The Priscillas are a London based punk/pop/rock band that we have been admiring from afar for sometime now. They’ve been making waves around the live music circuit here in England and have been turning heads with their latest release, “Superhero”.
Their colorful and quirky videos are also noteworthy, creating a late 70’s underground vibe. If The Priscillas are playing in a town near you, we highly recommend getting out to one of their shows for a great night of music and entertainment! – Jenny May
The Priscillas interview with Band Weblogs
Compiled by: Dave Tommo
Why the name The Priscillas?
Guri: Move over King of Rock and make space for the Queen(s)!
Your song Y.O.Y. was mysteriously placed on the B side of the Klaxons single release. Are the Klaxons your mates? If so, how did you meet?
Jen: Nope. All is still a mystery. Don’t know them.
Guri: We don’t know the boys – but they are very welcome to be our friends!
Hege: Have never met the lads before, apart from when I saw them at Hyde Park miles away. Would love to meet them though! Would be great to play a gig or seven with them!
Kate: We like their music. Weren’t we lucky to be on the flipside of their platter?
Who is your favourite superhero?
Guri: Bananaman
Jen: Catwoman (Julie Newmar) and Underdog.
Hege: Clark Kent, of course.
Kate: I have a crush on Batman.
Where is the best place to go clothes shopping?
Jen: I like Camden Stables Market because there are a lot of mom and pop shops. But stupidly, that’s being torn down to put up giant chain stores. Ick! Also, I like the malls in New York and New Jersey…where they have really good giant chain stores, haha!
Guri: Any TK Maxx.
Kate: The eBay.
We love your Christmas song “One Christmas Wish” here at BandWeblogs.com. What is the best Christmas song ever?
Guri: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
Hege: Last Christmas, Wham, is a great tune and a pompous and sad video. Lovin’ it!
Kate: One Christmas Wish by The Priscillas, of course. Otherwise, all of the Phil Spector’s A Christmas Wish For You, Walking In The Air by the Snowman, and Oh Come All You Faithful (with descant harmonies).
Jen: One Christmas Wish. There are a lot of great Christmas songs. Bowie and Bing Crosbie doing Little Drummer Boy, The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale of New York…
How do you write your songs?
Kate: Together.
Hege: It varies, but most of the times it comes like a shooting star and hits us in our heads, and there you go, we have a new song!
Jen: We channel all of our favourite composers and thoughts and sounds, mix them in a big bowl and lob it at a giant fan and watch it splatter.
Guri: By utilising three chords and the truth!
Your songs give me a late 70’s vibe. Who is your favourite band or artist from that era?
Hege: ABBA were a great glamorous band and are still alive and kicking!
Jen: Buzzcocks, Blondie, Kate Bush, Siouxsie, Pistols,
Guri: Burt Bacharach.
Kate: ELO, The Damned, Squeeze, Adam and his Ants, CRiME, Madness, The Rezillos, Blondie, Can, The Clash, Supertramp.
Where is your favourite place to play music?
Kate: On stage. Loudly and well.
Jen: A good sized stage where we can run around like idiots.
Guri: Loud and proud in a steaming, dark club with drunk and disorderly people dancing their rocks off.
Hege: Anywhere where we are treated well, where we are fed and given a nice little rider including hot men and cider.
What colour wellies did you wear at Glastonbury?
Guri: Not for me, I’m afraid! I had some sensible peep toe plastic shoes for the occasion. Glamour over comfort, people!
Jen: Ugh! Perish the thought! I had an array of PVC (that’s waterproof, people!) boots in various colours and heel sizes. Never substitute style for comfort. Sometimes you can have both.
Hege: Heavy trekking boots of leather
Kate: See through PVC with golden tassles and Swarovski crystal laces. With a little mice in silver crowns standing on each toe, waving.
How do you relax when not near music?
Hege: Relaxing at our castle by the sea in Italy.
Guri: Knitting and watching a B-horror or science fiction film.
Kate: Shouting loudly though a megaphone. Hatching eggs. Watching Midsummer Murders.
Jen: TV or just silence with my cats.
Do The Priscillas have a say in the making of your videos? Are they your ideas?
Guri: We have been very lucky to work with Paul McCloone and Clare Sparra for our videos. They are very competent, have great ideas and we have complete faith in their creativeness.
Hege: Yes we do have a say, and we are also very open for ideas from the directors. The last video was a blast! When our director, Claire Brookes, presented her idea, we realized that her idea was exactly the same as ours! What a coincidence…
Kate: We collaborate with very talented people.
Jen: For our next one, the director wants us in little bikinis with a rap video feel, but we’ve opted for a barrel with straps and blacked out teeth look. The next hottest trend!
Can you give us a good cocktail recipe?
Guri: 25ml Vodka
25ml Malibu
Crushed Ice
Squeeze half lime
fill to top with banana and Strawberry smoothie.
YUM!
Hege: 2/5 Vodka Smirnoff
2/5 Soda Water
Dash of lime and a squeezed lime
Served in a pint glass, and the day after you have absolutely no hangover! If you want it to look like a proper cocktail, why don’t you apply an umbrella and a big strawberry?
Kate: 1/2 pint of advocaat (Lidl do a good cheap one)
Lemonade to top
Splash of lime juice
Cherry on a stick and
Umbrella to garnish.
Mix it all in a pint glass. Serve with crisps. I call it a Snowman’s Revenge
Jen: Go to off-licence
Buy one very large bottle of cider
Chill
Twist off cap
Garnish with straw (and a sprig of mint optional)
And enjoy
Which of your songs would you get people to listen to first who have never heard you before?
Jen: We’ve just written a few gems. Fly In My Drink, Y.O.Y., The King Is Dead…
Guri: Brain surgeon, Y.O.Y., Holloway. To start with.
Hege: Y.O.Y and Fly In My Drink (which is not released yet).
Kate: Fly In My Drink. Y.O.Y. Brain Surgeon.
Is the X-Factor a good platform for new talent? How do you feel about the show?
Hege: Avoiding watching that kind of thing as it makes me absolutely incandescent. It generates a silly amount of wanna-be’s. The attendants have never had to climb the ladder like everybody else, and they have a short way to stardom. Thank god they are not alive in the picture for that long. I’d say NO!
Guri: I think it’s a waste of time and space.
Kate: I absolutely adore watching the early rounds, but it’s all a sham, isn’t it? I feel sorry for the deluded fools, and for the untalented kids not cushioned for the fall by their thick as a brick parents. But let them have their fun and let me watch their downfall. I’d love to be a judge.
Jen: I get them all mixed up. What’s the difference between that and Pop Idol? It’s all reality TV, isn’t it? Just another Big Brother.
Do you play any cover songs in your set? If so, which ones?
Jen: Monster Mash once or twice at Hallowe’en.
Guri: The Norwegian National anthem on Norway’s constitution day and once the wedding march “Here Comes the Bride” for a friend’s wedding.
Hege: It would be wonderful to do Surfin Bird!
Kate: We might one day do All Night Long by Lionel Ritchie.
For more information, go to The Priscillas Official Website
The Priscillas on Myspace
