan and any variation of that music is always good. Oh and I’m German, flew all the way here to do this interview with you guys!
Sinead: Are you allowed curse on this? Cos I am holding back! I am Sinead, I am the lead singer and I play rhythm guitar. I am in an Art college, studying ceramics. I like playing guitar, I enjoy playing acoustically, it’s what I did before the band, and I used to go to a lot of open mic nights. I like singer songwriters like Katie Tunstall, Cathy Davey.
How did VAG come into existence?
Louise: The summer before I started college I wanted to learn to play the drums because I wanted to be in a band and I wanted to play in an all girl band. Then I met Larissa and Sinead and Larissa already knew the drums.
Sinead: So that meant you didn’t have to learn anything!
Louise: Yeah so we’d meet up and just play and we’d be in a bar and just playing, Larissa wouldn’t have her drums so she’d just tap on stuff. We got together in September, we moved in together and then in March was it?
Carolyn: Yeah it was March. I wanted to play in an all girl band and in college there was a music room that listed everyone who played an instrument and I went straight for the girls. I jammed with this one girl and she put me on to the group and we met up, around Christmas and then I didn’t hear anything from them for a while.
Larissa: We were very hesitant about taking someone else on, ok the other two were open to it but I was a hundred percent against it but then we met Carolyn and we knew almost straight away that she had to be in the band.
How would you describe your music using just one word?
Sinead: Punk
Larissa: Fucking
Carolyn: It’s… I don’t know, there isn’t much of our sound out there right now.
Larissa: It’s punk pop but each instrument or performer has their own thing going on and it just comes together so well.
Louise: Oh we sound so pretentious!
Sinead: People respond really well to us, I think because we are all girls, people are intrigued by us. I mean there is a stereotype out there that girls can’t play guitar and Carolyn can outplay any guy I know any day!
Are there any advantages to playing in an all girl band?
Carolyn: Yes, totally!
Louise: We’ve all synched up!
Larissa: So there is only ever one bad week a month!
Carolyn: I’ve found best friends for life, I never connect with girls, like growing up all my friends were boys but we just clicked so well together.
There are probably many other all-girl bands in Ireland who haven’t yet found the success that you have. What advice would you give them?
Louise: It’s about getting yourself out there!
Sinead: Never turn down a gig!
Larissa: Plug yourself like crazy!
Carolyn: A lot of girls can be a bit submissive but you’ve got to be outspoken in this industry. Sometimes girls try to rock like boys but we can make our own style, just be comfortable doing what you do!
How did you secure a spot on stage this year at one of Ireland’s big summer festivals, Milk?
Louise: I just stumbled across on a website and we got in touch with them, I don’t know if it was even off the ground when we made contact but they got back to us and said they’d love us to come play. Then we found out how big it really is and we were just amazed.
Larissa: We are on the poster!
What’s the future for VAG?
Carolyn: We are recording an album!
Louise: We are doing an EP first though, that will be out before Christmas! We’ve our six songs picked for it! We are constantly touring too, we gave ourselves a week off but have ended up just practicing and doing more work!
Finally, if VAG were trapped in an arcade for all eternity, what game would you play to pass the time?
Carolyn: Guitar Hero..I can’t get enough of it!
Sinead: Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I could play it forever.
Larissa: Wakka wakka wakka… Pac-man
Louise: Pokemon Blue, I’ve been playing it since I was seven!
Listening to Carolyn, Louise, Sinead and Larissa talk about their music, their love for what they do and for each other just radiates through. Seriously devoted to their craft, you are guaranteed to see these girls in the charts very soon and you can be damn sure the @rcade are behind them!
If you would like to learn more about VAG (stop giggling) then you can click the links below to check out any of their sites:
Make sure to check back with the @rcade very soon for an exclusive performance from the girls!
