What's better than an all girl band? A HOT all girl band! For the past four years Irvine-based Apocalipstick has been rocking shows all over California with their power pop/punk songs and motto of “stealing hearts and breaking them along the way.”
Apocalipstick makes their mark with wonderfully snarky lyrics, sugary hooks and amazing stage presence. Looking at singer Abby Lipstick, drummer Jeannette Gloss, and bassist Wendy Shadow, it's easy to see why guys want them–and girls want to be like them.
But they're much more than just pretty faces! Click here to listen. And see for yourself why Apocalipstick are on their way to the top when they a play a free show Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. at Cal State Fullerton.
OC Weekly (Ali Lerman): We love the band name, how did you come up with it?
Abby Lipstick: Before we even started the band my best friend and I were at the bookstore around Valentine's Day. Where all of the “chick lit” was displayed we saw a book called “Apocalipstick” and thought it would be a perfect name for a girl band!
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Do you write all of your own songs?
Yeah, we put our spin on covers, too, but we're an original band. Some songs come from jamming in the garage and then we “songify” it, but mostly I have the start of a song then we all collaborate. Our songs go through so many changes from each other's input, producers, and the audience. We really value our fans ideas about songwriting and stage shows, since we do it for them.
What's the best thing about being in a group with all females? Is there ever any drama?
I couldn't imagine being in a band that wasn't all girls. I like all the typical girl things so it's fun to be in a band where we all talk, shop, party and go to shows together. Every gig is like a sleepover where we get together and do our hair, makeup and choose our outfits. There's definitely drama–thus the many lineup changes! But now we're all more mature and just air whatever beef we have. The current lineup is all amazing straight up hot bitches! It's awesome being in a band where we all have the same goals. Everyone's got each other's back and can call each other out on our bullshit.
Who's been the biggest influence musically over the years?
Between the four of us we all listen to a variety of music like rock but also like electronic, country, and pop. Our main influences for this band are Weezer, Blondie, Joan Jett, the Go-Go's, Paramore, and a lot of pop guilty pleasures like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
Are there any classic songs you look forward to covering in the future?
We currently do a version of the jazz song “Feeling Good” [made famous] by Nina Simone that we start out a capella then of course rock it out with loud drums and crazy guitar solos. In the future we'd like to girl rockify a rap song like Jay-Z's “99 problems.”
How has your music evolved over the years?
We started out a three-chord punk band playing parties we had to throw ourselves since we didn't know how to book a venue. Pop punk/power pop is our roots but we've also grown with our songwriting, musicianship, and stage performance. We live for putting on an interactive, high-energy show for the audience.
Where are your favorite places to perform?
House of Blues in Anaheim by far! The crowd was so energetic and the sound and lighting were awesome. Our other favorite wasn't so much the venue but the crowd. We played the Airliner in LA not realizing that girl band night actually meant lesbian night. We had so much fun drinking, flirting and dancing with all the ladies.
Is rocking out with the band your full-time job or do you have a side-gig?
All three of us are working toward doing music full time! Wendy and Jeannette both have jobs. I just got laid off mine and took it as an opportunity to say fuck THE MAN while focusing on music and starting an Apocalipstick makeup line too!
Besides getting a new guitarist, what is next for Apocalipstick?
Our original guitarist (my sister) quit so we're still on the search for a badassical lead guitarist. Our new CD is being mixed and should be out soon so we're gonna tour with it and play more places than just California. We'd also love to be on Warped Tour and go to South by Southwest. What's next is world domination and playing where we see all the big bands, like our local Verizon Amphitheater!
Ali Lerman knows much about comedy, basketball, and celebrating Wu-Tang Wednesday. She’s been writing for sixteen years and still calls her mom with grammatical questions.