continued from page 14

what men get paid, and they were shocked; they thought that was all over. They thought that we were done. But there is just so much work to do. | see all these girls being encouraged to be pretty and act dumb. | learned that really early on: Be pretty and act dumb, and that’s the way you’ll get ahead as a woman. First of all, it’s not true. Second of all, it’s fun being pretty. It's not something you should be victimized for. So it’s not over.

Animal: Well | personally wish they would encourage men to be prettier. You know the newscasters—there just so ugly.

Bitch: you would never see a woman that ugly. What’s that guys name: the guy. with the major comb-over. He’s in the states. But there’s one ugly woman in the public eye, Janet Reno. How much do you hear her get ripped apart for her looks? All the time.

You spoke about when you were formed. Can you talk about how you got together.

Animal: Well the day that we met, which was seven years ago, we played music together.

Bitch: | was raised as a classical musician. | had been playing violin for years. And it’s not like we were identifying ourselves as musicians at the time. It wasn’t common for us to be jamming. It was something between us that happened that inspired us to play music. And then a couple of years later we got a gig. | was hanging out with this chick at a party. She was a filmmaker and was doing a show on women artists, so she asked me to do something...

Animal: And then after that we said, ‘Let’s do this.’

Bitch: People were way nicer to us than they ever had been, so we were like “Fine, let’s do this. Fuck waiting tables.”

How easy was the music industry on you guys after you formed?

Bitch: From the beginning we’ve never really been interested in the music business. | don’t think we ever aspired to be signed on a label.

Animal: Even though we are now.

Bitch: Ani Difranco was a huge influence on my life. | was mailed one of her CDs when | was 18 and she totally inspired me. Watching her career was really inspiring. | realized | don’t have to get those guys in that office on my side; | can just fucking drive around the country and sell my CDs. It doesn’t

Pornography 101

fidam Honsinger OP Editor

writings, pictures, films, etc. depictiig sexual 4 arousing sexual desire. i :

photographer, the producer, the inferred by the observer?

the

other press. >>> CULTURE

have to be about getting a business behind us. But we hooked up with Ani Difranco and started touring with her. We started touring with her fairly early on anyways... Animal: Right, we went from playing in front of 50 people to 6000 people. Bitch: So she’s been really helpful for us. First of all she exposed us to a whole new audience, and she’s been really supportive and nice.

Have there been other inspirations in your music?

Animal: Oh sure.

Bitch: Always. My mom’s a choreographer so | was raised always around music theatre. But my music influences include Cindy Lauper, Joni Mitchel big time, Ani, and Stevie Wonder. Those are a few | could name.

Animal: And Winna Lee Tyler.

Bitch: Yeah, she’s a really cool drummer.

Animal: Max Roach and Cessel Taylor.

Do you have any advice that could go to today’s young people in BC? Animal: Advice about what, make up?

Advice about life, about music, about make up...

Animal: Definitely dream exponentially.

Bitch: Totally. And whatever you can imagine for yourself, you can actually be. There’s possibility for change always. And something I’ve been saying a lot lately is, ‘Know when to say no, and know when to say yes. That’s the challenge.

What do you want to do with your music in the future? Animal: Well | just want to keep playing, maybe around the world, maybe on the moon. I'd love as many people as possible to hear the manifesto.

Where can people pick up your CDs?

Bitch: The Pussy Manifesto is on our first album, which is called What's That Smell. That’s available online at cdbaby.com.

Animal: And our second album was just mailed to us two days ago. It’s only available at our shows until September 11, but then it will be in stores everywhere because it’s coming out on Ritcheous Bay Records.