By Michelle Marie
Amidst the hype surrounding their latest album, the all-girl quartet from Los Angeles (LA) has been busy living up to expectations.
Having been named one of BBC’s 15 Most Promising Artists of 2011, as well as MTV’s 9 Artists to Watch in 2011, these talented Californians have been stirring up quite a storm among fans of the Indie music scene. Their full-length album, The Fool, received an 8 out of 10 rating from Spin Magazine following its release last October, and the band was also named NME’s 50 Best New Bands of 2010.
Known for the powerful live performances, Warpaint has been touring since the release of their album, performing at gigs like the Reading and Leeds Festivals , and St. Jerome’s Laneway festival in Singapore last January. They’ve shared the stage with other notable acts such as The xx, The Walkmen and Band of Horses, to name but a few.
The band’s wispy vocals and psychedelic rhythms give off a hauntingly beautiful feel, one that sets them apart from most bands in their genre. With all members contributing vocals to their sound, the girls have been able to recreate their four-part harmonies live on stage and staying true to their studio versions, a rather impressive feat to anyone who has heard their record, and an unmistakable explanation for their popularity.
“We were pretty conscientious of not doing too many overdubs,” said Emily Kokal in an interview with NME, “[we want to keep] the record as close to what we would be able to play live, so it sounds authentic to the record.”
Originally formed on Valentine’s Day 2004, the band underwent a number of member-tweaks before settling on their current all-girl line up, consisting of Emily Kokal (vocals and guitar), Theresa Wayman (guitar and backing vocals), Jenny Lee Lindberg (bass and backing vocals), and the newest addition to the Warpaint family, Stella Mozgawa (drums).
Joining Au Revoir Simone as one of the very few successful all-girl Indie bands, they feel that being in an all-girl band hasn’t given them any sort of advantage in the music industry.
“The advantage that we have is maybe that we are really close, we are friends and our sound is unique,” explained Jenny in an interview with MTVAsia.com. “Being an all-girl band doesn’t mean anything if you can’t play your instruments well.”
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