"I don't want to make anyone unhappy, but at the same time, I think we play the length we do because we play hard. Some people say they wish we played longer. But if we played longer we wouldn't play as well or as hard. We come off stage every night bleeding and throwing up."
Meredith Graves has heard the criticism about her band Perfect Pussy's compact sets. Fifteen minutes might not seem like enough for some fans, but as Graves points out, "Every band play for way too long." The only problem with that is few right now offer a set as jolting and intense as Perfect Pussy. So, a quarter of an hour only leaves them wanting more.
After their four-song cassette, I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling, caused a major fuss last year, Perfect Pussy's frenetic art-punk is taking the band far beyond any expectations the members had. Their new full-length, Say Yes To Love, is a true representation of the band's live sound, capturing their terse, hardcore aggression, blank canvas experimentation, and commanding, underlying melodies for its rousing 24 minutes.
It's hardly the product of "just a shitty punk band," as Graves calls them. But opting not to do anything different, they stuck with the modest recording budget they used for their tape. "It's pretty much 'If it ain't broke don't fix it,'" she admits. "A band like us don't really advance. We like what we're doing. It's just the five of us doing whatever we want all at the same time. It's a really, really free-spirited group of people."
Graves sees her role in the band as no different than guitarist Ray McAndrew or synth/pedal manipulator Shaun Sutkus. Despite most of the cameras focusing on her, she just wants to be one of the gang and will go out of her way to make that happen.
"I bury my vocals because that way it feels even, like I'm part of it rather than over top of [it]," she explains. "I think it's just nice to be included as another instrument. I get enough attention as it is and I'm super honoured, but at the same time the whole point of this band is that it's egalitarian. Pay attention to my friends! Everyone in this band is working hard at the same time. I just want to be on the same level as everyone else."
Meredith Graves has heard the criticism about her band Perfect Pussy's compact sets. Fifteen minutes might not seem like enough for some fans, but as Graves points out, "Every band play for way too long." The only problem with that is few right now offer a set as jolting and intense as Perfect Pussy. So, a quarter of an hour only leaves them wanting more.
After their four-song cassette, I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling, caused a major fuss last year, Perfect Pussy's frenetic art-punk is taking the band far beyond any expectations the members had. Their new full-length, Say Yes To Love, is a true representation of the band's live sound, capturing their terse, hardcore aggression, blank canvas experimentation, and commanding, underlying melodies for its rousing 24 minutes.
It's hardly the product of "just a shitty punk band," as Graves calls them. But opting not to do anything different, they stuck with the modest recording budget they used for their tape. "It's pretty much 'If it ain't broke don't fix it,'" she admits. "A band like us don't really advance. We like what we're doing. It's just the five of us doing whatever we want all at the same time. It's a really, really free-spirited group of people."
Graves sees her role in the band as no different than guitarist Ray McAndrew or synth/pedal manipulator Shaun Sutkus. Despite most of the cameras focusing on her, she just wants to be one of the gang and will go out of her way to make that happen.
"I bury my vocals because that way it feels even, like I'm part of it rather than over top of [it]," she explains. "I think it's just nice to be included as another instrument. I get enough attention as it is and I'm super honoured, but at the same time the whole point of this band is that it's egalitarian. Pay attention to my friends! Everyone in this band is working hard at the same time. I just want to be on the same level as everyone else."