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Bands to Watch - 2013
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The She's: For the Bay Guardian's annual On the Rise music issue, which hits the streets next month,...The She's: For the Bay Guardian's annual On the Rise music issue, which hits the streets next month, SFBG music editor Emily Savage asked "all-teenage, all-girl sunny rock'n'roll quartet, The She's" what they had in store for 2013. Their response? "New EP in the works, inspired by our secrets, other people's secrets, the Great Gatsby, heart ache, etc. Musically inspired by bands...such as La Sera, Wild Nothing, Tame Impala, and Dum Dum Girls. Graduating (from high school), touring, recording, making friends." "Just perfect, right?" Emily asks. "So far, the talented group, friends since kindergarden, has released one stunning, harmony-laden, Beach Boys-inspired album — Then It Starts to Feel Like Summer — recorded at Women's Audio Mission; and it's played endless awesome opening slots around town (for Girls, Surfer Blood, La Sera). Next up, another Noise Pop appearance, this time with the Thermals and Dirty Ghosts. It's starting to feel like 2013 will be the year of the She's, or at least, the year the ladies graduate to the next level."
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NoisePop 2013 Wish List
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The Thermals, Dirty Ghosts, The SHE's, Ev Kain
Rickshaw Stop, doors 8:30 p.m.
Sarah: The Thermals ...The Thermals, Dirty Ghosts, The SHE's, Ev Kain
Rickshaw Stop, doors 8:30 p.m.
Sarah: The Thermals and their short, smart, pop punk numbers sound like something I would have listened to in high school, back when I wore bowling shirts, Chuck Taylors, and a studded leather bracelet. I am ALL FOR revisiting this musical era of my life. And if there's anything that I revel in more than nostalgia, it's seeing talented ladies on the stage. Dirty Ghosts' Allyson Baker sings over quick tempo guitar shreds and drum loops. The SHE's are four local girls producing crazy infectious beach pop tunes like "Jimmy". Tambourines and hand claps, need I say more?
Amanda: If you didn't get tickets to sold out Toro Y Moi and heavy-hearted folk rock isn't your scene, you should absolutely join Sarah at this show. The Thermals are hands down one of my favorite bands to see live. Also, The SHE's are quite possibly the most delightful all-girl band in the Bay Area.
The SHE's
- See more at: http://www.kqed.org/arts/music/article.jsp?essid=116773#sthash.rjPXKahx.dpuf
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Homework and Harmony
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For the last four years, beachy surf-pop outfit The She’s—an acronym for the quartet’s first names—h...For the last four years, beachy surf-pop outfit The She’s—an acronym for the quartet’s first names—has been San Francisco’s “high school band.” But as bassist Samantha “Sami” Perez, singer Hannah Valente, guitarist Eva Treadway, and drummer Sinclair Riley approach the final semester of their senior year, they are trying to leave behind the “high school” bit.
But, though much of their success they owe to pure pluck—doing all their own booking, approaching big bands at merch tables, and eventually opening for the likes of Morning Benders, La Sera, Tijuana Panthers, and even Girls at The Fillmore—for now, they are very much still teenagers: simultaneously sincere and sarcastic, and funny without meaning to be. We’re not exactly dealing with rebellious Joan Jett dropout-types here.
The She’s have been friends since kindergarten and put the band together in 2007 at a Jewish summer camp. Valente is the team captain of varsity badminton, enjoys painting her nails, and founded her school’s poetry club with Treadway. Riley’s favorite class is biology; she loves dying her hair, doodling, and rock climbing; and as far as long-term goals, she says, “Hannah and I are gonna open a salon in the Sunset where I’m gonna do hair and she’s gonna do nails, and then anything else anyone will pay money for, we’ll also make, like bows and cards, or maybe we can sell them poetry.”
Perez excels at math and physics and when she grows up wants to be either a music engineer or a princess. “It’s a childhood fantasy I never grew out of,” says Perez, who at a recent school talent show used the pink, flower-shaped guitar she got when she was 7. “Did everyone laugh at you?” asks Treadway, a TV lover and pop-music fan who says she’s disappointed by Taylor Swift’s new album.
To a slightly older generation, The She’s are “cool.” They shop for vintage clothes, they listen to The Beach Boys, and they dressed up like characters from Freaks & Geeks for Halloween. But their young peers don’t quite get it. Self-described as “shy, quiet, and antisocial,” they don’t have a lot of other friends at school, and while incredibly precocious, the giggly quartet could still be described as cute, adorable, and wholesome—adjectives they’d like to steer away from as they reinvent their post–high school identity.
Luckily, their (albeit older) musician friends see them as something of equals. “The word high school merely defines their current age,” says A B & The Sea frontman Koley O’Brien, for whom they’ve sung backups both on stage and at Different Fur Studios. “Singing in perfect harmony, they’re one of the tightest local bands to watch live, because they are best friends who love music, and that’s something audiences can feel.”“That’s why we like the music community so much,” Perez says. “They really don’t care what age you are or if you’re an all-girl band; you can always fit in.”“We just happen to be all girls,” Treadway says. “It wasn’t a premeditated thing.” But it was enough to catch the attention of Women’s Audio Mission, a nonprofit that advances women in the audio industry. There they made their first full-length, Then It Starts to Feel Like Summer. “Our album was one of the first albums to be written, recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by only women the whole way through,” says Treadway. “That was a really exciting thing to be a part of.” But while their gender has garnered some good opportunities, it comes with disadvantages. Unfortunately, the You’re pretty good… for girls attitude isn’t lost on them. “People aren’t always expecting us to be good,” Valente says of the “backward compliments” that stream in after every performance.
Being in high school means that weekday shows are challenging, the girls can often be found backstage after sound-check doing their homework, and touring is out of the question. But with plans to put off college next year, greener (post–high school) pastures lie within reach. “As we grow older and get new fans, they’re not going to think about us the same way our initial ones did,” Riley says. “We’re just gonna have to rely more on our skill as the stereotypes fade away,” Valente adds. “Like being young, and, well, I guess we’re not gonna ever not be girls.”
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Live Shots: La Sera at The Chapel
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The real highlight of the night was the opener, San Francisco’s own the She’s, a beach-tinged girl b...The real highlight of the night was the opener, San Francisco’s own the She’s, a beach-tinged girl band with a slightly doo-wop vibe and a seriously good groove. So good, apparently, that La Sera’s drummer bought a the She’s shirt between sets to wear for his own performance. If the She’s next album is as good as the material they played Saturday night, they could definitely be a band to watch out for.
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WAM, The SHE'S Make History
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WAM, The She's Make History
03.29.2012
The She's
San Francisco, CA (March 29, 2012)—All...WAM, The She's Make History
03.29.2012
The She's
San Francisco, CA (March 29, 2012)—All-girl quartet The She's and Women's Audio Mission (WAM) made history this fall, releasing what may be the first record ever made with women involved in every aspect of the recording, from tracking to mastering.
Described as "brilliant" by Examiner.com, the album, entitled Then It Starts to Feel Like Summer, was recorded at WAM's studio in San Francisco, a studio run and staffed entirely by women; women reportedly represent only five percent of the audio industry.
Band members Hannah Valente (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Samantha Perez (bass, vocals), Eva Treadway (guitar, vocals) and Sinclair Riley (drums, vocals) first caught the attention of WAM founder Terri Winston because of their incredible musical chops developed at such an early age. The SHE'S are all still in high school.
"This was an exceptional album to work on for so many reasons, not the least of which is The She's incredible talent," says Terri Winston, Founder of Women's Audio Mission. "Combine that with a female production team and we didn't just make a great record, we may have made history."
After tracking and mixing with the WAM team, including Winston as producer, Laura Dean (mixing, engineering), Jenny Thornburg (engineering) and assistant engineers Lorraine Ozeri, Heather Konzman, Danishta Rivero, Hillary Burkman and Janie Hensel, the final mixes were sent to chief mastering engineer Emily Lazar and mastering engineer Joe LaPorta at The Lodge in New York.
Says The She's Hannah Valente of their decision to work with an all-women team, "We want women to be taken more seriously in the whole music industry. Every step of the way, our album was made by women; we hope to inspire other girls to get involved in this industry because women are way underrepresented."
Then It Starts to Feel Like Summer, which was initially released in November, is now available internationally on CD, vinyl and digitally.
Women's Audio Mission
www.womensaudiomission.org
The SHE'S
facebook.com/TheShesmusic
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Noise Pop 20th Anniversary
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The SHE’s:
As the first opener for Surfer Blood’s headlining set at The Independent, The SHE’S di...The SHE’s:
As the first opener for Surfer Blood’s headlining set at The Independent, The SHE’S didn’t have a very big audience. Though, it didn’t seem like they truly wanted one at first. With an energy level that would mirror a number of bands to go on later, the small audience swayed back and forth to the beach-inspired ’50s/’60s pop-rock stylings of these four girls from the Bay Area out of acquiescence more than anything else.
Despite their initial lack of energy and uncomfortable demeanor, The SHE’S hit their stride mid-set, proving to be an astoundingly polished group (especially for girls who wouldn’t have been allowed into The Independent had they not been on stage or had extremely convincing fake IDs). They moved through their songs without a hitch and did their best to engage the audience members who were easily ten years their senior.
The band played the majority of the songs, if not all, from their impressive nine-track full-length debut, Then It Starts To Feel Like Summer. The harmonies on “Jimmy” and “Fabian” were pretty damn catchy, and the harder-hitting (for The SHE’S, anyway) “Running” was sonically charged enough to get some toes tapping.
All in all, though their lyrics could benefit from some versatility, The SHE’S worked their sound to its maximum appeal, and by the end of the set they had won over just about everyone in the place, delivering one of the strongest performances of the night.
— James Bell
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5 Local Artists to Watch in 2012
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3. The She's
Sometimes I think, if I were as cool in high school as The She's are, I might just b...3. The She's
Sometimes I think, if I were as cool in high school as The She's are, I might just be conquering the world right now. These gangly-limbed ladies still have a year or two to hit adulthood, but they sound as seasoned as bands a decade older than they are–thanks to the fact that they've been jamming together since elementary school. Sun-dazed harmonies, tight, toe-tapping rhythms and the kind of beachy pop you'd listen to in a convertible on vacation lights up their just-dropped debut Then It Starts To Feel Like Summer. Look for them opening up for Surfer Blood at Noise Pop 2012, and (just maybe) after that, possible world domination.
Key track: "Jimmy"
The She's - Jimmy by theshesmusic
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6 Must See Concerts This Week
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The She's
The melodic teenage rock’n’roll group seems to be living the garage pop dream right about...The She's
The melodic teenage rock’n’roll group seems to be living the garage pop dream right about now. The local quartet has a sparkly newish album making serious waves, has opened for dream-show Girls, and recently played Noise Pop before Surfer Blood to a sold-out crowd. While yes, a tad bit jealous, we must admit, it's deserved: the She's talent – bassist Samantha Perez has been playing since she was 7, and the others started around then too – and, their surfy fun vibes keep us coming back for more.
With Bilinda Butchers, Trails and Ways
Wed/25, 8pm, $10.
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell, SF
(415) 861-2011
www.rickshawstop.com
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SHE'S at The Knockout
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We have reported on The She’s in these (web) pages on several occasions, so of this night let us say...We have reported on The She’s in these (web) pages on several occasions, so of this night let us say primarily this: you can scratch “teen” off in front of “band.” This is one of the best bands in town, period. Their songwriting, their vocal arrangements, their tight playing and their polished yet completely unspoiled, cheery stage presence put them head and shoulders above volumes of their drinking-age peers.
When singer Hannah Valente turns bassist Sami Perez’ left-handed bass upside down to accompany Ms. Perez as she signs The Ronettes “Be My Baby,” in honor of St. Valentine, while drummer Sinclair Riley, celebrating her 16th birthday, powers the tune along looking like she’d rather be sending a text, one knows one is watching a very special band. Catch them at the Make Out Room on February 18th.
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The She's on Girls, Women’s Audio Mission, and soccer practice...
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The She's have opened for Girls, played with Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, and this month, relea...The She's have opened for Girls, played with Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, and this month, released an infectious, surfy garage-pop debut album, Then It Starts To Feel Like Summer (the record release show is this Saturday at Bottom of the Hill).
Oh, and the band members – bassist Samantha Perez, vocalist Hannah Valente, guitarist Eva Treadway, and drummer Sinclair Riley – are all juniors in high school. But don't diminish their talent by seeing She's as a novelty, “young, all-girl band." They've got the chops. I got the lowdown from the Bay Area quartet after school this week, discussing playing against stereotypes, life with punk parents, dream shows (hint: they've already played theirs), and kindergarten enemies.
San Francisco Bay Guardian: What were the first concerts you attended?
Hannah Valente: One of the first concerts we attended as a group was Blondie at the Fillmore. It was really inspiring to see a woman with such a powerful voice.
Samantha Perez: For me, I went to a lot of punk shows with my parents growing up because they were in the punk scene. It inspired me to begin playing music because I love the atmosphere and energy at shows.
SFBG: When did you start playing music and what influenced that?
Eva Treadway: We all grew up with music around us, both from our parents and also from growing up in SF. I was raised on a mix of old country blues records from my dad and Grateful Dead jams from my mom, which, come to think of it, is an interesting mix. As a kid I was crazy about the Beatles, and that was what really sparked my interest in picking up a guitar. I asked my parents for lessons and I had my first few lessons when I was about 10. When I started songwriting with the other members of the band, making music got really exciting for me again. Because we all come from different musical backgrounds – there was by no means Grateful Dead in Sami’s household growing up – but we also share really similar ideas and tastes in music.
Sinclair Riley: I started playing piano when I was about seven, then a few other classical instruments, but I didn’t start playing drums until the beginning of The She's. My dad had a Beach Boys CD that he would always play in the car when he was driving, and I always liked driving with him so that I could listen to it because it was so much more interesting to me, I loved it so much more than anything I was playing on piano.
SP: I started playing guitar when I was seven years old. I was really resistant to play guitar, but my dad bought me a pink daisy-shaped one, so I got into it. As the years went on, I liked it more and more and then I started to sing in the San Francisco Girls Chorus, but I really wanted to start writing songs and start preforming.
HV: I was really influenced by my dad. He always seemed to be playing guitar around the house, so I just started singing with him. When I was like, three, I would sing with him while I took baths. I always liked music because it helped me connect to people. I’m shy, so it’s nice to have another way to communicate.
SFBG: How did you meet?
SP: We all met in kindergarten, and we were really close friends except me and Eva. We were enemies. In fifth grade we started playing music together and through that we became closer friends. It all started one day after soccer practice when Hannah said she had learned to play the Aly & AJ version of “Walking on Sunshine.” Eventually, the whole soccer team was in the band, but in the end it came down to just us four.
SFBG: Can you tell me a little about the process of making Then it Starts to Feel Like Summer?
SR: It was a pretty long yet satisfying process. About half the songs we already had written, and the others we wrote during the process of recording. It was so wonderful to get the opportunity to record at Women’s Audio Mission. It was really fun being in the studio and getting to take our time on this one. On this album we tried to capture the sound of what we play live. The ladies there are so nice and also taught us a bout the engineering aspect as well.
SFBG: What influences your sound? Who influences you personally?
HV: We are said to be a cross between the Ramones and the Ronettes, we really like the Beach Boys and other '60s garage music. We're always listening to new types of music, like '60s country, local bands, and of course, pop.
ET: We’re influenced by going places and walking around San Francisco.
From listening to great songs, Lennon/McCartney of course, Brian Wilson, George Harrison, Phil Spector, even Britney Spears. Pretty much everything Christopher Owens from Girls writes I find inspiring.
SFBG: Where do you write music? Is it a group effort?
SR: Normally what happens is someone will bring in a guitar part or a melody or some part of a song, and we’ll all work together in our practice area (Hannah’s basement) to finalize the song – add lyrics, harmonies.
SFBG: What’s been the most surreal experience thus far in the band? The weirdest?
HV: Hand’s down the most surreal show was playing with Girls at the Fillmore. Not only did we get to play with one of our favorite bands to listen to, but we also got to play on a stage where so many inspirational artists have performed.
SP: Playing at such a historic venue was unbelievable. The audience was great, the sound was great, the food backstage was great…it just really couldn’t have turned out any better. On the other hand, the weirdest experience we’ve had was probably when we were asked to play on TV on an early news broadcasting at like, 5 a.m.. We stayed the night in San Jose on a school night so that we could get to the studio at 3 a.m. and still be on time for school. However, we just happened to be there the same day that the San Bruno pipelines exploded, which meant our segment was canceled. It was a long, sleepy ride to school that morning, but at least we looked TV ready for all our peers!
SFBG. Who would play your dream show?
HV: Our first dream show would be to play with Girls, but then that actually happened. Then I would say to play with Magic Kids, but that also happened. After that, it would be the Morning Benders, but yes, that happened, too.
SP: Perhaps now our dream show would be with the early Beach Boys, once we build a time traveling machine, maybe that will be possible.
SFBG: Is it difficult working as an underage band in the San Francisco music scene?
EV: I think the most difficult part about being an underage musician (apart from sometimes not being allowed into to our own shows) is being treated as some sort of novelty act. It seems like a lot of times people feel that it is enough to describe our band as a “young all-girl band”, which really says nothing about our music. When people write reviews I wish they would remember that our age and gender are facts, and it doesn’t really go much deeper than that. It is true that being teenagers in the SF music scene is exciting for us. We’ve gotten to meet and even perform with some of our idols, and I know that that is something most teenagers don’t have the opportunity to do. I am proud of what we’ve done at this point in our lives, both as a band and as individuals and I feel fortunate to know what I am passionate about early on. The way I see it, it only leaves us time to grow.
SFBG: Is the She's an intentionally all-female band?
SR: Not really, it just happened. We formed the band at that age when boys have cooties, and it’s been no boys every since. We get treated differently since we’re a young all-girl teenage band though, and it’s made us stronger. We can go against the stereotype that girls and teenagers aren’t as capable as others.
SFBG: Do you consider yourselves feminists?
HV: We want women to be taken more seriously in the whole music industry. Every step of the way, our album was made by women. We hope to inspire other girls to get involved in this industry because women are way underrepresented.
The She's
With Tijuana Panthers, Melted Toys
Sat/3, 10 p.m., $10
Bottom of the Hill
1233 17th St., SF
(415) 621-4455
www.bottomofthehill.com
Bottom of the Hill Girls Music Show Preview the Shes
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Song Premeir - "Jimmy"
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The SHE’S are more than just your average high school band. Scratch that – they are more than just y...The SHE’S are more than just your average high school band. Scratch that – they are more than just your average band, period.
For any band just getting started, the following would be read as an impressive list of accomplishments: opening for Girls at the Fillmore, opening for Thao and the Get Down Stay Down at a TI Fest night show, recording a Christmas cover with another notable local band, coming in as a finalist for “Best Band Twitter” in the SF Weekly Web Awards, and more. The fact that a band of teenagers managed to pull this off is all the more awe-inspiring. And The SHE’S have done all of the above before even releasing a proper full-length debut . . . although that is about to change.
The SHE’S – “Jimmy”
The SHE’S, on the heels of the Surfer Boy EP, are set to release Then it Starts to Feel Like Summer on November 29th. “Jimmy” is the first single from the debut album, full of jaunty hooks and fantastic, doo-wop-style harmonies. Like other SHE’S songs, “Jimmy” pairs the girl-group sounds of the 50s and 60s with modern day garage pop; the end result is undeniably infectious and sunny, matching the title of the album quite perfectly.
Recorded locally at Women’s Audio Mission, Then it Starts to Feel Like Summer should help solidify The SHE’S for what they are: a hard-working, talented young band poised to make a big impact.
The SHE’S will celebrate the release of their new album on December 3rd at Bottom of the Hill, with Tijuana Panthers and Melted Toys (10:00, $10, all ages).
Album art, tracklist and additional items after the jump!
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The She's Rock Fillmore-SF
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The SHE’s took the legendary Fillmore stage Friday night with their usual self-effacing charm and ap...The SHE’s took the legendary Fillmore stage Friday night with their usual self-effacing charm and aplomb and unleashed a non-stop torrent of irresitable guitar-heavy pop, full of tasty hooks, impeccable playing and flawless harmonies. With giggles and sincerity, they threw down that they are ready and able to conquer any stage and get any crowd into an eccstatic frenzy.
Although I am a shamelessly biased fan (see our preview from 10/12), the crowd confirmed that there is something truly special about the SHE’s combination of classic songs, tight musicianship and natural energy and good cheer. The new material from their EP Surfer Boys made a particularly strong impact. They left the stage to a chorus of pleas for more, and a group high that the more serious Holy Shit simply could not contend with.
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Review- Then it Starts ti Feel Like Summer
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It’s nearing midnight, I’m tired and trying to finish a Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale, Mass Effect ...
It’s nearing midnight, I’m tired and trying to finish a Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale, Mass Effect 3 is woefully unplayed, but then I put on San Francisco’s The She’s and It Starts To Feel Like Summer. I predict that, as The She’s pick up more buzz, this opening reference to the album’s title will be the way to open a review of The She’s. I do think they are buzz-worthy (apart from being decent songwriters), not in the least because of their origin story.
The She’s consist of four young girls, which I am compelled to mention only because they are in the minority. It’s a commentary on the sad state of affairs for women that ‘four young girls’ sounds like a Disney-inspired marketing scheme. However, their gender is mostly incidental, borne out of the circumstances of the formation of the band. In an interview for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, drummer Sinclair Riley insisted their gender is a product of having formed the band as far back as 5th grade. In the same interview, bassist Sami Perez reveals they’ve been friends since kindergarten, which is a little mind-blowing these days. Of course, the quartet are around 17 or 18 now, so I suppose it’s not as long for them, but not really. Sami was also involved in the SF Girl’s Chorus (source here), which is audible in their flawless harmonies. As fans, they contacted Girls (the band) on Myspace, and frontman Christopher Owens went to one of their shows and decided to book them to open for Girls at the Fillmore; they were only 16. Since then, they’ve also opened for The Morning Benders, and I saw them open for Girls and Unknown Mortal Orchestra in Santa Cruz last week (3/3). What’s more, the liner notes for their album say it was “made possible by a grant from the California Arts Council.” Suffice to say, The She’s have been in the right place at the right time, and have backed up their luck with talent.
The She’s are talented. Their age makes them eligible for prodigy status, and their harmonies are flawless. It is not simply studio magic: live, The She’s put on an endearing set that replicates the harmonies on the album as well as creating a rich tonal palette of ’50s inspired bass and guitar varnish. The warm, early-Beatles guitar tones don’t overwhelm, and the drums aren’t flashy but keep the songs steady. The bass always peeks through with interesting lines that don’t treat the instrument as guitar #3. There’s attention to tempered instrumentals, as apparent on the bridge of “Kids of Rock.” The She’s play it straight, and write songs that are impossible to dislike.
The lyrics of Then It Starts To Feel Like Summer seem to be inspired by the band interests listed on their Facebook: “Sushi, pesto pizza, root beer, and boys.” The songs are at least thematically consistent, charting the feel of summer not specifically in the sun and beaches, but in the boys, the feelings, and the world-is-collapsing feeling that only teenagers can experience. I don’t mean to trivialize it (too much); there’s something terrifying about being a teenager and becoming enveloped by sudden sadness, crushing embarrassment, and instantly overwhelmingly love. However, do not confuse what The She’s do with, say, Dashboard Confessional. Like poets who use formal structures like sonnets, The She’s have found that formulating feeling through proven structures can be more interesting than giving it all away.
The structures in use here are the summer songs of the ’60s, especially The Beach Boys. I wouldn’t say they sound like The Ronettes; the vocals do not dominate the way that Veronica Bennett‘s do in “Be My Baby.” While the drumming more clearly reveals The She’s taste for The Donnas and The Go-Gos, the songs reach to the same imagined memory of the early 60s that Girls do. If anything, it is Girls who is a bigger influence on the band, as far as their penchant for 50s-style chord progressions, harmonies, and lyric choice go. The more raucous sounds recall Tilly and the Wall, and if they were even more raucous(!), they’d be a bit too close to Vivian Girls for comfort. The She’s operate in a space that is covered in buzz, and crowded as a result. The ’60s pop song is an interesting vehicle, especially when its innocent and sometimes vacuous qualities are sabotaged. The challenge that arises is making sure they aren’t innocent and vacuous, and therefore meaningless pop.
Fortunately, The She’s never take the easy way out and write something like Bieber’s “Baby.” They are young, and while that is not an excuse for weak songwriting, it is important to consider when putting their lyrical choices into perspective. “Then It Starts To Feel Like Summer” is a great, self-conscious evocation of The She’s approach to songs. When they sing “They don’t know how much I want you / Then it starts to feel like summer,” they put forth their thesis on teenage love. Summer is no longer merely an escapist fantasy, but is revalued as a change of season. Where spring and fall usually take the role of the changing times, summer is usually the fantasy that is book-ended by the stony features of fall. When it starts to feel like summer, old emotions stay behind, old loves like Fabian will be left behind (even as they sing “you said you’d say my name again,” because “I’ll never see your face again”). As “Before It’s Gone” closes out the album, The She’s ask their lover to “say it now before it’s gone / you know we don’t have very long.” In an angular way, ’60s pop-folkies The Byrds show up as an influence.
Then It Starts To Feel Like Summer is an album that is conscious of growing up, and it’s a great full-length debut (though it’s their third record). However, I will be disappointed if future music by The She’s doesn’t evolve past this great collection of songs. The quartet have the chops to follow up the album with a truly stunning creative venture. Nietzsche used the model of the camel, lion, and baby to describe the process of learning and creating. The camel first carries the burden of all influences and knowledge, the lion revolts against the old body of knowledge that the camel has meticulously studied, and the baby is fresh, able to create from scratch without the burden of old systems that demand acknowledgment and revolution. This is a camel of an album, and I look forward to The She’s lion. And I hope they play the Central Valley soon!
The She’s are a band from San Francisco, CA. Their Facebook is here, and their music can be purchased here. Photos taken from their Facebook page.
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Cafe du Nord/Dominant Legs
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The venues red walled and dark mahogany interior clashed with the peppy strokes of local teen band, ...The venues red walled and dark mahogany interior clashed with the peppy strokes of local teen band, The SHE’s, who’s surf rock melodies took us out of the swanky basement bar and transported us to a 1960’s beach party. The quartet is made up of high school girls, Sami Perez, Hannah Valente, Eva Treadway and Sinclair Riley, who have secured a unique pop rock sound reminiscent of the Beach Boys with all the girl power of The Donnas. These girls might have stolen the show, for their age, their original style and throw back feel, The SHE’s proved they are one to watch.
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THE SHE'S on Backseat Beat
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Now, we don’t know about you, but back in high school we didn’t have a lot of experience with filled...Now, we don’t know about you, but back in high school we didn’t have a lot of experience with filled-out rich bitch popularity queens, jocks in corvettes, or vaguely racist portrayals of exchange students. When we were 16, our main priorities in life were pretending we already knew how to smoke cigarettes and trying to seduce our junior year crush with some strategically requested Color Me Badd at our birthday party. We just kind of figured everyone’s high school experience was like that, until we heard that not only have The SHE’S already played the same shitty dive bars we’ve played, and not only have they already played venues we could only dream about playing, like the Fillmore, but that they’re also only 16, for chrissakes.
Sitting back and watching The SHE’S tear it up for us—cool, talented, nailing their performance like a bunch of old pros—it was impossible to think that these girls are actually in high school the same way that we were once in high school. They had to be like those larger-than-life teens in every John Hughes movie (never mind that the Brat Pack were all actually in their 20s, were all headed for NA, and had divorced their parents). When you interview Watts, you don’t expect her to say she’s kind of shy in school and that she digs watching Star Trek with her mom after doing her math homework.
So what if The SHE’S are skipping their prom? Somebody’s gotta kick ass at the battle of the bands, wiping the floor with peachfuzz-toting wannabe rockers who think owning a sparkly instrument means you can’t play it. Hey assholes, haven’t you seen Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains? We didn’t think so. It was only five years ago that The SHE’S were microwaving gummy worms at slumber parties for fun. We can only imagine what the next five years will bring. Hey ladies, maybe you can buy us a drink then.
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Magic Kids / The She's Bottom of the Hill
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Magic Kids played Bottom of the Hill this past Sunday night with Candy Claws and The She's, and Am...
Magic Kids played Bottom of the Hill this past Sunday night with Candy Claws and The She's, and Amoreena Lucero was there to take some photos of all three bands.
Anyone following this site will know by now we love Magic Kids, and if the above photo doesn't convince you to love them too, I just don't know what to say! To steal words from Amoreena herself that perfectly summed it up, how can you look at them and not smile?
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SHE'S @ CAFE DU NORD
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The She's are an excellent bubblegum, garage rock band. This quartet of ladies will bring a smile to...The She's are an excellent bubblegum, garage rock band. This quartet of ladies will bring a smile to your face. Groovy guitar riffs and catchy songs will have you singing along after a few listens.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/offtherecord/detail?entry_id=94343#ixzz1UdjAX6hX
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SHE'S INTERVIEW
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Remember when you were in high school and wished you were in a cool band, only puberty, braces, pare...Remember when you were in high school and wished you were in a cool band, only puberty, braces, parents, and a lack of talent got in the way? Not the case for The SHE’S. The only thing standing in the way of these four high schoolers is the fact that they’re friends can’t get into the clubs they play. Oh, and homework.
Singer Hannah Valente, guitarist Eva Treadway, drummer Sinclair Riley, and bassist Sami Perez (their initials spell SHE’S!!!) put together their band five years ago at the Jewish Community Center summer Rock Camp. And they’re already killing it in the San Francisco music scene, playing with the likes of the Soft White Sixties, Dominant Legs, and Broke-Ass Band interview alumni AB & the Sea. Last year they even opened for local cult favorite Girls at the Fillmore. How many 16-year-olds can say that?
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This Week In Local Music News
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The SHE'S, a massively accomplished band of teenage girls who've opened for Girls and Thao & The Get...The SHE'S, a massively accomplished band of teenage girls who've opened for Girls and Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, releases the sun-soaked "Jimmy," the first single off their debut album Then It Starts To Feel Like Summer, which drops November 29. [via The Bay Bridged]
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That' What The She's Said
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Now this is where the post could have began. We went to see Thao and the Get Down Stay Down at the G...Now this is where the post could have began. We went to see Thao and the Get Down Stay Down at the Great American Music Hall. This was at the tail end of a crazy weekend. Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Jeffro!! The opening band for Thao was, The She's. They were awesome and adorable. Check out their myspace here.
The group consists of Sami Perez, Hannah Valente, Eva Treadway, and Sinclair Riley. The crazy thing is that all of them are about sixteen years old. Apparently they have been playing together since mid-elementary school. They site influences like, the Morning Benders, the Donnas, Beach Boys, and Girls, which proves they are way cooler than you when you were a sixteen year old. I think when I was sixteen despite all my rage I was still just a rat in a cage or I was waking up in the morning and stepping outside taking a big breath and getting real high, or was that middle school?
What's going on? My name is Mystery, I'm here to talk about kino-escalation and bouncing. Everyone creepy as shit? Good. Everyone have their goggles? Good. Let's do this, you like magic, guuurl?
It doesn't really matter, what does matter is how great these girls were. Thanks to Sami’s years of experience in the SF Girls Chorus they have awesome vocal harmonies. They are like a more alive Mountain man on surfboards with more instrumentation. They kind of remind me of Tennis, Best Coast, or The Ronettes and that's not a bad thing. 60's influenced girl pop, which is a pretty close approximation of the most perfect word combination for my musical leanings and interests. Their stage banter was so great too, they were seriously adorable, and I don't use that word a lot, I stopped after that incident at that Biker bar, what? It was an adorable lazy eye.
The She's at The Great American Music Hall
They were just so happy to be there on stage and they made you instantly happy to be there with them. Thao said she saw them at the Noe Valley farmer's market which in itself is fucking adorable. *Thao smells the kale, music drifts above the arugula and past the artisan falafel maker, her ears perk up* "You there!! Awesome band full of bad assery and happiness inducing musical skills, you are coming with me!!" *They all ride off on an extra long horse* I am pretty sure that's how it went.
At the end of their set I bought a copy of their ep from one of their mothers, literally, no joke, how great is that? Check out their Myspace for samples of their music. They are really talented musicians and a solid band. They have a great knack for song arrangement and structure. Here is there video for, "Running."
If you would like to see them in person, SK and I will be going to their record release party at the Bottom of the Hill on Saturday Dec. 3rd. They are playing with Tijuana Panthers and Melted Toys. Grab your tickets for $10 here
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Hot Track: The SHE'S "Jimmy"
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Teenage wunderkind quartet The She’s released “Jimmy” this week, a new track from their debut Then I...Teenage wunderkind quartet The She’s released “Jimmy” this week, a new track from their debut Then It Starts to Feel Like Summer, which drops November 29.
Their band interests on Facebook are pretty standard for high school girls: “sushi, pesto pizza, root beer and boys.” But while the rest of us probably spent our formative years thinking wouldn’t it be nice if we were older, this band already has a leg up on plenty of the older kids in this town. They’re chummy with locals AB & the Sea, they’ve opened for Girls at the Fillmore, and last year they released the Surfer Boy EP.
“Jimmy” takes it back to the days of 60's girl groups with oohs, 3-part harmonies and handclaps galore. It’s got that sunny-but-sad retro thing going on, too, with lyrics like “why am i so down/even though you are around?”
Listen HERE
The She’s play Bottom of the Hill on December 3 with Tijuana Partners and Melted Toys.
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SHE'S @ KZSC
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That being said, let me introduce you to our first of two guests for tomorrow night's program, The S...That being said, let me introduce you to our first of two guests for tomorrow night's program, The SHE'S.
Hailing from San Francisco, The SHE'S are proof positive that making great music has no arbitrary age requirement. Much has been made of the group members' relative youth (they're in high school), but one need not delve too far into their music to find out that the band's ability to craft melodies with quality pop sensibilities reaches far beyond what one would expect for a group of musicians their age. Their sound can be described as indebted to the likes of the Shangri-Las, Herman's Hermits and the Beach Boys as far as structure goes, but The SHE'S bring that 50s-60s surf pop style of music into the modern era, having caught the attention of groups like AB & The Sea, Best Coast and Christopher Owens of Girls (who subsequently put the group on the map by having them open their Fillmore show last October).
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CAFE du Nord
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It’s easy to look past how young these girls are due to their overwhelming talent onstage. The obvio...It’s easy to look past how young these girls are due to their overwhelming talent onstage. The obvious “we thank our parents for letting us play this show on a school night” comments were positively adorable and as soon as they began to perform you realized that they are way ahead of their years. Beachy rhythms and layered harmonies create a crystal clear sound that remained consistent throughout their set. We look forward to a full-length debut from these ladies.
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Girls pick The SHE’S to join them Friday at the Fillmore
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one of the more intriguing (and inspiring) current local music stories, a quartet of 16 year-olds, ... one of the more intriguing (and inspiring) current local music stories, a quartet of 16 year-olds, The SHE’S, will open for Bay Area big-leaguers Girls and Holy Shit (LA) on Friday at The Fillmore (9pm, $32.75). Sami Perez, Hannah Valente, Eva Treadway, and Sinclair Riley, (SHE’S, get it?) have been playing music together since mid-elementary school. Their sound crystallized four years ago at the Jewish Community Center summer Rock Camp under the mentorship of local music institution Ray Wilcox.
Since then, The SHE’S have enjoyed a rare convergence of fortune – Sami’s years of experience in the SF Girls Chorus helped them develop a skill for vocal harmonies, they enjoyed exceptional support from their families, and they found themselves in synch on key matters of band chemistry and direction. They also proved to be tireless self-promoters, taking on virtually every farmer’s market, street fair and teen talent event they could dig up. This led over time to some more legit gigs, such as two dates at Bottom of the Hill. They also showed verve in befriending bands they liked.
“We contacted Girls via myspace and said that we’re big fans and that we’re a local band too,” Eva recalls. Chris Owens from Girls remembers, too: “I thought they were really cool looking from their photos and stuff.” He was intrigued enough to catch a SHE’S performance at Pier 23 in January. “I loved them from the first song,” he says. “They’re playing because they love to and they think it’s fun. It’s very refreshing for someone like me who plays with a lot of bands that are just desperate for fame and status.”
Eva: “So we went to see them a few weeks later at Great American Music Hall and Chris gave us a shout out from stage. Then around May he contacted us asking if we wanted to open for them at the Fillmore.” As to the obvious question of how they feel about such an opportunity, Eva confirms, “considering no one really knows our band and it’s such an amazing historic venue and we get to open for one of our favorite bands, we’re super excited.”
Even though The SHE’S have earned this slot on merit, there is a fascinating social anthropology element to this moment: teen bands, regarded as a passing fad just a few years ago when the SHE’S started out, have become as commonplace in family culture as soccer or martial arts. The SHE’S set on Friday will address, on a big stage, the question of whether or not a gifted, dedicated group can shake off the mantle of novelty and be regarded as just a band.
The girls (of the SHE’S, not the boys of Girls) are aided by a sophisticated sound which has evolved thanks in part to their association with bands like Girls. “When we started playing I think we had this idea that we were meant to be a punk band or like a really badass girl band like The Donnas, who were my favorite band growing up,” says Eva. “When we started listening to bands from the 60’s with really great harmonies and pop hooks like the Beach Boys and Herman’s Hermits, and getting interested in local independent bands like the Morning Benders and Girls, we embraced the pop part of our sound.” Singer Hannah Valente has begun playing electric mandolin, and the group has deftly moved away from the Go-Go’s template of most kid bands into a sound that reflects the current interest in roots rock of the 50’s and 60’s. Their mature sound can be heard on their newly minted EP, Surfer Boys.
(In the interests of full disclosure I should mention that I have been very close to Eva and her family since before she was born. But don’t let that dampen your curiosity!)
Written by Todd Wanerman · Filed Under Bay Area Bands, Feature Article, Free Mp3, News
Tags: Girls, The She's
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A B and the SEA record Christmas song featuring the SHE'S
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We've apparently reached the point where it's cool for indie-pop bands to record their own irony-fre...We've apparently reached the point where it's cool for indie-pop bands to record their own irony-free Christmas songs. The latest addition: a collaboration between local beach-poppers A B & the Sea and garage-boppers The She's, entitled "Christmas (Baby Come Home)." Hear and download this harmony-laden holiday ode right over here.
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SHE'S / SF TOP TEN
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DJ AmperDan returns to IR:SF for 2011, looking back at the Bay Area music that rocked his world and ...DJ AmperDan returns to IR:SF for 2011, looking back at the Bay Area music that rocked his world and his eardrums.
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G-CHat with SF's THE SHE'S
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G-chat with SF’s The SHE’s
Posted by Tom Tom Magazine
March 13, 2012
Hailing from the...
G-chat with SF’s The SHE’s
Posted by Tom Tom Magazine
March 13, 2012
Hailing from the North, well North of LALA in the San Fran area that is, the lady quartet known as The SHE’s draws from the 50’s and 60’s surf music vibe as inspiration for their sweet, airy sounding rock songs. At just 17 years a piece these ladies are attracting a wide array of fans and it’s no surprise to us at Tom Tom. Who doesn’t want some mellow tunes to kick back to? We talked to them just before New Year’s as they geared up for their next show.
Tom Tom: Hi there.
SHE’S: Hi.
Tom Tom: Who am I speaking with?
SHE’S: This is Sinclair, Eva and Hannah.
Tom Tom: Oh great.
Ok so can you tell us the members of your band and what they play?
SHE’S: Sami- bass and vocals
Hannah- vocals and guitar
Eva- guitar and vocals
Sinclair- drums
SHE’S: All born and raised in SF.
Tom Tom: What area are you from?
SHE’S: Sami and Hannah live in the sunset district. Eva lives in the Richmond District. Sinclair lives on the edge of China Town. We all hang out in the Sunset a lot since that’s where we practice.
Tom Tom: Great. What’s the Sunset music scene like?
SHE’S: There isn’t really one, besides in Hannah’s garage.
Tom Tom: Ah. Where are most of your gigs then?
SHE’S: We play all around town, a lot of the time in the Mission and bars downtown.
Tom Tom: Nice. How did you girls get together?
SHE’S: We actually met in kindergarten and we have been friends since we were kids. One day we got sorta bored with soccer practice and all the other things our friends were doing so we got together and tried to play music.
Tom Tom: Were you always known as The SHE’s?
SHE’S: In our current form yes, but we were all in a band before that, but it was just us and a bunch of our friends fooling around on the guitar. We didn’t really get serious about playing until the four of us started playing as The SHE’s.
Tom Tom: Did you four just sort of gel better than the other bands you were in?
SHE’S: We were just a little more serious about continuing on and writing and performing. The four of us also have good band chemistry; we get along really well.
Tom Tom: That must be nice. Can you describe your sound for us?
SHE’S: We’re influenced a lot by pop music from the 50’s and 60’s and also both contemporary and old beach and surf music. So our sound sort of reflects that.
Tom Tom: I love the song called ‘Fabian’. Who is he?
SHE’S: Fabian is a pop star from the 50’s. He starred in like a million surf movies.
Tom Tom: I’ll have to look him up.
SHE’S: He was basically a teen idol. But it’s actually funny, we stumbled upon him when we were watching this movie “Ride the Wild Surf”.
Tom Tom: Very cool. Do any of you ladies surf up there? It’s cold water right?
SHE’S: We don’t really surf much, the water is freezing! None of us are very good surfers.. just through our songs.
Tom Tom: I like the harmonies in your songs. Have you ladies had to work hard on those or have they just sort of come naturally?
SHE’S: One of our favorite things to do is write harmonies for our songs, it’s just really satisfying when we get it just right. Sometimes it takes a little work but often times things click into place without much trouble.
Tom Tom: I bet. So congrats on the 7×7 shout out. How did it feel to be recognized as a band to watch?
SHE’S: Thanks! We were really stoked, we all read ‘7×7’ so it was exciting to be featured, especially along with some of our favorite local bands and friends of ours.
Tom Tom: What has been your experience with fans? Any funny ones?
SHE’S: Yes we actually have an interesting fan base, one that seems to span from ages 3 to like 85. We play at the farmers market in Noe Valley and there are always a lot of little kids there. One little girl drew us a picture of us as mermaids and mailed it to us, so cute!
Tom Tom: Cute! What has been your most fun show so far?
SHE’S: We get really excited when we are able to play with bands we are fans of. We got to open for Girls at the Fillmore which was amazing. A big highlight for sure.
Tom Tom: Very cool. Were you nervous?
SHE’S: Yes we were, but it was loads of fun, the crowd was great and it was a super fun show.
Tom Tom: That’s awesome! Is there any question that you haven’t been asked that you would like to be?
SHE’S: We love watching TV together as a band so we’ve always thought that what our fav shows are would be a good question.
Tom Tom: What are your favorite shows?
SHE’S: Our all time favorite show is ‘Freaks and Geeks’. It was only on for one season in like 1998, but it is one of the best shows of all time.
Tom Tom: What channel? I’ll have to check it out. I love those hidden gems.
SHE’S: We have the DVD set, I think it’s on Netflix too. Not quite sure if anyone is playing re-runs now, but they should be.
Tom Tom: Ok awesome. Thank you ladies. It’s been a pleasure.
SHE’S: Thanks! You too!
The SHE’s next scheduled show is at Noise Pop at The Independent on February 25th. Check ‘em if you’re in the area. They’re worth it.
Interview by Mindy Magana
This entry was posted in Bands, Blogroll, Drummer of the Week, Exclusive Interview, Quick & Fun and tagged 50s and 60s, Fabian, Freaks and Geeks, Girls, Sufer Pop, surf pop, The SHE's. Bookmark the permalink.
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THE MAG
Issue 8
The Kids Issue Featuring: Tayler Smith
Chloe Saavedra
Senri Kawaguchi
Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley
Rocker Families
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Bands on the Rise
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I had a seemingly innocuous query for all-teenage, all-girl sunny rock'n'roll quartet, the S...I had a seemingly innocuous query for all-teenage, all-girl sunny rock'n'roll quartet, the She's: what've you got in store for 2013? The band's answer sums up its appeal: "New EP in the works, inspired by our secrets, other people's secrets, The Great Gatsby, heartache, etc. Musically inspired by bands...such as La Sera, Wild Nothing, Tame Impala, and Dum Dum Girls. Graduating (from high school), touring, recording, making friends." Just perfect, right?
So far, the talented group (bassist Samantha Perez, vocalist Hannah Valente, guitarist Eva Treadway, and drummer Sinclair Riley), BFFs since kindergarten, has released one stunning, harmony-laden, Beach Boys-inspired album — Then It Starts to Feel Like Summer — recorded at Women's Audio Mission; and it's played endless enviable opening slots around town (for Girls, Surfer Blood, La Sera). This year marks yet another Noise Pop appearance for the precocious foursome, and the release of the aforementioned new EP. It's starting to feel like 2013 will be the year of the She's, or at least, the year the ladies graduate to the next level.
Description of sound: That time in the summer of '66 when you "borrowed" your dad's cherry red convertible and drove to Malibu with your boyfriend and your best friend and watched the surfers from the sand with a bottle of cola in your hand.
What you like most about the Bay Area music scene: The Bay Area music scene has been really accepting, which is nice considering our young age. It inspires us to put our music out there; it's not as intimidating as a city like LA or New York because San Francisco is a place where we can really stand out as musicians.
What piece of music means a lot to you: HANNAH: Graceland by Paul Simon, because the impact the album had on the 1986 music scene inspires me. Every time I hear the song I am transported back in time on a slipstream of dreamy guitar riffs and the sweet idea of freedom sung by Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
EVA: I know it's weirdly taboo in the music community to say that a contemporary release is really significant to you but Beach House's Teen Dream is one of the most important albums to me. I think it's a really genius work and it was a real game changer for me as far as approaching music as a songwriter and as a listener.
SINCLAIR: When I was little, my dad had a Best of the Beach Boys album that was the only thing he ever played when we drove in his Toyota pickup truck. Otherwise, my parents liked me to listen to classical music, so I jumped on every chance to go on errands with my dad so I could jam out. "Help me Rhonda" and "Littler Surfer Girl" were my favorites, but I knew the words to them all.
SAMANTHA: "You Don't Wanna Call" by the Donnas. It's the first song I learned to play on the guitar, so it brings back a lot of musical memories. Little did I know my 7-year-old self was discovering what has become the biggest passion in my life. The song was like a transition from my parents' punk music to my love for modern local music. It's silly, but it means a lot.
Favorite local eatery and dish: We love Shanghai Dumpling King in the Richmond. Can't go there without getting shanghai noodles and an order of shanghai dumplings!
Who would you most like to tour with: We would really like to tour with La Sera because their music is great; we played with them recently and Katy was so sweet. We'd also like to tour with the Smith Westerns because we're in love. Beach House would be amazing — as would Girls, and the Beatles...but [those ones are] never going to happen.
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Music Features Volume 47, Issue 20 On the Rise 2013 the She's
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