Girl Power! part two – Stone Darling

by: Diego Martínez

Groups fronted by women go a long way. Ever since our mothers dreamt about gangsta lovers a-la The Shangrilas or when they stared at themselves in the mirror, comb in hand, extending their arm to plea a stop sign in the name of love, just like Diana Ross and her Supreme pals Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. Even during the ‘jazz age’ and the first 50 years of the 20th Century there were young females who sang through our darkest hours. And there we were, clapping along. Oh, those were the good old days of dames singing catchy tunes, taking orders and putting out a happy face for the world to see.

Nowadays, however, things have taken a turn. Like their contemporary men peers, women are in charge of their creative destiny, proving each and every time how credible and authentic they can really be. Most all-female bands are now self produced; they write their own songs, play their own instruments and figure out their dance moves if they have to. In the spirit of our just-released WOMAN issue, The WILD has searched far and wide and gathered the opinion of four girl groups. Four different approaches to the fact that women still run the show in their own sweet way: The Pipettes, Girl In A Coma, Stone Darling and Au Revoir Simone.

Part two, Stone Darling:

Your Facebook description reads the four of you met at the Valley State Prison for Women in ’83. No seriously, how did you got together as a unit?

Paige: Lindsay and I were childhood friends. I ran into Lindsay at the Hollywood YMCA parking lot. We met Liv through mutual friends and then Liv introduced us to Mikki.

How does the band’s creative process work?

Lindsay: Paige writes the basic song on her guitar and brings it to the band. We all collaborate and write parts together that fit the song.

What comes to mind when it’s time to write a song?

Paige: The songs come to me and I just try to write them down before they are gone. I try not to think too much when I’m writing…I like to just let the muses do their thing.

How would you describe the music of Stone Darling?

Lindsay: Some blog described us as a lo-fi Mama’s and the Papa’s meets Fleetwood Mac and I took that as the biggest compliment and I’d like to smoke whatever they were smoking.

Liv: The best music to play on a Sunday afternoon.

Paige: If Phil Spector went to Nashville and had a baby in the 90s. In my dream, SD is that baby.

Tell us about your female influences

Lindsay: Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Beyoncé.

Liv: Jacqueline Lamba, Anais Nin; women who broke boundaries and didn’t worry about how men would see them.

Paige: The women I am inspired musically by are Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, Karen Dalton, Gillian Welch and Stevie Nicks. Recently I read “Just Kids” and found Patti Smith incredibly inspiring…such honest writing. And I’m with Lindsay, OMG I LOVE Beyoncé. She’s the ultimate.

Do you ever feel pressured or intimidated by your male peers or it’s all fair game?

Lindsay: I think it’s pretty much all fair game at this point. And if it’s not, fuck them.

I read in a previous interview that you all tried working with men but somehow, it didn’t work. Why was that, and would you try again?

Lindsay: We actually do work a lot with men, we have guests play with us every now and then and they are often dudes. We love dudes. I think it was just a coincidence that it worked out to be all lady players, and we kinda like it that way.

Paige: The dudes we played with in the beginning were already in other bands, so it was a schedule thing that prevented it from working out. But the all girl thing is great…it’s 4 closets of clothes instead of one. And we can share 1 hotel room easily.

Do you feel it’s hard out there for female musicians to be taken seriously?

Lindsay: I think it’s hard out there for all musicians to be taken seriously. But I think it’s kind of a beautiful thing when you don’t actually care, then suddenly everyone takes you seriously.

Paige: I think people respond to the way you present yourself to the world. If you are good at what you do, people will respect it. If you put your heart into things, roll up your sleeves, and are willing to work, people respect that. I think it’s important not to be too serious though, gotta keep the levity…gotta keep a balance.

Could you tell us what’s the best thing about being in an all-girl band?

Lindsay: Sharing. Red. Lipstick.

Liv: Sleepovers

Paige: Girl talk at practice

What does the future hold for Stone Darling?

Lindsay: Ease on down the road.

Paige: I guess we’ll see in the future.

Finally, what’s the group’s WILD wish?

Lindsay: To go on tour with a band we really respect and buy our parents a house!

Liv: Another trip to New Mexico

Paige: Just to be a singing, traveling band.

Photo by Tiffany Roohani