Pulse Niagara
Vol. #7 Issue #24, Nov. 24 - Dec. 7, 1993
Shrieking Violets
By Karen Hay
Although they have been described as "the Go-Go's on speed", New York City's Shrieking Violets couldn't be more different from the bubble-gum simplicity of Belinda Carlisle and the gals. This three-woman band is a demonstration of pure rock 'n roll havoc.
Thea K. and Stephanie Saddler, guitarist and bassist respectively, share lead vocals, while Tina Lewnes provides backing vocals from behind the kit. The band got started back in 1990 when Thea and Stephanie were both attending Hunter College. Both ladies provided the only hard-core outlet on the college radio station as they each hosted heavy metal and punk radio shows. Their similar yet not-so-popular interests drew them together, and the Violets were born. Hooking up with Tina completed the trio, and the band released a self-titled four-song EP in 1992. Inspiration for the four tunes ranged from the Persian Gulf War ("War"), to a recounting of an incident in which the band suffered severe food poisoning ("Bad Chinese Food"). The songs vary in intensity from the melodic to the power-chord oriented to unmistakeable raw-edged punk, and from the poignant to the ridiculous, all done in balls to the wall-style straight forward grind.
[Thea's note: all quotes are only approximations of what we actually said.] "We all have various influences, and we all listen to different things," notes Stephanie, from her home in New York City. "I've always listened to a lot of punk . . . I've been listening to Mudhoney a lot."
"I was always into classic rock like (Judas) Priest, Iron Maiden, etc," adds Thea, "And Tina's into some really odd stuff -- Caribbean Music, 50's rock, and heavies like Megadeath and Slayer. So it's a really diverse range of influences."
Being based in New York City would seem ideal for a band like Shrieking Violets, but Thea is quick to point out the other side of the coin. "I think sometimes smaller towns are more supportive. In this city there are so many bands that are vying for every spot in every club it gets very competitive."
One would imagine an all-girl punk band comes up against a lot of bias and prejudices, but the Violets haven't encountered much of that. "Actually, in New York there are a lot of female bands -- and some very good ones I might add. I guess some people see us as a novelty for a time, but it depends where you're coming from." Notes Thea, "The other day we were rehearsing and this little boy wandered into the room and stared at us dumbfounded. Finally he said, "I didn't know girls could play guitars!" We thought that was pretty funny. We do get that response sometimes but it's not as frequent as you might think.
Songwriting is a collaborative effort, and all three band members are University educated, opinionated women with something to say about many socially relevant issues today.
[Thea's note: The following quote is both mis-attributed and garbled. I never said anything remotely like this; the quote vaguely resembles something Stephanie said. Presented here for historical interest.] "Personally I like to write about women's issues," says Thea. "Social issues, political issues. Things happen so quickly, and we write about what we know. I don't get up one day and say, 'Well, today I guess I'll write a love song, maybe tomorrow I'll write about AIDs.' It just happens and we go with the moment."
The band has done benefits in the past for AIDs and Rock for Choice, and plan to release another 7 inch EP in the new year. They also plan a major tour next summer. In the meantime, the Violets will be in St. Catharines for one show only on Thursday, Nov. 25 at Jerry's Alley.
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